Matthew 24:7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
The first death from the H5N1 Avian Flu in North America has been confirmed in Canada.
Canadian public health officials did not release the identity of the victim but said they had been in China before flying to Vancouver on December 27th. They had reported being ill when they were on the flight from Beijing.
The patient was admitted to the hospital on New Year’s Day and died two days later.
Officials have contacted everyone on the Beijing to Vancouver flight for immediate testing for H5N1 but believe there is a very low risk to the flight passengers because of the rarity of human-to-human transmission.
“The risk of getting H5N1 is very low,” Health Minister Rona Ambrose said. “This case is not part of the seasonal flu, which circulates in Canada every year.”
In addition to the flight passengers, close contacts of the victim and the healthcare workers that treated them are also being screened for the virus.
