China Reports First Case of H3N8 Bird Flu; 4-Year-Old Boy Infected in Central Henan Province

China reported its first case of H3N8 bird flu on Tuesday.

According to Reuters, a 4-year-old boy from central Henan province developed a fever and symptoms on April 5 after coming in contact with chickens raised at his residence.

Reuters reported:

A four-year-old boy from central Henan province was found to have been infected with the variant after developing a fever and other symptoms on April 5.

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No close contacts were infected with the virus, the National Health Commission (NHC) said in a statement.

The child had been in contact with chickens and crows raised at his home, it added.

The H3N8 variant has previously been detected elsewhere in the world in horses, dogs, birds and seals, but no human cases of H3N8 have been reported, said the NHC.

The commission said an initial assessment determined the variant did not yet have the ability to effectively infect humans, and the risk of a large-scale epidemic was low.