TORONTO >> Canadian health authorities say they have diagnosed a case of bird flu in a British Columbia woman who recently returned from China.

This is the first time this particular type of bird flu — H7N9– has been found in North America. The strain first emerged in China two years ago and most cases have been linked to contact with poultry.

Officials said Monday a man who traveled with the woman was recently sick as well. They say testing is being done to determine if the man was also infected

Health Minister Rona Ambrose says the risk to Canadians is low. This virus does not appear to transmit easily from person to person.

Nearly 500 human infections with this strain have occurred and about a third of those cases have died.