What is H3N8 or bird flu? China reports first case of 2023, here's all you need to know

Chinareports its first H3N8 bird flu of2023, local officials reported. In a brief statement on Monday, the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that a 56-year-old woman from Zhongshan City had been infected with H3N8. According to officials, this is the third time that the virus has been discovered in the country, although a previous strain caused the 1889 pandemic, BNO News reported.It added that the woman has multiple myeloma and other health conditions, and was exposed to live poultry before falling ill. The statement also mentioned that wild birds were frequently found near houses. The Guangdong CDC said that no abnormalities or symptoms have been found in close contact so far. "Experts believe that this is a sporadic case and the risk of virus transmission is low at this stage." No further details have been revealed about the woman.

Bird flu is found in birds but also horses and is one of the two viruses which cause dog flu. It is a subtype of the Influenza A virus.

It is also known as the Equine influenza virus.

While it was never found in humans until 2022, some researchers have long believed that it might have caused the 1889 pandemic, which was known as the "Russian flu," or "Asiatic flu."

The first ever case of H3N8 in China was detected back in April 2022, when a 4-year-old boy in central China became seriously ill. His pets- dog and cat were also infected.

The second case was logged when a 5-year-old boy from Hunan province fell ill in May 2022 but recovered quickly after only mild symptoms.