It is a world first. A woman has died in China from Avian Flu H3N8, a virus circulating since 2002 that has so far had no known human casualties, theWorld Health Organization (OMS).
The virus, which first appeared on the North American continent, was until now thought to be capable of being transmitted to horses, dogs and sea lions. It had not been detected in humans until the first two non-fatal cases in China in April and May 2022.
A patient with “multiple predispositions”
The deceased is a resident of Guangdong province in southeastern China. Chine, 56 years old. She fell ill on February 22, was hospitalized with severe pneumonia on March 3 and died on March 16, according to the WHO.
“The patient had multiple predispositions. She had a history of exposure to live poultry prior to the start of the disease, and a history of wild birds around his home,” the organization said. “None of the close contacts of this case had developed an infection or symptoms of illness at the time of writing this report.”
Visiting a live bird market might have caused this contamination, but “the exact source of this infection remains to be determined, as well as the link between this virus and the other type A (H3N8) avian influenzas circulating in the environment. animal”, explained the WHO, calling for research on the question.
The organization, however, stressed that the available data showed that this virus was not transmitted between humans and that, therefore, “the risk of its spread at the national, regional and global level is considered to be low”. However, she recalled the need for constant monitoring due to the permanent mutations of the viruses.
