First Human Case of A(H5N1) Imported into the Western Hemisphere
Influenza A(H5N1) jumped to humans for the first time in 1997 and since then more than 650 confirmed cases of H5N1 have been reported. These cases have been reported from 15 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, but none from countries in the Western Hemisphere. On January 8, Canadian public health officials announced that a woman, in her late 20s, from Red Deer, Alberta, died from H5N1 on Jan 3, 2014. She had returned from the People’s Republic of China via Beijing after visiting for three weeks within China. She apparently fell ill on the return flight to North America. Although it is likely she was infected in China in late December 2013, this is the first confirmed case of H5N1 reported in North America. (link below) Should you be concerned if you live in North America? This single case does not indicate that there is an H5N1 outbreak in North America. A single imported case in Canada should not spark pandemic hysteria. Even though over the years researchers have speculated that H5N1 ...