A teenager in Canada is critically ill with the country's first human case of H5N1 bird flu. Health officials aren't sure how the youth was exposed.

A Canadian teenager infected with bird flu — that country’s first case involving a locally acquired infection — is in critical condition and experiencing difficulty breathing, health officials said Tuesday.

It's not clear how the British Columbia teenager picked up the virus, which has been detected recently in wild birds and poultry in the province, a health official said.

A teenager in Canada, hospitalized with the country's first case of the H5N1 bird flu, is in critical condition. Health officials report his condition deteriorated rapidly despite having no prior health issues.

Canada has reported H5N1 bird flu in wildlife and domestic birds. This year, there have been at least 24 reports of the virus in domestic bird facilities, including at least 10 infected premises in BC in October, according to data from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

British Columbia health officials have yet to identify a likely source of the infection, though none of the teen's contacts have tested positive for the virus so far.

British Columbia health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry shared in a news conference that a teenager, who contracted the first presumptive case of bird flu in Canada, was in critical condition after developing 'acute respiratory distress.

Cases of H5N1 bird flu in U.S. dairy and poultry workers have largely been mild. However, a new case in a British Columbia teenager has experts worried.

A Canadian teenager is hospitalized in critical condition with bird flu, health officials reported Tuesday. The teen has been receiving care at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver since Friday, the same day an initial test came back positive for H5 influenza.