Another cause for concern: flu season is underway in the U.S., and as seasonal influenza virus goes around, “humans, ourselves, could be a mixing vessel,” Davis says. If a person were simultaneously infected with bird flu and seasonal flu, the two viruses could theoretically combine to create a more transmissible strain.

Canadian health officials have confirmed bird flu in a British Columbia teen. The Public Health Agency of Canada said Wednesday that tests showed the virus involved was related to a bird flu outbreak in poultry in the province.

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.