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China - H5N1 death in Alberta, Canada upon return from China trip - died from meningoencephalitis

Canadian first to die from H5N1 bird flu in North America (Globe & Mail, January 8 2014, edited)

Canadian first to die from H5N1 bird flu in North America (Globe & Mail, January 8 2014, edited)

Source. Globe and Mail, full page:

Canadian first to die from H5N1 bird flu in North America

ANDRE PICARD

The Globe and Mail

Published Wednesday, Jan. 08 2014, 3:59 PM EST
Last updated Wednesday, Jan. 08 2014, 3:59 PM EST


Canada has just recorded the first human death from H5N1 bird flu in North America.

The Alberta resident died on Jan. 3 after returning from China. It is not known how the disease was contracted.

(...)


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Re: Canadian first to die from H5N1 bird flu in North America (Globe & Mail, January 8 2014, edited)

Re: Canadian first to die from H5N1 bird flu in North America (Globe & Mail, January 8 2014, edited)

Source: http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/albert...da-s-first-fatal-human-case-of-h5n1-1.1629498

... The woman died Jan. 3 after falling ill on her way back home from a trip to China in late December.

Officials say there is no evidence that the avian flu had spread to others around the woman, and her family members are showing no sign of the virus...
 
Re: Canadian first to die from H5N1 bird flu in North America (Globe & Mail, January 8 2014, edited)

Re: Canadian first to die from H5N1 bird flu in North America (Globe & Mail, January 8 2014, edited)

[Source: CBC, full page: (LINK). Extract.]


1 case of H5N1 fatal avian influenza confirmed in Alberta

Health Minister Rona Ambrose says isolated case of avian influenza confirmed in Alberta

CBC News Posted: Jan 08, 2014 3:15 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 08, 2014 4:06 PM ET


Alberta health officials have confirmed an isolated, fatal case of H5N1 or avian influenza, Health Minister Rona Ambrose said Wednesday. The infected person, an Alberta resident who recently travelled to Beijing, China, died Jan. 3. The case was confirmed in a lab test last night. It's the first such case in North America.

Officials created confusion by referring to the patient as "him" and "her" in order to avoid identifying anyone. Officials said that they would not identify the sex, age or occupation of the patient.

(?)


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Re: Canadian first to die from H5N1 bird flu in North America (Globe & Mail, January 8 2014, edited)

Re: Canadian first to die from H5N1 bird flu in North America (Globe & Mail, January 8 2014, edited)

The person traveled on Air Canada 27 December 2013. The flight numbers are:

AC 030 Bejiing to Vancouver, Canada and
AC 244 Vancouver to Edmonton Canada
 
Re: H5N1 death in Alberta

Re: H5N1 death in Alberta

Alberta woman dies from avian flu in North America's first human case of H5N1

Sonja Puzic, CTVNews.ca
Published Wednesday, January 8, 2014 3:59PM EST
Last Updated Wednesday, January 8, 2014 4:48PM EST

North America?s first human case of H5N1, or avian flu, was confirmed after an Alberta woman died from the virus, Health Minister Rona Ambrose announced Wednesday.
The woman died Jan. 3 after falling ill on her way home from a trip to China in late December.


Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/albert...st-human-case-of-h5n1-1.1629498#ixzz2pqa4xWXT
 
Re: H5N1 death in Alberta

Re: H5N1 death in Alberta

Via Helen Branswell's twitter page - https://twitter.com/HelenBranswell

Helen Branswell ‏@HelenBranswell 59m
Canadian authorities say Alberta #H5N1 #flu case appears to be isolated case. Traveled from Beijing to Vancouver, then Edmonton Dec. 27.

Helen Branswell ‏@HelenBranswell 56m
Alberta chief medical officer says fatal #H5N1 case didn'thave respiratory symptoms; cause of death listed as meningococcal meningitis.

Helen Branswell ‏@HelenBranswell 54m
#H5N1 diagnosis made post-death in Canadian case. As she didn't have respiratory symptoms, healthcare workers may have used less precautions

Helen Branswell ‏@HelenBranswell 48m
Correcting self: Woman showed symptoms of meningococcal encephaliitis, not meningitis.

