After the H7N9 virus took the lives of 616 people after it exploded in 2013, H10N3, a different strain of the bird flu, has claimed its first infection ever recorded in a human. On April 28th, a 41-year-old man from the city of Zhenjiang checked himself into the hospital with fever-like symptoms. Now, over a month later, the NHC, or China's National Health Commission, confirmed that the new bird flu is the culprit. This comes after the H5N8 strain of the bird flu claimed its first human host in Russia in February.
Though the man remains in stable condition and his close contacts haven't reported any symptoms, that hasn't dampened concern from the international community weary of another public health crisis. Still, the NHC is steadfast in the low-risk posed by the new strain of bird flu: "The risk of large-scale spread is extremely low."
In response to the H7N9 outbreak eight years ago, the COVID-19 international pandemic still raging, and this first human case of bird flu, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention has advised stronger surveillance of poultry farms, markets, and wild birds. Just last week, President Biden called for renewed efforts to investigate 2020's COVID-19.
Sickness and viruses have made the past two years incredibly tumultuous and traumatic, though those worried shouldn't lose sleep over this seemingly non-transmittable flu.
