A rare form of bird flu has killed a human for the first time in China. The 56-year-old woman from the southern province of Guangdong was only the third person to be infected with the H3N8 subtype of bird flu, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Tuesday evening. All of these cases occurred in China, with the first two reported as far back as last year.
The Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced the third infection at the end of last month, but did not provide information about the woman’s death. According to the WHO, she had multiple previous illnesses and had come into contact with live poultry in the past.
Bird flu is also transmitted to dogs and horses
Sporadic human infections with avian influenza are not uncommon in China, where avian influenza viruses are common in large populations of poultry and wild birds. H3N8 is one of the most common subtypes in birds, but causes little or no disease in them. Cases of transmission to mammals such as dogs and horses are also known.
According to the WHO, the virus is not likely to be easily transmitted from person to person. The risk of spreading at regional, national and international level is therefore estimated to be low. However, as flu viruses continue to evolve, global surveillance is needed to detect changes in flu viruses that could affect health.
Source: Krone
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