Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of a fatal case of avian influenza A H10N8 virus infection: a descriptive study

Avian influenza A H10N8—a virus on the verge?

“…As reported by Chen and colleagues, 3 the woman infected with avian infl uenza A H10N8 virus had several underlying medical conditions (hypertension, coronary heart disease, and myasthenia gravis) and had undergone a thymectomy in December, 2012, which together probably resulted in substantial immune defi ciency. So far, only one additional human case of avian infl uenza A H10N8 virus infection has been reported: on Jan 26, 2014, health authorities announced infection in a 55-year-old woman in Nanchang, Jiangxi province.…”

“…2 In December, 2013, Chinese health offi cials confi rmed the fi rst human case of avian infl uenza A H10N8 virus infection. 1 In The Lancet, HaiYing Chen and colleagues report the clinical data for this case, 3 which coincided with a second wave of avian infl uenza A H7N9 virus infections in eastern China. 4 A woman aged 73 years was admitted to hospital and shown to have avian infl uenza A H10N8 virus infection, having become ill 4 days after visiting a live poultry market in Jiangxi province, China.…”

“…The virusdesignated as A/Jiangxi-Donghu/346/2013(H10N8), henceforth JX346-was identifi ed by sequencing of tracheal aspirate samples obtained 1 week after illness onset. 3 Preliminary phylogenetic analysis of the retrieved sequences suggests that JX346 originated through reassortment of H9N2 strains circulating in poultry and recorded in environmental samples from Jiangxi, with one or two viruses contributing haemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes. The data 3 suggest that JX346 arose by reassortment events in domestic birds.…”

“…6 However, phylogenetic analysis shows that JX346 is diff erent from these previously identifi ed viruses. 3 Increased sampling eff orts might identify the ancestors of JX346. Sequence analysis of the JX346 haemagglutinin gene shows no indications for a multibasic cleavage site, suggesting low pathogenicity in poultry.…”

“…Sequence analysis of the JX346 haemagglutinin gene shows no indications for a multibasic cleavage site, suggesting low pathogenicity in poultry. 3 As for the newly emerged avian infl uenza A H7N9 virus, this low pathogenicity will make surveillance eff orts substantially more diffi cult.…”