Bird flu is confirmed in hospitalized Canadian teen

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Health officials on Wednesday confirmed bird flu in a British Columbia teen and said the virus was related to a poultry outbreak in the province.

Initial testing had indicated the teenager's infection was from bird flu and was confirmed in further testing, the Public Health Agency of Canada said in a statement.

The teen has been hospitalized in Vancouver since Friday and was reported in critical condition on Tuesday.

It’s not clear how the teenager picked up the virus, which has been detected recently in wild birds and poultry in the province, Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer, said Tuesday. The teen is not known to have any contact with infected animals, she said.