North America has confirmed its first human case of H7N9 bird flu in a woman who recently traveled to China.

Health officials said the woman was a resident of British Colombia. She did not show symptoms during her travel, and only tested positive upon arrival in Canada.

"The individual did not require hospitalization and is currently recovering from their illness, in self-isolation," the Public Health Agency of Canada said in a statement.

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The patient visited China along with a family member, who is suspected but not confirmed of having the disease. The two showed symptoms one day apart, making health officials believe they were exposed to a common source of infection. It could be waste from a live poultry market in China, authorities said.

However, federal health officials reassured that the patient does not pose risk to the public.

The woman and her companion returned to Canada from their trip to China on January 12^th and only fell ill two days later.

Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Gregory Taylor said the H7N9 strain is different from the regular seasonal flu. Officials have been on the lookout for bird flu viruses that easily spread among humans.

In this case, there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission. The same H7N9 strain of bird flu had infected over 500 patients in China since 2013, Taylor adds. 

Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Most cases developed severe pneumonia and breathing difficulties - with some resulting to death, Canadian health officials said.

The woman who was in her 50's had been regularly travelling with her partner, said Dr. Reka Gustafson of Vancouver Coastal Health. The man showed symptoms first, followed by the woman who became sick a day after.

The couple had been given the antiviral Tamiflu.

The National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg had confirmed test results over the weekend.

The federal health agency reports, travel-related cases have been confirmed in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia, following exposure to poultry, traced to China's eastern provinces. But the agency was quick to say there were no indications the virus had spread, as those who came in contact with the travelers did not develop the illness.

Travelers to China are still advised to avoid live bird markets and make sure eggs and poultry are properly cooked.

TagsNorth America, Tamiflu, H7N9, british colombia