Human Infected with Avian Influenza A(H3N8) Virus

The World Health Organization (WHO) Western Region recently announced a third human infection with the influenza A(H3N8) virus with one related fatality.

A recent fatal case was a 56-year-old female from Guangdong province, China, with an onset of illness on February 22, 2023. 

And as of April 6, 2023, a total of 240 cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1) virus have been reported from four countries within the Western Pacific Region since January 2003. The last case was reported from China in late 2022.

Of these 'bird flu' cases, 135 were fatal (CFR 56%).

The WHO stated whenever avian influenza viruses circulate in poultry, there is a risk for sporadic infection and small clusters of human cases due to exposure to infected poultry or contaminated environments.

Therefore, sporadic human cases are not unexpected.

The rise in the number of reported human cases of A(H5N6) infection may reflect the continued circulation of the virus in birds and enhanced surveillance system and diagnostic capacity as a direct outcome of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, added the WHO.

In the U.S., the government has already approved one avian influenza vaccine for people and, as of April 10, 2023, significantly invested in newer bird flu vaccine candidates.

Furthermore, the WHO confirms the 2022-2023 annual flu shots do not protect against these types of avian influenza.