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The World Health Organization (WHO) said on April 11 that a woman infected with the H3N8 bird flu virus has died in China. This is the first human death caused by this strain of bird flu.
Human cases of bird flu are usually caused by contact with infected live or dead poultry. Photo: AFP
The woman who died was a 56-year-old resident of Guangdong Province in southeastern China. The WHO said the woman fell ill on February 22, was hospitalized with severe pneumonia on March 3 and died on March 16.
On April 11, WHO also stated: “The patient had multiple underlying medical conditions. She had a history of exposure to live poultry before the onset of illness and a history of wild birds around her home. None of the close contacts of the case were infected with the virus or had symptoms at the time of reporting.”
The WHO stressed that it was not yet clear exactly where the female patient was infected with H3N8 and whether it was related to other avian influenza viruses circulating in animals. The WHO also called for further investigation.
The Guardian (UK) reported that since 2022, there have been 3 cases of H3N8 recorded in China.
H3N8 first circulated in 2002, detected in waterfowl in North America. It has also spread to horses, dogs and seals. H3N8 was not detected in humans until two cases were reported in China in April and May last year. One of the cases was severe, the other was mild. The WHO said both cases were caused by direct or indirect contact with infected poultry.
“It appears that this virus does not spread easily from person to person and therefore the risk of human-to-human spread at national, regional and international levels is low,” WHO said. However, WHO stressed the importance of global surveillance to detect changes in circulating influenza viruses that could affect human or animal health, as influenza viruses are constantly evolving.
Human cases of avian influenza usually originate from direct or indirect contact with infected live or dead poultry or contaminated environments. The WHO says animal influenza infections can cause illnesses ranging from pinkeye to mild flu-like symptoms to severe acute respiratory illness or even death. Gastrointestinal or neurological symptoms have been reported but are rare.
According to Tin Tuc Newspaper
