https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2023/03/china-guangdong-cdc-reporting-1-h3n8.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 13px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(35, 121, 181); text-decoration: none; - Two weeks ago the CDC authorities in Guangdong Province, China reported that country's 3rd H3N8 human infection in a year; in a 56 year-old female with existing medical conditions, who reportedly died on March 16th.
Today the CDC has posted the following statement on this 3rd case, which may have been written before the the WHO statement we saw earlier today, as it does not mention the patient's recently revealed fatal outcome.
H3N8 is a subtype of the species https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenzavirus_A" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); overflow-wrap: break-word; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" title="Influenzavirus A - Influenza A virus that is endemic in birds, horses and dogs. It is the main cause of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equine_influenza" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); overflow-wrap: break-word; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" title="Equine influenza - equine influenza and is also known as equine influenza virus. In 2011, it was reported to have been found in seals. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N8#cite_note-1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; - [1] Cats have been experimentally infected with the virus, leading to clinical signs, shedding of the virus and infection of other cats. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N8#cite_note-2" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; - [2] In 2022 and 2023, three people in China were infected with H3N8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N8#cite_note-3rdcase-3" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; - [3]
In 1963, the H3N8 (A/equine/2/Miami/63) subtype created an epidemic of equine influenza in Miami and subsequently spread throughout North and South America and Europe, creating massive outbreaks during 1964 and 1965. Since 1963, the H3N8 virus has drifted along a single lineage at a rate of 0.8 amino acid substitutions per year. Between 1978 and 1981, there were widespread epidemics of the A/equine/2 strain throughout the US and Europe despite the development of vaccines. Since the late 1980s, evolution of the H3N8 virus has diverged into two families: an "American-like" lineage and a "European-like" lineage. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N8#cite_note-ReferenceA-5" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; - [5] A 1997 study found H3N8 was responsible for over one quarter of the influenza infections in wild ducks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N8#cite_note-6" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; - [6]
H3N8 has been suggested as a possible cause of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1889%E2%80%931890_flu_pandemic" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;" title="1889–1890 flu pandemic - 1889–1890 pandemic in humans, and also another epidemic in 1898–1900. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N8#cite_note-PNAS_20100510-7" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; - [7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N8#cite_note-8" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; - [8] Before the identification of H3N8 as a possible cause of the 1889 pandemic, the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H2N2" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;" title="Influenza A virus subtype H2N2 - H2N2 subtype was suggested. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N8#cite_note-9" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; - [9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N8#cite_note-10" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; - [10] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N8#cite_note-11" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; - [11] At this point, it is not possible to identify the virus for either the 1889 or 1900 outbreak with certainty. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N8#cite_note-12" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; - [12]
DJ, Does post acute CoViD decrease immunity in a way H3N8 has more chances ? Are we able to go for massive testing-with that many diseases spreading ?
China - Seasonal flu visits "increased significantly" in Shenzhen, Guangdong province - April 9, 2023
alert! Shenzhen has entered the influenza epidemic period, mainly influenza A virus April 09, 2023 06:47 Author of Sina.com Shenzhen Evening News
Shenzhen Evening News (Reporter Zhou Qian) Recently, the number of influenza visits in Shenzhen has increased significantly. In the last week (March 27-April 2), the influenza-like case visit index (ILI%) of the city's influenza surveillance sentinel units was 11.3%. The results of etiological surveillance showed that Shenzhen was in the epidemic period of influenza, and mainly influenza A virus. The Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention reminds that collective units such as primary and secondary schools and kindergartens are places with high incidence of influenza clusters. Citizens should do a good job of hand hygiene and avoid going to crowded public places with poor ventilation in the near future. Schools must pay special attention to influenza prevention.
The onset of influenza is usually "acute". If you have fever (up to 39°C~40°C), sore throat, cough, nasal congestion, runny nose, headache, myalgia, and fatigue during the epidemic season, you should pay special attention. Influenza is easily confused with a cold, and a diagnosis can only be confirmed by testing, including nucleic acid testing, virus isolation and culture, antigen testing, and serological testing. Generally speaking, everyone is susceptible to influenza, but children, the elderly, obese people, pregnant women and other groups are more likely to become severely ill after being infected. Therefore, if you have a persistent high fever, accompanied by signs of severe cough, dyspnea, mental changes, severe vomiting, diarrhea, etc., you should go to the hospital in time.
Disease control experts remind that flu vaccination is one of the most effective ways to prevent flu, and it is best to get it before the flu season. The flu vaccine can be given as long as it is valid, and the best time for vaccination is from September to November every year. It is now close to the end of vaccination, and the stock is limited. Citizens in need can make an appointment on the WeChat official account of "Shenzhen Health and Health Commission" or "Shenzhen Disease Control" before going to vaccinate.