Helen Branswell ‏@HelenBranswell 47m
@PHAC_GC will contact people who were on flights with the fatal #H5N1 case. They haven't yet - feel risk of transmission on flights is low.

Helen Branswell ‏@HelenBranswell 46m
Flights were Air Canada 030 Beijing to Vancouver on Dec. 27, Air Canada 244 from Vancouver to Edmonton same day #H5N1 in Canada.
 
Re: H5N1 death in Alberta

Re: H5N1 death in Alberta

Meningococcoal meningitis or encephalitis would be caused by meningococcal bacteria; here is the correct description:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...h-america/article16244697/#dashboard/follows/

[snip]

Dr. James Talbot, chief medical officer for Alberta, said the person was admitted to hospital on Jan. 1 with high fever and ?decreasing CNS consciousness? (meaning extreme lethargy). There was no cough or other signs of respiratory illness, which is usually the case with influenza, but not always with H5N1. Dr. Talbot said the patient died of meningoencephalitis, or swelling of the brain.

Because of the unusual presentation of the illness, a sample of the person?s blood was sent to the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, which confirmed on Tuesday night that the infection was caused by H5N1 virus.
 
Re: H5N1 death in Alberta

Re: H5N1 death in Alberta

Avian influenza death confirmed in Alberta
Jan 08, 2014 Media inquiries

Health Minister Fred Horne released the following statement today regarding Alberta?s first rare and isolated case of avian influenza.

Results that were received from the provincial laboratory on Monday, and confirmed by the National Microbiology Laboratory on Tuesday, indicate that an Albertan has died from H5N1 avian influenza.

This individual travelled to China in December. Upon returning to Alberta, this person was admitted to hospital on Jan. 1 and passed away on Jan. 3.

?I would like to extend my condolences to the family for the loss of their loved one. I also want to thank our health care workers and our Chief Medical Officer of Health for their swift action and for their close co-ordination with the Government of Canada,? said Health Minister Fred Horne.

?This is a very rare and isolated case,? said Dr. James Talbot, Alberta?s Chief Medical Officer of Health. ?Avian influenza is not easily transmitted from person to person. It is not the same virus that is currently present in seasonal influenza in Alberta.

?Public health has followed up with all close contacts of this individual and offered Tamiflu as a precaution. None of them have symptoms and the risk of developing symptoms is extremely low. Precautions for health care staff were also taken as part of this individual?s hospital treatment.

?I expect that with the rarity of transmission and the additional precautions taken, there will be no more cases in Alberta.?

In 2013, there were 38 world-wide cases of H5N1 avian influenza reported to the World Health Organization and 24 deaths.

Under the Building Alberta Plan, our government is investing in families and communities, living within our means, and opening new markets for Alberta's resources to ensure we're able to fund the services Albertans told us matter most to them. We will continue to deliver the responsible change Albertans voted for.

Related information
Avian influenza resources:

Alberta Health website

MyHealth.Alberta.ca

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

World Health Organization


Media inquiries
Matthew Grant
Press Secretary, Health
780-222-6433
call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000
http://alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=3565183693F2C-9E0D-1406-AF11D53248E7B8B2
 
Re: Canada - H5N1 death in Alberta after travel from China - died from meningoencephalitis

Re: Canada - H5N1 death in Alberta after travel from China - died from meningoencephalitis

I merged 2 threads about this case. Thanks everyone.

Frankly, I am surprised this did not happen years ago. China does not have a history of being forthcoming about H5N1.

Luckily Canada has a sophisticated public health system.
 
Re: Canada - H5N1 death in Alberta after travel from China - died from meningoencephalitis

Re: Canada - H5N1 death in Alberta after travel from China - died from meningoencephalitis

sharon sanders said:
. . . China does not have a history of being forthcoming about H5N1. . . .
Click to expand...

Officially China has only reported 45 cases of H5N1, or about 7% of all H5N1 cases. Last year (2013) China only reported two H5N1 cases. Together Indonesia, Egypt, and Vietnam have reported about 75% of all H5N1 cases, yet not one foreign national been infected in these countries. How likely is it that a foreign visitor would be infected in a country that only reported two human H5N1 cases last year.
 
