The man who had been infected with the strain of the virus remains in hospital where he is being treated with health officials investigating the underlying causes of how he became infected

A man is "severely ill" with a virus never before seen in humans and only detected in animals.

The man was taken to hospital with a high fever, confusion and respiratory distress earlier this month and was later confirmed to have H5N5. It is a subtype of avian influenza , also known as bird flu , that is typically carried by ducks and geese as well as other wild birds.

The man remained in hospital as of last week and an investigation into how the man became ill is ongoing. Officials said no one else has tested positive for the H5N5 strain.

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