Cell: Airborne Transmission of Human-isolated Avian H3N8 Influenza Virus Between Ferrets
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Just over 16 months ago China reported the https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2022/05/hong-kong-chp-finally-notified-of-2nd.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(63, 63, 127); background-color: rgb(235, 237, 236); font-size: 16px; - first known human infections with H3N8 - affecting two small children (one severely) - living roughly 400 miles apart. Of note - in the first (more severe) case, https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2022/06/preprint-human-infection-with-novel.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(63, 63, 127); background-color: rgb(235, 237, 236); font-size: 16px; - the family dog and cat both tested positive for H3N8 - and a full-length HA sequencing revealed the HA to be identical to the boy's.
Over the next year we followed numerous reports on these two initial cases in China, and somewhat ominously, the detection of H3N8 in Hong Kong's poultry roughly 1000 km away from the first human case.
A third human case was reported in March of 2023 by the https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2023/03/china-guangdong-cdc-reporting-1-h3n8.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(63, 63, 127); - Guangdong CDC (Zhongshan City) . The patient was a a 56-year-old female with multiple myeloma and other medical conditions, who died (apparently from complications of pneumonia) after 2 weeks in the hospital.
While these are the only 3 known human infections with H3N8, we've been following its evolution in birds, dogs, horses, and marine mammals for quite some time.
H3N8 remains a plausible cause of a global influenza pandemic that spread out of Russia in 1889-1900 (although some researchers now suspect a coronavirus instead).
about 60 years ago H3N8 jumped unexpectedly to horses, supplanting the old equine H7N7 and is now the only equine-specific influenza circulating the globe
in 2004 the equine H3N8 virus mutated enough to jump to canines, and began to spread among greyhounds in Florida (see http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/index.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(63, 63, 127); - EID Journal article http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/14/6/07-1270_article" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(63, 63, 127); - Influenza A Virus (H3N8) in Dogs with Respiratory Disease, Florida ).
in 2011 avian H3N8 was found in marine mammals (harbor seals), and 2012’s http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2012/07/mbio-mammalian-adapted-h3n8-in-seals.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(63, 63, 127); - mBio: A Mammalian Adapted H3N8 In Seals , provided evidence that this virus had recently adapted to bind to alpha 2,6 receptor cells, the type found in the human upper respiratory tract.
in 2015's https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2015/08/jvirol-experimental-infectivity-of-h3n8.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(63, 63, 127); - J.Virol.: Experimental Infectivity Of H3N8 In Swine , we saw a study that found that avian (but not canine or equine) H3N8 could easily infect pigs.
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Today we've another study, published in the Journal Cell, which finds that an H3N8 virus isolated from the first patient with severe pneumonia(A/Henan/4-10/2022 [HN/4-10]) had acquired a crucial mammalian adaptation (PB2-E627K) enabling it to spread efficiently between ferrets.
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In addition, the antigenic cross-reactivity between the circulating H3N8 avian influenza virus and human influenza vaccine strains is low. No cross-reactive antibodies to the H3N8 virus were observed in individuals who had been vaccinated against the human H3N2 virus vaccine. This suggests that such viruses may pose a potential challenge to human health.
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Our track record in predicting the next pandemic remains abysmal, and while H5N1 is currently garnering the most headlines, H3N8 (or EA H1N1 `G4', or any of https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2023/02/cdc-irat-updated-statement-on-hpai-h5n1.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(63, 63, 127); - several dozen other avian or swine flu viruses) could easily beat it to the punch.
What does seem certain is that the diversity and geographic spread of novel flu viruses continues to increase around the world, which makes additional reassortment events - and spillovers - increasingly likely.
While it could take years, nature will eventually come up with a better flu virus. And when that happens, we'd better be ready for it.
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DJ If (Long) CoViD (infection) results in less immunity-or exhausted immunity-it could result in even more room for new types of flu like the H3N8 type.
H3N8 is a subtype of the species https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); overflow-wrap: break-word; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;" title="Influenza A virus - Influenza A virus that is endemic in birds, horses and dogs. It is the main cause of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equine_influenza" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); overflow-wrap: break-word; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;" title="Equine influenza - equine influenza and is also known as equine influenza virus. In 2011, it was reported to have been found in seals. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N8#cite_note-1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; - [1] Cats have been experimentally infected with the virus, leading to clinical signs, shedding of the virus and infection of other cats. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N8#cite_note-2" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; - [2] In 2022 and 2023, three people in China were infected with H3N8, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N8#cite_note-3rdcase-3" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; - [3] with one fatality, marking the first time a human has died from this strain of flu. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N8#cite_note-4" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; - [4]
Fever of 102.5–105.0 °F (39.2–40.6 °C), frequent dry cough for several weeks, ‘drippy’ nose with discharge and secondary bacterial infection are some of the clinical signs of Equine influenza virus infection. isolation of influenza virus from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasopharyngeal" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;" title="Nasopharyngeal - nasopharyngeal and or large rise in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antibody" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;" title="Antibody - antibody titer in equine-1 or 2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serum_(blood)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;" title="Serum (blood) - serum can be used as https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnosis" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;" title="Diagnosis - diagnosis in horses. Other clinical findings may include a serous or light mucoid nasal discharge, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphora_(medicine)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;" title="Epiphora (medicine) - epiphora , tender but rarely swollen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submandibular" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;" title="Submandibular - submandibular lymph nodes, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperemia" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;" title="Hyperemia - hyperemia of nasal and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conjunctival" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;" title="Conjunctival - conjunctival mucosa, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachypnea" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;" title="Tachypnea - tachypnea , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachycardia" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;" title="Tachycardia - tachycardia , limb edema, muscle soreness and stiffness. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N8#cite_note-ReferenceB-15" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; - [15]
Period of infectivity[ https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N8&action=edit§ion=7" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: nowrap;" title="Edit section: Period of infectivity - edit ]
The length of time a horse can spread the virus after being infected. It is a very important concept, because horses can still infect other horses after they have gotten over their own illness. Viruses that are shed for long periods of time after a horse gets better are much harder to control. Horses tend to be most infectious (i.e. shedding the most virus) in the first 24–48 hours after they develop a fever, but they can shed the virus for up to 7–10 days after their signs of illness disappear. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N8#cite_note-equidblog.com-14" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); background: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; - [14]
Again, lack of testing may give new virusses/diseases way to much room for spread !
