China reported the first case of death cause by the H3N8 bird flu virus. A 56-year-old woman had tested positive and according to reports by the World Health organization, she passed away. This is the first human death caused by the H3N8 avian influenza. This virus is very commonly found in birds but it had never been detected in humans before. The first human case was reported in April and May last year, both of which were in China. However, as far as death cases are concerned, this is the first one in the world.
The Woman Was Also Suffering From Other Medical Conditions
In a statement issued by WHO, it stated that the woman who passed away after catching bird flu also was suffering from other serious medical conditions including cancer. She was diagnosed with pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital in the month of February. “The case was detected through the severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) surveillance system. No close contacts of the case developed an infection or symptoms of illness at the time of reporting,” WHO said in its statement on Monday.
All three people who contracted H3N8 in China are thought to have been exposed to the virus at live poultry markets. The United Nations health agency said the Chinese government had stepped up monitoring for the strain and that the risk of more infections was low.
‘Chances Of More Infection Is Low’, WHO
Experts are still unclear about how this infection spread to human and whether or not it has any connections to the other avian influenza viruses. However, WHO has launched an investigation on this matter. The risk of this virus spreading from one person to another is very low. WHO says that the risk of it spreading on regional, national or international levels is also considered to be low at this point.
WHO Stresses On The Importance Of Global Surveillance
The most important thing that we should all know is that the H3N8 virus is not the same as the H5N1 bird flu pandemic which has devasted an enormous number of poultry, wild bird all across the world in the last 18 months. It has also spread to mammals like bears foxes and domestic cats, as per reports.
The nature of influenza virus is constantly evolving these days and because of that is is extremely important to stress on global surveillance and carry out the following duties: detect virologic, epidemiologic and clinical changes associated with circulating influenza viruses which may affect human (or animal) health.
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