MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bird flu reported in Chinese boy – first human case of H3N8

The risk of a large-scale epidemic is low, according to Chinese health authorities

Chinese authorities Tuesday reported the first case in humans of H3N8 Avian influenza, although health specialists explained the risk of a large-scale epidemic was low.

The patient is a four-year-old boy who had been in contact with chickens and crows in his home in the Henan province. The child was tested after developing fever and other symptoms earlier this month.

No close contacts were infected with the virus, the National Health Commission (NHC) said in a statement. The H3N8 variant has previously been detected in other parts of the world in horses, dogs, birds, and seals, but no human cases of H3N8 have been reported, the NHC said.

The commission said an initial assessment determined that the variant could not yet effectively infect humans and that the risk of a large-scale epidemic was low.

Many different strains of avian influenza are present in China and some sporadically infect people, usually those who work with poultry. Last year China reported the first human case of H10N3. The country has huge populations of wild and farmed birds which creates an optimal environment for avian viruses to mix and mutate.

To add to China's hardships and with Shanghai's port already closed due to sanitary restrictions imposed in pursuit of a Zero-COVID policy, fishing vessels ships anchored in sea waters near Macao caught fire Monday evening, the Fire Department of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government reported.

The cause of the fire and casualties remain unclear, the authorities explained.