CITY-TV reported an elderly couple who had just returned from Bangladesh were admitted to Toronto East General Hospital Tuesday night, and workers were taking "extra steps to be safe including wearing masks and gloves."

Soon after, the hospital issued a statement saying it "has no reason to speculate that any patients in the hospital have avian flu."

The hospital also took a swipe at the broadcaster's reporting of an "outbreak" of the H5N1 virus in Bangladesh.

"It is important to clarify that, according to the World Health Network, there have been no reported human cases of H5N1 avian flu in Bangladesh," the statement said. "We are confident that no staff, patients or visitors have been inadvertently exposed to seasonal influenza at TEGH."