Human infection with H3N8 avian influenza virus: A novel H9N2-original reassortment virus

Recently in this Journal, Cheng and colleagues reported that A child with acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by H3N8 avian influenza virus.1 As far as we know, this is the first case of human infection with H3N8 avian influenza. H3N8 is the most prevalent subtype of equine influenza (EIV) virus, which is a serious and highly infectious disease in horses.2 It was also be found can infect dogs, cats, and harbor seals.3,4 Moreover, many recent studies have suggested that H3N8 could be transmitted between mammals and pose a threat to humans,5,6 and this human infection confirms these results.