First human case of bird flu confirmed in North America
Health officials said the first human case of case of H7N9 bird flu has been detected in North America.
A female resident of British Colombia had recently returned from a trip to China when she was diagnosed with the virus.
She did not show signs of illness during the trip or on the flight home and only became ill two days after returning to Canada on January 12.
"The individual did not require hospitalization and is currently recovering from their illness in self-isolation," the Public Health Agency of Canada said in a statement.
The woman’s traveling companion also fell ill but is not confirmed as having the disease.
Federal health officials said there is no risk to the general public and in this instance there was no proof of human-to-human transmission of the disease.
The H7N9 strain has infected over 500 people in China since 2013 said Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Gregory Taylor.
There have been some previous cases of travelers becoming infected in China and exporting it to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia.
The agency believes the couple may have become infected by waste from a poultry farm.
H7N9 bird flu symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, which can lead to pneumonia and is fatal in some cases.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent