North America’s first bird flu related death happened in Canada on January 3, 2014. Details about the victim are still a little sketchy, but her family and friends remember her fondly and say that she was a dedicated nurse and beloved daughter and wife. The family was not willing to release the victim’s name but said she was in her 20’s and grew up in China.

“She was an energetic woman who her co-workers have described as the bright light in the room. She was driven, and passionate about her work and most of all her family,” said her family in a release.

The victim worked at the The Red Deer Hospital and had recently taken a trip to Beijing. She was returning home form Beijing on a flight when she began to feel ill. After she was admitted to the hospital it was discovered that she had H5N1 or Bird Flu.

Health workers assured the public that they were not at risk of contracting H5N1 because it is not transferred from person to person. Officials were not sure how the victim contracted the disease but were working closely with Canadian health officials to determine where the victim had been while in Beijing and what she may have been exposed to before she became ill.

The victim’s family said that the victim had recently got married and was happy to start a life with her new husband and to be working as a nurse, which was her dream job. The family is being monitored and tested to determine if any members have contracted H5N1 and are working with health officials to determine how the victim may have came in contact with the virus.

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