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The National Health Commission of China (NHC) has announced that a 41 year old man, from Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province, has been infected with the H10N3 strain of bird flu. Its about first case of human infection by H10N3.
The Commission indicated that the man was hospitalized on April 28, after have fever and other symptoms, but was not diagnosed until last Friday, May 28. Fortunately, he was stable enough to be discharged from the hospital and no further infections were detected among his close contacts.
The NHC ensures that the chances of large-scale spread of the H10N3 strain are low. However, with the anxiety caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, it is normal that the news of a new virus, detected in a human being, can become alarming for some. Therefore, below, we explain what the H10N3 consists of.
What is H10N3?
H10N3 is a form of avian influenza, also known as “bird flu,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These viruses normally infect wild waterfowl, as well as domestic poultry and other species of birds and animals, but normally do not infect humans, even if rare cases of infection have been reported.
In those rare cases, saliva, mucosa, or feces from infected birds get into a person’s eyes, nose, or mouth. These infections (again, very rare) usually occur after unprotected contact with infected birds or surfaces contaminated with avian influenza viruses, says the CDC.
Regarding the new strain H10N3, because it was only reported in one person, there is not much information about it at this time, although it appears that the strain has been circulating among the birds for a time.
