New, Deadly Bird Flu Claims First Victim in China

The H10N8 strain of bird flu has resulted in the death of an elderly Chinese woman. Although she died on Dec. 9, it wasn't until now that the cause behind her death was revealed.

In late November, the woman from Jiangxi Province developed a fever, cough and chest tightness, and was admitted to the hospital shortly thereafter. The doctors treated her with antibiotics and antivirals, but nothing seemed to work. Her condition worsened--especially after she developed severe pneumonia and her organs began to fail. She died nine days after the onset of her symptoms.

After her death, tests revealed that the woman was infected with the H10N8 virus, which had only previously been detected in wild and domestic birds. Late last month, the second person ever to be infected with this flu strain was from the same province in China. Fortunately, the 55-year-old woman is in stable condition.

Although the source of their infections has yet to be confirmed, officials found that both women visited poultry markets prior to falling ill. There is also no evidence of the H10N8 virus is spreading from person to person. Despite the lack of evidence, though, the virus should not be underestimated, says Dr. Mingbin Liu of the Nanchang City Center for Disease Control and Prevention in China, via this Live Science article.

Previous bird flu strains have proven to be dangerous to humans; the first human cases of the H7N9 bird flu strain were reported about a year ago, and since then it has infected 250 people and caused 70 deaths. Doctors are continuing to research the potential severity of the H10N8 strain, which they believe was created through the swapping of various bird flu genes.

The elderly woman who was infected with the H10N8 virus also suffered from coronary heart disease, which doctors believe contributed to the severity of her condition. However, the lack of evidence at this time has not provided any concrete answers.

To read more about the H10N8 flu strain, visit this Live Science article.