Re: Canada - H5N1 death in Alberta after travel from China - died from meningoencephalitis

Re: Canada - H5N1 death in Alberta after travel from China - died from meningoencephalitis

Laidback Al said:
Officially China has only reported 45 cases of H5N1, or about 7% of all H5N1 cases. Last year (2013) China only reported two H5N1 cases. Together Indonesia, Egypt, and Vietnam have reported about 75% of all H5N1 cases, yet not one foreign national been infected in these countries. How likely is it that a foreign visitor would be infected in a country that only reported two human H5N1 cases last year.
Click to expand...

Not very.

This is the 2nd China exported human avian influenza case reported TODAY.

The first one - an H7N9 case:

#157 - Man, 65, onset date January 3, hospitalized in Hong Kong January 7, travel history to Shenzhen, Guangdong province
 
Re: Canada - H5N1 death in Alberta after travel from China - died from meningoencephalitis

Re: Canada - H5N1 death in Alberta after travel from China - died from meningoencephalitis

Alberta Canada Reports Fatal (Imported) H5N1 Infection



Alberta, Canada ? Credit Wikipedia


# 8141


The story is only about 30 minutes old, and details are still emerging, but we have word of the first fatal case of H5N1 in North America, that of a Chinese traveler who recently died in an Alberta hospital, and who was subsequently tested and found to have been infected with the H5N1 virus.

Our first stop is an announcement issued by the government of Alberta followed by excerpts from a Canadian Press news report.


Avian influenza death confirmed in Alberta
Jan 08, 2014 Media inquiries
Health Minister Fred Horne released the following statement today regarding Alberta?s first rare and isolated case of avian influenza.
Results that were received from the provincial laboratory on Monday, and confirmed by the National Microbiology Laboratory on Tuesday, indicate that an Albertan has died from H5N1 avian influenza.
This individual travelled to China in December. Upon returning to Alberta, this person was admitted to hospital on Jan. 1 and passed away on Jan. 3.
?I would like to extend my condolences to the family for the loss of their loved one. I also want to thank our health care workers and our Chief Medical Officer of Health for their swift action and for their close co-ordination with the Government of Canada,? said Health Minister Fred Horne.
?This is a very rare and isolated case,? said Dr. James Talbot, Alberta?s Chief Medical Officer of Health. ?Avian influenza is not easily transmitted from person to person. It is not the same virus that is currently present in seasonal influenza in Alberta.
?Public health has followed up with all close contacts of this individual and offered Tamiflu as a precaution. None of them have symptoms and the risk of developing symptoms is extremely low. Precautions for health care staff were also taken as part of this individual?s hospital treatment.
?I expect that with the rarity of transmission and the additional precautions taken, there will be no more cases in Alberta.?
In 2013, there were 38 world-wide cases of H5N1 avian influenza reported to the World Health Organization and 24 deaths.


​
This next report comes from The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION
Fatal case of H5N1 bird flu reported in Alberta, first North American case

By: The Canadian Press
Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014 at 3:12 PM | Comments: 0
OTTAWA - Federal public health officials say a fatal human case of H5N1 bird flu has been reported in Canada, the first such case in North America.
Health Minister Rona Ambrose says the case, which was located in Alberta, was an isolated one and that the risk to the general public is small.
"The risk of getting H5N1 is very low," Ambrose told a hastily assembled news conference in Ottawa via conference call.
"This case is not part of the seasonal flu, which circulates in Canada every year."
The H5N1 strain is unrelated to the seasonal flu outbreak, Ambrose added.
Health officials say the victim had travelled to China last month and was hospitalized after returning to Alberta on Jan. 1, then died two days later.
They say that while it remains unclear how the person contracted the virus, there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission.
(Continue . . .)
​

While contact tracing will be done, at this point there?s no indication of onward transmission of the virus in North America. I expect we?ll be getting more details in the coming hours.

Stay tuned.

