Conexiant
Login
  • The Analytical Scientist
  • The Cannabis Scientist
  • The Medicine Maker
  • The Ophthalmologist
  • The Pathologist
  • The Traditional Scientist
The Pathologist
  • Explore Pathology

    Explore

    • Latest
    • Insights
    • Case Studies
    • Opinion & Personal Narratives
    • Research & Innovations
    • Product Profiles

    Featured Topics

    • Molecular Pathology
    • Infectious Disease
    • Digital Pathology

    Issues

    • Latest Issue
    • Archive
  • Subspecialties
    • Oncology
    • Histology
    • Cytology
    • Hematology
    • Endocrinology
    • Neurology
    • Microbiology & Immunology
    • Forensics
    • Pathologists' Assistants
  • Training & Education

    Career Development

    • Professional Development
    • Career Pathways
    • Workforce Trends

    Educational Resources

    • Guidelines & Recommendations
    • App Notes

    Events

    • Webinars
    • Live Events
  • Events
    • Live Events
    • Webinars
  • Profiles & Community

    People & Profiles

    • Power List
    • Voices in the Community
    • Authors & Contributors
  • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
Subscribe
Subscribe

False

The Pathologist / Issues / 2023 / Dec / Mercurial Movements
Microbiology & Immunology Microbiology and Immunology Infectious Disease

Mercurial Movements

Research suggests the threat of avian H3N8 viral transmission to humans is closer than previously imagined

By Jamie Irvine 12/27/2023 News 1 min read

Share

In March 2023, the World Health Organization confirmed an additional case of human infection from a subtype of avian influenza virus – H3N8 (1), which is prevalent in birds, horses, and dogs. Although there have now been three human cases since April 2022, our understanding of how H3N8 jumps from animals to humans is limited. Now, recent discoveries by researchers in the UK and China suggest that H3N8 may be going through mutational changes that increase its spillover chances (2).

“We demonstrate that an avian H3N8 virus, isolated from a patient with severe pneumonia replicated efficiently in human bronchial and lung epithelial cells, was extremely harmful in its effects in laboratory mammalian hosts and could be passed on through respiratory droplets,” said study co-author Kin-Chow Chang in a press release (3). “Importantly, we discovered that the virus had acquired human receptor binding preference and amino acid substitution PB2-E627K, which are necessary for airborne transmission.”

The results also showed that, even when humans were vaccinated against human H3N2, they lacked an immune reaction against newly emerging mammalian-adapted H3N8 avian influenza. The researchers suggest that this puts the human population in a vulnerable position for a potential future epidemic.

To cause a sustained epidemic though, the virus must be able to transmit between humans – which may not be possible in its current state. A study on the first two human cases of H3N8 in China demonstrated that novel H3N8 had limited replication in explant cultures of human lung and bronchial tissue (4), indicating limited efficiency in human-to-human transmission.

Given our current gap in understanding, researchers will be keen to further explore H3N8’s potential for mammal-to-human transmission and, once transmitted, its activity in human tissue.

This article originally appeared in our sister publication, ID Transmission

Chicken Image Credit: Rawpixel.com

Newsletters

Receive the latest pathology news, personalities, education, and career development – weekly to your inbox.

Newsletter Signup Image

References

  1. World Health Organization, “Avian Influenza A(H3N8) - China,” (2023). Available at: https://bit.ly/3ZL0MEI. 
  2. H Sun et al., “Airborne transmission of human-isolated avian H3N8 influenza virus between ferrets,” Cell, 186, 4074 (2023). PMID: 37669665.
  3. University of Nottingham, “Bird flu is undergoing changes that could increase the risk of widespread human transmission” (2023). Available at: https://bit.ly/3rByOyu. 
  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Replication of Novel Zoonotic-Like Influenza A(H3N8) Virus in Ex Vivo Human Bronchus and Lung” (2023). Available at: https://bit.ly/3RGuvfO.

About the Author(s)

Jamie Irvine

More Articles by Jamie Irvine

Explore More in Pathology

Dive deeper into the world of pathology. Explore the latest articles, case studies, expert insights, and groundbreaking research.

False

Advertisement

Recommended

False

Related Content

Context Matters in Cancer Biology
Microbiology and Immunology
Context Matters in Cancer Biology

December 27, 2021

1 min read

Akoya is leading the way with spatial phenotypic signatures – a novel class of biomarkers for predicting response to immunotherapy

What’s New in Infectious Disease? (December 2021)
Microbiology and Immunology
What’s New in Infectious Disease?

December 23, 2021

1 min read

The latest research and news on COVID-19 and the infectious disease landscape

Immunology Insights
Microbiology and Immunology
Immunology Insights

January 13, 2022

1 min read

The latest research in pathology and laboratory medicine

2021: A Laboratory Medicine Roundup
Microbiology and Immunology
2021: A Laboratory Medicine Roundup

January 18, 2022

3 min read

From transgender health care to the power of pathology podcasts, we take a look at our most popular articles of the last year

False

The Pathologist
Subscribe

About

  • About Us
  • Work at Conexiant Europe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 Texere Publishing Limited (trading as Conexiant), with registered number 08113419 whose registered office is at Booths No. 1, Booths Park, Chelford Road, Knutsford, England, WA16 8GS.