Canada Bird Flu Situation Worsens With First Human Infection - CANADA - A Canadian Food Inspection Agency contract worker caught the avian flu virus after having contact with dead chickens on a Fraser Valley poultry farm, health officials confirmed late Friday.

The B.C. provincial health officer said it may be the first time the virus has been identified in Canada.

"It's possibly the first time we've identified it," said Dr. Perry Kendall. "It may have happened before and not been cultured and identified."

The person exhibited conjunctivitis, or pink eye, and the symptoms have since cleared up, said Kendall.

"There was an individual who was exposed while working with the dead chickens and developed conjunctivitus and was followed up and tested, and an H7 virus was identified," he said.

The H7 virus is not the same strain that has killed several people in Asia.

Source: eFeedLink - 29th March 2004