First Case of H3N8 Avian Flu in Humans Found in China

BEIJING, KOMPAS.com – China confirm the first case bird flu H3N8 in humans, but health authorities say the risk of transmission is low among humans.

Bird flu H3N8 is known to have circulated since 2002 after first appearing in North American waterfowl infecting horses, dogs and seals, but has not previously been detected in humans.

China’s National Health Commission (NHC) on Tuesday (26/4/2022) said a four-year-old boy living in Henan province tested positive for bird flu after being hospitalized earlier this month with fever and other symptoms.

Read also: Bird Flu Case Found Again in US, Livestock Industry Asked to Be Alert

The boy’s family raises chickens at home and lives in an area inhabited by wild ducks, the NHC said AFP on Wednesday (27/4/2022).

The boy was directly infected by birds and the virus was not found to have the ability to effectively infect humans, the NHC said.

The commission added that tests of close human contact with the boy found no abnormalities.

The NHC further said the boy’s case was a one-time cross-species transmission, and the risk of large-scale transmission was low.

They also warned the public to stay away from dead or sick birds and seek treatment immediately if they have symptoms of fever or respiratory illness.

Bird flu occurs mainly in wild birds and poultry. Cases of human-to-human transmission are very rare.

Read also: China Reports Two People Died of Bird Flu, Three More Still In Intensive Care

The avian influenza strains H5N1 and H7N9 detected in 1997 and 2013 respectively account for the majority of cases of bird flu in humans, according to the US Centers for Disease Control.

Human infection from zoonoses, or animal-borne influenza, “is primarily acquired through direct contact with infected animals or a contaminated environment, but does not result in efficient transmission of this virus among humans”, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

In 2012, bird flu H3N8 It is said to have caused the deaths of more than 160 seals off the northeast coast of the United States after inflicting deadly pneumonia on the animals.

Read also: Rare case of bird flu found in humans in UK

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