Across the world, there has been a spurt in COVID-19 cases again. On Tuesday, China’s National Health Commission has declared a four-year-old boy positive for a new virus. He was earlier admitted to the hospital due to fever and some other symptoms.
Let us tell you that since Corona, many new virus outbreak cases have been reported in China. This case has raised the concerns of health experts around the world. China’s central province of Henan has reported the first human infection of the H3N8 strain of bird flu.
However, it is being claimed by health experts that it will not spread among humans as fast as it happened with Corona. According to Chinese officials, H3N8 is common in horses and dogs and has even been found in seals. No cases related to this virus have been found anywhere else in the world. China’s National Health Commission has said that the variant was found in a four-year-old boy who showed fever and other symptoms.
According to the report, chicken farming was done in the boy’s family, apart from this, ducks etc. lived more in this area. The boy has been infected by direct contact with birds and the strain has not been found to have the ability to infect humans.
What is H3N8 Bird Flu?
H3N8 is a type of canine influenza, also known as dog flu. According to the US-based Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), canine influenza A (H3N2) viruses are different from the seasonal influenza A (H3N2) viruses that spread to people each year.
According to a CDC report, the H3N8 virus first originated in horses and then spread to dogs. “The H3N8 equine influenza (horse flu) virus has been known to be present in horses for more than 40 years.” According to scientists, to save his life, the virus transferred itself from horse to dog. After which this virus caused disease in dogs. It was especially prevalent among dogs that were domesticated. Meanwhile, the canine influenza H3N2 virus originated in birds, which can further spread to dogs.
When was the case of H3N8 first detected?
The first cases of canine influenza from H3N8 were reported in 2004 as it emerged in Greyhounds in the United States. Regarding the H3N8 avian flu in China, health officials say that the risk of its spread is very low. This virus has been spreading in the North American water fall since 2002. It is spreading to horses, dogs and seals but it has not been seen in humans.
Is the H3N8 virus spread between humans?
So far, there have been no reports of the virus being transmitted from animals to humans. According to the NHC, large scale transmission by this virus is difficult. According to health experts, stay away from dead and sick ducks or birds and go to the doctor immediately if you see any kind of respiratory symptoms.
At the same time, avian influenza is mostly seen in wild birds and poultry, so it is very difficult to spread between humans. Cases of avian influenza occurred in 1997 and 2013 with the H5N1 and H7N9 strains and are the most common cause of infection in humans. But it is a matter of relief that this virus cannot be transmitted directly from human to human between humans.
According to the Health Commission, preliminary studies have shown that the virus does not yet have the ability to effectively infect humans, and the risk of spreading the epidemic on a large scale is low.