WHO confirms first human death from H3N8 bird flu in China.
China has reported its first human death from H3N8 bird flu, with two non-fatal infections registered last year. The World Health Organization (WHO) said that a wider spread of the virus between humans was unlikely but stressed the importance of global surveillance. The H3N8 virus is commonly detected in birds but causes few symptoms and has also infected other mammals. Health authorities across the world consider it important to monitor all avian influenza viruses, as they can easily evolve and cause a pandemic.
