A woman from China has become the first human to succumb to the H3N8 bird flu, WHO reported. This strain of avian influenza has been going around since 2002 when it first emerged in a North American waterfowl. 

It is known to infect horses, dogs and seals. It hadn't been detected in humans until April and May 2022, when two non-fatal cases emerged-- both in China. The woman who died of the flu was from Guangdong province in southeast China. She was 56.

She fell ill on February 22, was hospitalised for severe pneumonia on March 3 and died on March 16, the WHO said, the Guardian reported.

“The patient had multiple underlying conditions. She had a history of exposure to live poultry before the onset of the disease, and a history of wild bird presence around her home,” WHO told the Guardian. According to WHO, exposure to a live poultry market may have caused the infection. According to WHO, the exact source of the infection is unclear; it is also unclear as to how the virus is related to other avian influenza A(H3N8) viruses that are circulating in animals.
 

Human bird flu cases tend to showcase symptoms varying from conjunctivitis and mild flu-like symptoms to severe acute respiratory disease.