Global Courant 2023-04-12 00:10:33
GENEVA — A woman has died of bird flu H3N8 in China, the World Health Organization reported Tuesday — the first known human fatality from avian flu.
H3N8 is known to have been in circulation since 2002 after it first showed up in North American waterfowl.
It is known to infect horses, dogs and seals.
It had not been detected in humans until two previous non-fatal cases – both also in China – surfaced in April and May last year.
The woman who died was a 56-year-old woman from Guangdong province in southeastern China.
She fell ill on February 22, was hospitalized on March 3 for severe pneumonia and died on March 16, the WHO said.
“The patient had multiple underlying conditions. She had a history of exposure to live poultry before the onset of the disease, and a history of wild bird presence around her home,” the UN health organization said in a statement.
“None of the close contacts with the case developed an infection or symptoms of illness at the time of reporting,” it added.
While exposure to a live poultry market may have caused the infection, “it is still unclear what the exact source of this infection is and how this virus is related to other avian influenza A (H3N8) viruses circulating in animals,” said the WHO. said, calling for further research in animals and humans.