Tuesday, June 1, 2021

World’s first case in China
Human avian flu infected H10N3

The H10N3 type of bird flu has been found for the first time in humans. A 41-year-old Chinese man is in hospital after being infected with the virus. The Chinese Health Authority does not state where the person was infected. However, the risk of spreading the virus is low.

In China, according to officials, for the first time a person has been diagnosed with H10N3 type bird flu infection. The National Health Commission said that a 41-year-old man from Jiangsu province in the east of the country came to the hospital in late April with fever and other symptoms.

On May 28, the subtype H10N3 was diagnosed. It is the world’s first reported infection in a person. H10N3 is said to have low pathogenicity. Wide spread risk is low. The man’s health is stable and he is about to be discharged from the hospital. No other cases were found in his vicinity. The Health Commission did not say how that person could be infected.

There are many avian influenza viruses. Many types exist in China and human infection occurs occasionally, usually in poultry farming. More recently, people were more severely affected in 2016–17. At that time, around 300 people died due to being infected with H7N9.