What is H3N8 Bird Flu detected in China? Symptoms, treatment and all you need to know

After plaguing the world with COVID-19, China has raised alarms yet again as it recorded the first human infection with the H3N8 strain of Bird Flu. Detected in a four-year-old boy in the Henan province, the case marks the first incident of infections in humans. Notably, China's National Health Commission (NHC) has downplayed the severity of the case, stating that it has a very low rate of transmission. 

According to the Commission, the boy's family lived in an area populated by wild ducks and his family raises chickens. It said that the four-year-old was directly infected by the bird and was admitted to the hospital with fever and several other symptoms.  

A history of the H3N8 Bird Flu?

According to scientific records, the first case of the H3N8 virus was reported in a North American waterfowl in 2002. Ever since, the virus has infected dogs, horses and even seals but a case of human transmission was never detected hitherto. As per the Centers for Disease Prevention & Control (CDC), bird flu, also called Avian Influenza is a condition caused by infection with Avian (bird) Influenza (flu) Type A viruses which are generally observed among wild aquatic birds. 

The CDC says that the infection can also spread to domestic poultry, other birds, as well as animals. The H3N8 strain has also been known to have originated in horses, which then spread to dogs, especially those housed in kennels and shelters and are now known as a dog-specific virus. The CDC also says that the H5N1 and H7N9 strains of bird flu are the primary reason for the most number of avian influenza cases in humans. The former was first detected in 1997 whereas the latter emerged in 2013 and has been responsible for most cases of human illness from avian influenza.

Symptoms associated with Bird Flu

Some of the common symptoms observed in people who catch bird flu include cough, fever, sore throat, muscle aches, headache, and shortness of breath. They may also develop life-threatening complications like pneumonia, pinkeye (conjunctivitis), respiratory failure, kidney dysfunction, and heart problems.

Treatment of bird flu

According to the CDC, antiviral treatment functions best if one receives it as soon as the symptoms emerge. "Available data on bird flu viruses spreading worldwide suggest that most bird flu virus infections would respond to treatment with flu antiviral drugs if treatment is started early after symptoms begin", the CDC says. However, it noted that antiviral drugs may not work as well against some A(H5N1) and A(H7N9) bird flu viruses.