Many domestic and foreign media reported the first case of H3N8 avian influenza

Yesterday, the International Department of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (hereinafter referred to as "China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation") learned that many domestic and foreign media reported the first case of human infection with H3N8 avian influenza. China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation has long been concerned about zoonotic diseases and recognizes the importance of "One Health". Human activities make global pandemics more likely to occur, while factors such as urban expansion and industrial and agricultural development have not only exacerbated climate change and biodiversity loss, but also damaged the environment and brought zoonotic diseases. In order to raise citizens' awareness, the content is now published as follows for readers' reference.

On April 27, Beijing time, many domestic and foreign media reported the first case of human infection with H3N8 avian influenza: Health authorities said that this was the first time that humans were infected with the H3N8 avian influenza virus strain in China, but the risk of its spread among the population was low.

According to Reuters: The National Health Commission said in a statement on Tuesday that the variant was found in a 4-year-old boy in Henan Province, who developed symptoms such as fever on April 5. The statement added that the child had come into contact with chickens and crows raised by his family.

The H3N8 variant is common in horses and dogs and has even been found in seals. The National Health Commission noted that no human cases of H3N8 have been reported.

Nicola Lewis, an influenza expert at the Royal Veterinary College in the UK, said that whole genome sequence analysis showed that the H3N8 virus in this human case was a recombinant virus whose genes came from viruses previously detected in poultry and wild birds.

Erik Karlsson, deputy director of the virology department at the Pasteur Institute in Cambodia, said the virus needed expanded surveillance, adding that the variant's involvement in the 1889 influenza pandemic, the so-called Russian flu, was "a big implication for the risk of this virus."

China has a large population of farmed birds and many species of wild birds, providing an ideal environment for avian viruses to mix and mutate. Some viruses sporadically infect people, usually those who work with poultry. Last year, China reported its first human case of H10N3.

The National Health Commission said a preliminary study showed that the variant does not yet have the ability to effectively infect humans and the risk of a large-scale epidemic is low. Carlson said that although rare, human infection can lead to adaptive mutations that may make these viruses more easily spread among mammals. He said: "We need to pay attention to all virus spillover events.

China Green Development Foundation volunteers have been fighting on the front line against illegal wildlife trade for a long time. Due to the rise of e-commerce, illegal wildlife trade has become more rampant, and the health risks brought by these illegal wildlife trade to humans are huge. It is strongly recommended that all sectors of society resolutely ban and severely crack down on illegal wildlife markets and trade to control major public health risks at the source.

【Green News】is the latest development in a series of global environmental governance launched by the International Department of China Green Development Foundation to play its role as a think tank and to promote China's in-depth participation in global environmental governance.

Translated by Maggie

Stan