China confirms first human case of H3N8 bird flu

China confirms first human infection with strain from H3N8 Bird flu. The case was recorded in a four-year-old boy residing in Henan province who had contact with home-raised chickens and crows, according to a statement from China’s National Health Commission.

The child developed fever and other flu-like symptoms on April 5, and confirmation of H3N8 infection was published on Tuesday, 26. The variant is common in horses and dogs and was responsible for the deaths of more than 160 seals in the United States last year.

According to experts, the risk of spread among humans is low, although it has alarmed health authorities. The health commission said it has conducted an initial study in which the variant has yet to effectively infect humans.

Analysis of the genome sequence of the virus found in the child shows that in his case the H3N8 virus is the result of a rearrangement that usually occurs when two viruses infect the same cell at the same time.

China has a huge population of both farm and wild birds, and many species provide an ideal environment for avian viruses to mix and mutate, according to scientists. Some sporadically infect humans, often those who work with birds – which is why surveillance for zoonotic infections is high in the country.

Monitoring is important because, although rare, these infections in humans can lead to adaptive mutations in the virus, which can begin to infect mammals, as in the case of covid-19.