What is H10N3 strain of avian influenza? Is it dangerous to humans? Here are the details

China on Tuesday confirmed world’s first case of a human infected with H10N3 avian influenza in country’s east Jiangsu province. As per ir health authorities, it was a rare poultry-to-human transmission and noted that risk of large-scale spre of bird flu is extremely low. world’s first case of a human infected with avian influenza was confirmed in a 41-year-old man from Zhenjiang. 

What is H10N3?

H10N3 is a sub of Influenza A virus which is commonly known as bird flu virus. virus is normally fatal to wild birds and poultry because among animals it can be spre through respiratory droplets, similar to flu and COVID-19, reportedly said Yang Zhanqiu, a deputy director of Pathogen Biology Department at Wuhan University.

How dangerous is H10N3 avian influenza?

It is a low pathogenic or relatively less severe strain of avian flu in poultry and its risk of spreing on a large scale is very low, Chinese health experts have claimed. As per reports, a regional laboratory coordinator of Food and Agriculture Organization's Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases at Regional Office for Asia and Pacific,  Filip Claes, assured and said, “ strain is not a very common virus.” He also said that only about 160 isolates of virus have been reported in past 40 years (till 2018), that too, mostly in wild birds or waterfowl in Asia and some parts of North America. None h been detected in chickens as of now. 

How to prevent spre of H10N3 among people?

• People should avoid contact with sick or de poultry and avoid direct contact with live birds as much as possible.
• People must pay attention to food hygiene at moment.
• People should wear masks and improve self-protection awareness, while constantly monitoring fever and respiratory symptoms, China's National Health Commission (NHC) has vised.