China reports world's first human case of H10N3 bird flu
1 June 2021, 15:08
The Chinese government has reported what is considered to be the first human case of H1ON3 bird flu.
A 41-year-old man in the eastern province of Jiangsu has contracted a strain of bird flu, Chinese officials have stated.
The patient was hospitalised on April 28 after developing symptoms, including a fever, but is said to be in stable condition.
His diagnosis was determined on May 28, but details on how the individual was infected have not been outlined.
READ MORE: Surge testing deployed in Canterbury after surge in Indian variant
In an official statement, the Chinese National Health Commission said: "This infection is an accidental cross-species transmission.
"The risk of large-scale transmission is low."
It also added that the H10N3 strain is relatively less severe than others, and that no other cases of human infection had previously or subsequently been reported globally.
According to laboratory coordinator Filip Claes, only 160 isolates of the virus were reported in the 40 years to 2018. The avian flu is most commonly found in wild birds and waterfowl in Asia, and some parts of North America.
