A woman died in China from H3N8 bird flu, a virus that has been circulating since 2002 and has yet to cause any human casualties, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday, AFP reported.

The H3N8 virus, which first appeared on the North American continent, is currently believed to be transmissible to horses, dogs and sea lions.

It was not detected in humans until the first two non-fatal cases in China in April and May 2022.

The deceased woman was 56 years old and came from Guangdong province in southeastern China.

She fell ill on February 22, was hospitalized with severe pneumonia on March 3 and died on March 16, according to WHO.

“The patient had numerous tendencies. He had a history of contact with poultry before the onset of illness and with wild birds around his home,” the organization said in a statement.

“At the time of writing this report, none of those who came into contact with this case have developed infection or symptoms,” the WHO said.

The virus is not transmitted between people

A possible source of infection may have been a visit to a live poultry market, but “the exact source of this infection remains to be determined, as well as the relationship between this virus and another avian influenza A (H3N8) virus circulating in the environment. “, – said the WHO.

The organization noted that available data showed that this virus is not transmitted between people, and therefore “the risk of its spread at the national, regional and global levels is considered low.”

However, the WHO emphasized the need for constant monitoring due to the constant mutations of viruses.