Influenza A (H10N8) virus, the new kid on the block...

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Step by step we seem to be getting familiar with the entire influenza spectrum of naming combinations and permutations. When you consider that even 2 influenza viruses with the same common naming scheme (like COVID-19) may have completely different evolutionary histories and clinical impact, well, influenza is a tough act to follow epidemiologically.

The latest, called H10N8 was detected in a human (73-year old female) for the first time Dec-6th. H10N8 has been found in the environment in the past.

The woman, who had visited a live bird market, died from respiratory failure following pneumonia, although whether that was due to H10N8 infection is not clear. The woman was treated in hospital in Nanchang, Jiangxi province from Nov-30; she also suffered a heart attack, was immunocompromised, had high blood pressure and a neuromuscular disorder.

Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) urged travellers to stay away from live bird markets and to avoid contact with the birds/poultry and droppings.


As CIDRAP noted, low pathogenicity avian influenza A(H10N7) virus has been reported in 2 Australian adults processing chickens during an outbreak of the virus in 2010 and reported in 2 Egyptian infants (1-year old) possibly linked to market ducks during late April 2004.

h/t to crofsblog and CIDRAP.

A new influenza virus, A(H10N8), is infecting people in China (map)

The first reported human case of a novel influenza A(H10N8) subtype was reported in November 2013. A 73-year-old woman from the Donghu District, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province in China experienced onset on November 28, 2013. She died nine days later on December 6, 2013.[1] 

Since then two additional human cases of H10N8 have been reported. The second is 55-year-old woman who was hospitalized on January 15, 2014. This woman is from Nanchang, Jiangxi Province.[1] And today the third human case of H10N8 has been reported, also from Nanchang, in Jiangxi Province.  This 75-year-old man died on February 8, 2014, just three days after being hospitalized.[2]

As with most novel influenza strains, H10N8 seems to be circulating among poultry populations in China resulting in sporadic jumps from poultry to humans.  With only three reported human H10N8 cases it is not possible to assess the pandemic potential of this new influenza virus.[3] Surveillance for human cases and poultry outbreaks, as well as additional genetic research, are necessary in the event this influenza virus becomes transmissible between humans.  

1. WHO Avian influenza A (H10N8), January 30, 2014

2. Jiangxi 1 new confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza H10N8

3. Avian influenza A H10N8—a virus on the verge?