Alberta health officials say that “a variety of common respiratory viruses” were involved in an incident where 14 people were sent to hospital with “influenza-like” symptoms.
Alberta Health Services said in a statement Friday that it is “confident there is no ongoing health risk to the individuals” and that “there is no health risk to the public.”
“AHS is not able to comment on the RCMP investigation into the death of a child linked to this situation,” the statement went on.
Paramedics rushed to Stoney Nakoda First Nation on Wednesday afternoon where they discovered a four-month-old girl dead at the scene and another child in serious condition.
In total, 14 members of the same family were transported to the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary in Calgary.
As of Thursday, 10 remained in hospital including a two-year-old girl who was in serious but stable condition, according to RCMP.
The medical examiner was investigating and the federal Department of Indigenous Services offered its support to the grieving first nation.
It’s not yet clear what viruses were involved. Health officials have not said how the child died, citing privacy.
The Public Health Agency of Canada reports that it has been a harsher-than-average flu season with at least 995 children under the age of 16 hospitalized as of March 31, and nine deaths.
With files from CTV Calgary
