China reports first human death from new bird flu strain

JIANGXI: -- A 73-year-old woman in China has been confirmed as the first person to die from a new strain of avian influenza, reports on Wednesday cited health experts as saying.

The unidentified woman died of respiratory failure on December 6, six days after she was admitted to a hospital in the eastern province of Jiangxi suffering from severe pneumonia, the provincial health authority said.

Tests confirmed that she was infected with the H10N8 bird flu virus, which was not previously detected in humans, it said.

Medical staff monitored the woman's close contacts but found no similar symptoms, leading experts to conclude that "we should initially consider it an isolated case."

"There is low risk that the virus can cause human infection and transmission," the health authority said.
The woman had reportedly visited a live poultry market.

China has reported 142 cases, including 45 deaths, of another new bird flu strain, H7N9, since it was first detected in March.

In October, the World Health Organization said it found no evidence of "sustained human-to-human transmission" of the H7N9 virus.

Source: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_12_18/China-reports-first-human-death-from-new-bird-flu-strain-6818/

-- THE VOICE OF RUSSIA 2013-12-18

H10N8?

What happened to H10N7 and H9N8?

China is the origin of many new and upcoming epidemics.

Whatever happened in the Middle East with that new strain? I guess no news is good news.