The Toronto East General Hospital is denying reports it is treating patients who may have been exposed to the avian flu.
In a news statement released Wednesday morning, hospital officials said it has seen an increase in patients suffering from seasonal flu, not the avian flu.
"Although the TEGH has effectively responded to an increased number of patients with seasonal flu-like symptoms...the hospital has no reason to believe that any patients at TEGH have H5N1 avian flu."
Th H5N1 strain of avian flu has been linked to dozens of deaths in China.
Early media reports said the hospital was treating a couple who were experiencing flu-like symptoms and that they were being extra cautious because they had recently travelled to Bangladesh.
Health care workers were seen wearing gowns, gloves and masks as they transported the elderly couple inside the hospital. Even the wheechairs were covered.
Dr. Jim Downey, the infectious disease specialist at TEGH, said that the precautions taken are standard procedure.
"Ever since SARS, most hospitals in Ontario have precautions in place that protect staff by making sure immediately when someone comes into the hospital with a respiratory illness of an undiagnosed cause that staff wear full protective gear to make sure they don't get exposed anything unnecessarily," he said.
In the statement, the TEGH said the World Health Network is reporting no human cases of avian flu in Bangladesh.
Hospital officials are also saying their facility is safe and that they are not anticipating to reduce their services or impose any visitor restrictions.
