'Unclear what's going to happen': Canadian officials monitoring U.S. avian flu outbreak

The first severe case of avian flu has been recorded in the United States and the state of California has now declared a state of emergency.

Thirty-four people have contracted the virus in California and the disease continues to multiply through the state’s dairy cattle.

It comes after a B.C. teen was infected with the virus last month. Health officials here have concluded their investigation and are still unsure where the teen contracted the virus.

A person in Louisiana is in critical condition after contracting the virus from exposure to sick and dead birds in a backyard flock.

The Louisiana patient is over age 65 and has underlying health conditions. The B.C. teen had no contact with livestock.

Isaac Bogoch is an infectious disease specialist at Toronto General Hospital. He told CTV News officials are monitoring the disease closely.

“It's been tracked for just over 20 years," he said. "The reason that scientists and public health are following this is because it's thought to have epidemic or pandemic potential.”

Bogoch adds the situation in Canada is different from the situation in the U.S.

“Currently, there’s a rather large outbreak among dairy cows in the United States, not in Canada," he said. "The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has been very quick to get things under control.”

He says its “unclear what’s going to happen” and it’s important that public health takes every step possible.

B.C. health officials are not commenting on California’s state of emergency, but are urging people to stay up to date on vaccinations and to keep away from any sick or dead animals.

“Avian flu on top of human flu would have two viruses in the same human being, allowing the virus to create a hybrid virus that’s very contagious,” explains Dr. Brian Conway, director at the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre.

There have been no human cases tied to farms in B.C., and the B.C. Poultry Association insists it is being vigorous with containment.

“This is not a food safety issue," said Shawn Hall, the association's spokesperson. "Any sick animals are taken out of the food supply, and cooking properly would get rid of it anyway."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says in a statement that the latest California case does not change its assessment of the immediate risk to the public’s health, "which remains low."