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The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed the first human death from the H3N8 subtype of avian influenza in China.
The victim was a 56-year-old woman from Guangdong province who had a history of exposure to live poultry.
While the strain is rare in humans, it is common in birds and has infected other mammals.
The WHO has stated that the virus does not appear to spread easily from person to person, and the risk of it spreading at national, regional, and international levels is considered low.
However, monitoring of all avian influenza viruses is important due to their ability to evolve and potentially cause a pandemic.
This article was updated 2 months ago
