First Known Human Death After Infection With the Avian Influenza A/H3N8 Virus: Guangdong Province, China, March 2023

Yali Zhuang; Man Wang; Lijun Liang; Yunxia Mao; Kaibin Wang; Shuhuan Yang; Aiping Deng; Kewen Zeng; Yingtao Zhang; Guanting Zhang; Min Kang; Baisheng Li; Meng Zhang; Shinan Ye

doi:10.1093/cid/ciad462

First Known Human Death After Infection With the Avian Influenza A/H3N8 Virus: Guangdong Province, China, March 2023

Clin Infect Dis. 2024 Mar 20;78(3):646-650. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciad462.

Authors

Yali Zhuang¹, Man Wang², Lijun Liang³, Yunxia Mao⁴, Kaibin Wang^{5

6}, Shuhuan Yang⁷, Aiping Deng¹, Kewen Zeng⁸, Yingtao Zhang¹, Guanting Zhang¹, Min Kang¹, Baisheng Li³, Meng Zhang¹, Shinan Ye²

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.
² General Office, Zhongshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhongshan, Guangdong, P.R. China.
³ Institute of Pathogenic Microbiology, Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.
⁴ Institute of Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Zhongshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhongshan, Guangdong, P.R. China.
⁵ Guangdong Provincial Field Epidemiology Training Program, Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.
⁶ Department of Disinfection and Vector Control, Guangzhou Tianhe District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.
⁷ Institute of Pathogenic Microbiology, Zhongshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhongshan, Guangdong, P.R. China.
⁸ Department of Prevention & Healthcare, Zhongshan City People's Hospital, Zhongshan, Guangdong, P.R. China.

PMID: 37555762
DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciad462

Abstract

Here, we report on a case of human infection with the H3N8 avian influenza virus. The patient had multiple myeloma and died of severe infection. Genome analysis showed multiple gene mutations and reassortments without mammalian-adaptive mutations. This suggests that avian influenza (A/H3N8) virus infection could be lethal for immunocompromised persons.

Keywords: A/H3N8; avian influenza; fatal case; human infection; immunodeficiency.

Publication types

Case Reports
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

China
Humans
Influenza A Virus, H3N8 Subtype* / genetics
Influenza, Human*

Grants and funding

C2021085/Guangdong Medical Research Foundation