Posted by Michael Coston at <a class="timestamp-link" href="http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2014/01/alberta-canada-reports-fatal-imported.html" rel="bookmark" title="permanent link"><abbr class="published" itemprop="datePublished" title="2014-01-08T16:27:00-05:00">4:27 PM</abbr>
 
Re: Canada - H5N1 death in Alberta after travel from China - died from meningoencephalitis

Re: Canada - H5N1 death in Alberta after travel from China - died from meningoencephalitis

Source: http://www.vancouversun.com/health/...th+America+first+H5N1+bird/9364432/story.html

Woman who flew through Vancouver dies in North America's first H5N1 bird flu case
The unidentified woman began to fill ill on a flight from Beijing to Vancouver
By Sharon Kirkey, Postmedia News January 8, 2014 3:06 PM

...The unidentified woman began to fill ill on a flight from Beijing to Vancouver, on Air Canada flight number 030, and Vancouver to Edmonton, Air Canada flight 244, on Dec. 27.

The woman went to hospital with symptoms of fever, headache and malaise. She was admitted to hospital on Jan. 1 and died on Jan.3.

Dr. Perry Kendall, B.C.'s provincial health officer, said the woman spent 2.5 hours in Vancouver airport on Dec. 27 between the hours of 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., awaiting a connecting flight.

"From what we know about H5N1, human-to-human transmission is very rare and, if it occurs, is confined to close family contacts. It is, therefore, extremely unlikely that any passengers or casual contacts would have been at risk. Furthermore, the average incubation period for H5N1 infection is between three and four days, so anyone who might have been exposed to this patient would, by now, have developed recognizable signs and symptoms."...
 
Re: Canada - H5N1 death in Alberta after travel from China - died from meningoencephalitis

Re: Canada - H5N1 death in Alberta after travel from China - died from meningoencephalitis

"The illness [H5N1] causes in humans is severe and kills about 60 per cent of those who are infected," Taylor said.
"No other illnesses of this type have been identified in Canada since the traveller returned from Canada. This is an isolated case."
The officials added that the patient was otherwise healthy and it's not yet clear how the person contracted H5N1.
Speaking to Evan Solomon, host of CBC News Network's Power & Politics, Taylor said the patient was relatively young.
"This was a relatively young — well, a young person compared to me, with no underlying health conditions," he said.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/h5n...med-in-alberta-1st-in-north-america-1.2489160

Age: ?
Sex: ?
Onset 27-Dec-27 (Fever malaise and headache)
First visited to hospital 28-Dec-13, PE ruled out and sent home [CXR pneumonia date?) (2)
Hospitalised 1-Jan-14
Sampled 2-Jan-14
Fatal 3-Jan-14
Provincial lab suspect 5-Jan-14 (H1 and H3 negative)
Confirmed 7-Jan-14 [at NML (2)]
Low risk for H2H
[All close contacts so far not unusual]

H5N1 bird flu death confirmed in Alberta, 1st in North America - Politics - CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/h5n...med-in-alberta-1st-in-north-america-1.2489160

= 32 minute video!

(2) Fatal case of H5N1 bird flu reported in Alberta, first North American case - Yahoo News Canada
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/canadian-press-newsalert-fatal-case-h5n1-bird-flu-205021777.html
 
Last edited:
Re: Canada - H5N1 death in Alberta after travel from China - died from meningoencephalitis

Re: Canada - H5N1 death in Alberta after travel from China - died from meningoencephalitis

Not that they would make the same error again, but a probable H7N9 case was reported from Edmonton (ex China) last year that was later discarded:

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=208097

I hope they have double-checked the test results this time.
 
Re: Canada - H5N1 death in Alberta after travel from China - died from meningoencephalitis

Re: Canada - H5N1 death in Alberta after travel from China - died from meningoencephalitis

There are 2 positive H5N1 lab results as per government press release:

"Results that were received from the provincial laboratory on Monday, and confirmed by the National Microbiology Laboratory on Tuesday, indicate that an Albertan has died from H5N1 avian influenza."

http://alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=3565183693F2C-9E0D-1406-AF11D53248E7B8B2
 
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