Merdeka.com – Chinese health authorities report the first human case of H3N8 bird flu. However, the risk of spreading this disease to humans is low.
The National Health Commission (NHC) said in a statement that H3N8 infection was found in a four-year-old boy from Henan Province, central China. The boy reportedly developed a fever and other symptoms on April 5.
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The NHC added that the boy had contact with chickens and crows that were kept in his home.
Reported by Reuters, the H3N8 variant is commonly found in horses and dogs, and has even been found in seals. The NHC said there had never been a previously reported case of H3N8 in humans.
Sequencing analysis of the whole genome indicates the H3N8 virus in humans is a reassortant or mixed gene from viruses previously detected in poultry and wild birds, said Royal Veterinary College UK influenza expert Nicola Lewis.
Last year, China reported a human case of H10N3. Early research suggests this variant does not yet have the ability to effectively infect humans, and the risk of a wide-scale epidemic is low.
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