First human death from H3N8 bird flu reported by World Health Organisation

A 56-year-old woman has died following infection in Guangdong, the southern Chinese province whose capital is the Guangzhou megacity, bordering Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macau.

It is the third reported case of human infection with H3N8; with all three reported from China.

"On March 27, 2023, the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China notified WHO of one confirmed case of human infection with an avian influenza A(H3N8) virus.

"The patient was a 56-year-old female from Guangdong province with an onset of illness on February 22, 2023. She was hospitalized for severe pneumonia on March 3, 2023 and subsequently died on March 16, 2023.

“The case was detected through the severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) surveillance system. The patient had multiple underlying conditions,” WHO confirmed.

There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission.

“She had a history of exposure to live poultry before the onset of the disease, and a history of wild bird presence around her home. No close contacts of the case developed an infection or symptoms of illness at the time of reporting.

“Environmental samples were collected from the patient's residence and the wet market where the patient spent time before the onset of illness. The results of testing showed that the samples collected from the wet market were positive for influenza A(H3),” WHO stated.

Guangdong was also the place of origin of the 2002 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-1) coronavirus while various types of coronaviruses in humans and animals have been identified in Southern China.

Animal-borne illnesses can transmit to humans as in the case of bats (coronavirus, ebola), birds (flu), pigs (whooping cough, flu) and cows (measles, tuberculosis and dysentry).

"Zoonotic influenza infections in humans may be asymptomatic or may cause disease. Depending on factors related to the specific virus and the infected host, disease can range from conjunctivitis or mild flu-like symptoms to severe acute respiratory disease or even death. Gastrointestinal or neurological symptoms have been reported but these are rare.

“Human cases of infection with avian influenza viruses are usually the result of direct or indirect exposure to infected live or dead poultry or contaminated environments,” WHO stated.

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