For the first time in the world, a person has been infected with the bird flu virus in China. Is this going to lead to another pandemic? As if the world has hadn’t enough new viruses, flues, and fungal injections have been rising. Everyone thought 2020 was bad but looks like 2021 is going to turn out much worst.
A case of bird flu has been reported in the eastern Chinese province of Jingzhou. The 41-year-old from Zhenjiang has been tested for an H10N3 strain of the bird flu virus.
The National Health Commission of China has also released a report confirming the details of the case. This is the first time in the world that a human has been infected with a bird flu virus.
However, scientists say that it is very common for humans to be exposed to avian influenza and that there is no threat to humans as well as birds with the H10N3 strain.
But authorities and people all around the world are already on the edge, some are even discussing taking actions right away unlike last time, and to secure their nations from any more viruses.
In February this year, seven people in Russia recovered from bird flu (H5N8 strain). Also in December last year, the bird flu (H5N6 strain) case was reported in China’s Huan province.
Many cases of the bird flu virus have been reported in the past. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is reassuring that there is no need to worry. H5N1 is the least risky bird flu virus in avian influenza. Its risk rate is said to be 40 to 50 percent.
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It killed 455 people worldwide in 1997. It is also reminded that the H7N9 strain is also very dangerous. The strain killed 300 people in China during the 2016-17 winter season. However, the World Health Organization reports that bird flu transmission from human to human is very, very rare.
The bird flu virus is rarely transmitted to humans. Bird flu is spread through poultry, butcher shop, and other animal breeding industries. Similar to the coronavirus, avian influenza (including the H10N3 strain) infects humans through droplets.
However, with these flu viruses, the risk rate for humans is lower. Even the recovery is quick. Although the risk rate for birds is low, in rare cases they can be really dreadful killing the host.
Bird flu cases in humans have also been closely linked to poultry in the past. It is suggested that the damage can be avoided by separating sick or dead chickens from the healthy ones to stop the further spreading of the flu.
Scientists argue that damage to and from birds by bird flu infections is rare, but many people kill them in the name of vigilance. The latest case registered in China also falls into this category.
The Chinese Health Commission believes the person may have been infected with the virus by infected birds but also confirmed that the virus had not been transmitted to anyone else.
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China has also submitted a report to the WHO stating that the infected person is currently recovering and will be discharged from the hospital in a couple of days.
Scientists are also concerned about the variants. It is common for virus strains to change variants. We are also seeing this in the case of the coronavirus.
FAO Emergency Center scientist Philip Cloise says Now that the bird flu has come to light the strains of it can be life-threatening. He also mentions some of the bird flu cases in the past, recalling how they spread from person to person due to those variants.
He warns that the rapid mutation of the flu virus and the breeding of birds may increase the risk to humans due to migratory birds.
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