NewsDesk @bactiman63

The China National Health Commission reported today on a human infection with H3N8 avian influenza in Henan Province.

China /CIA

The patient is a four-year-old boy from Zhumadian City. This is the first known human case of H3N8 avian influenza.

Before the onset of the disease, the patient had raised chickens and black-bone chickens at home, and there were wild ducks around the home. 

He developed fever and other symptoms on April 5, and was admitted to a local medical institution for treatment on the 10th due to aggravation of his condition . On the 24th, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a test on the patient specimen sent from Henan Province , and the result was positive for the H3N8 avian influenza virus. Henan Province carried out medical observation and sampling tests on the close contacts of the child, and no abnormality was found.

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The National Health Commission has instructed Henan Province to carry out prevention and control in accordance with relevant plans, and organized experts to carry out risk assessments. Expert’s preliminary assessment believes that the H3N8 avian influenza virus is of avian origin and has not yet had the ability to effectively infect humans. H3N8 virus has been detected in horses, dogs, birds and seals worldwide , but no human cases of H3N8 have been reported.

This outbreak is an occasional bird-to-human cross-species transmission, and the risk of a large-scale epidemic is low. Experts suggest that the public should avoid contact with sick and dead poultry in their daily lives, and try to avoid direct contact with live poultry; pay attention to dietary hygiene, and separate raw and cooked food during food processing; raise awareness of self-protection, and those with fever and respiratory symptoms should be Wear a mask and seek medical attention as soon as possible.