An individual with onset of clinical signs/symptoms [1] within 10 days of last exposure to a potential source of avian influenza virus [2] who is positive for influenza A and for whom subtyping laboratory test results are pending.
An individual with onset of clinical signs/symptoms [1] within 10 days of last exposure to a potential source of avian influenza virus [2] who has influenza A results not typed as H1 or H3.
An individual with laboratory detection of influenza A H5 infection at BCCDC Public Health Lab and/or Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory (NML). The specimen must be confirmed by H5 RT-PCR, and/or sequencing.
[1] Clinical signs/symptoms: Acute respiratory or influenza-like illness with one or more of cough, sore throat, fever or feverishness, rhinorrhea, fatigue, myalgia, arthralgia, headache, and/or conjunctivitis (red eye, discharge from eye). May include mild, moderate (e.g. shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, altered mental status, seizures) or severe manifestations (e.g. pneumonia, respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, multi-organ failure, meningo-encephalitis). Gastro-intestinal symptoms may also be present.
[2] Exposure Criteria: Exposure within the previous ten (10) days to any of the following: direct or indirect close contact (within 2 metres) to confirmed or presumptive infected birds or other animals (e.g. visiting a live poultry market, touching or handling infected animals, consuming under- or uncooked poultry or egg products), close contact (within 2 metres) with a PUI, probable, or confirmed human case, unprotected exposure to biological material known to contain avian influenza virus in a laboratory setting, or unprotected, direct or close contact (within 2 metres) to contaminated environments. Exposure to contaminated environments includes: direct contact with surfaces contaminated with animal parts (e.g. carcasses, internal organs) or feces from A(H5) infected animals or settings in which there have been mass animal die offs in the previous six weeks due to A(H5). Last exposure during on-site depopulation of birds includes when birds are depopulated and all carcasses are disposed.