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: March 11 2024 at 10:55am
Although the world is understandably focused on the rapid spread and evolution of HPAI H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b, it is far from the only novel flu virus with pandemic potential on our list. Even the CDC's https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/monitoring/irat-virus-summaries.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(63, 63, 127); - IRAT list (with 24 subtypes) is missing some likely suspects.
While avian H5 or H7 viruses are thought capable of producing severe pandemics, they may be far less likely to emerge than an H1, H2, or H3 subtype (see http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2014/07/are-influenza-pandemic-viruses-members.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(63, 63, 127); - Are Influenza Pandemic Viruses Members Of An Exclusive Club?) .
The CDC's IRAT places the https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2021/02/cdc-selects-new-swine-variant-ea-h1n1.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(63, 63, 127); - EA H1N1 `G4'swine-origin virus well ahead of H5N1 both in terms of likelihood of emerging, and impact. Of course, these assessments are subject to change.
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Over the past couple of years we've seen Chinese researchers raise concerns over the evolutionary trajectory of a number of LPAI viruses in China's poultry and wild bird population, some with occasional spillovers into humans.
While https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/03/viruses-genetic-and-biological.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(63, 63, 127); - H4N6 , https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/02/viruses-wild-bird-origin-h6n2-influenza.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(43, 0, 254); font-weight: bold; - H6Nx , and https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/02/transboundary-emerg-dis-novel-human.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(63, 63, 127); - H9N2 are frequently mentioned, a recent entry in the zoonotic sweepstakes - LPAI H3N8 - which infected two children ( https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2022/06/preprint-human-infection-with-novel.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(63, 63, 127); - 1 severely, infecting the family dog and cat as well ) in China in 2022, and reportedly https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2023/03/china-guangdong-cdc-reporting-1-h3n8.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(63, 63, 127); - killed a woman in Guangdong province in March of 2023, is getting a lot of attention.
H3N8 is of particular interested because:
H3N8 remains a plausible cause of a global influenza pandemic that spread out of Russia in 1889-1900 (some researchers now suspect a coronavirus instead).
about 60 years ago H3N8 jumped unexpectedly to horses, supplanting the old equine H7N7 virus, and subsequently jumped from horses to dogs in 2004
in 2011 avian H3N8 was found in marine mammals (harbor seals), and 2012’s http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2012/07/mbio-mammalian-adapted-h3n8-in-seals.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(63, 63, 127); - mBio: A Mammalian Adapted H3N8 In Seals , provided evidence that this virus had recently adapted to bind to alpha 2,6 receptor cells, the type found in the human upper respiratory tract.
And lastly, in 2015's https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2015/08/jvirol-experimental-infectivity-of-h3n8.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(63, 63, 127); - J.Virol.: Experimental Infectivity Of H3N8 In Swine , we saw a study that found that avian (but not canine or equine) H3N8 could easily infect pigs.
Over the past 18 months we've seen a steady stream of cautionary reports (primarily) by Chinese researchers, warning of the zoonotic potential of H3N8.
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Genetic and phylogenetic analyses showed that the H3 viruses have undergone frequent reassortment and have formed complex genotypes. Notably, the viruses that caused human infections in 2022–2023 were highly homologous to the H3N8 viruses circulating in poultry in 2022, with internal genes derived from the H9N2 viruses.
The analysis of chicken infections indicated that the novel H3N8 viruses were more infectious in chickens than those that do not carry H9N2 genes, whereas the H3 viruses detected in China in 2021–2022 showed low pathogenicity in mice.
Our findings suggest that the novel H3N8 viruses bearing internal H9N2 genes have adapted to and circulated in chickens and pose a threat to human health. These results highlight the need for continued surveillance of the H3 influenza viruses and their impact on the poultry industry.
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The H1N1, H2N2, and H3N2 influenza viruses have caused influenza pandemics in humans, and H1N1 and H3N2 viruses are still circulating seasonally in humans. Guan et al. [21] reported that ferret antisera against human H3N2 viruses did not cross-react with any of the avian H3N2 viruses, suggesting that preexisting immunity does not limit the spread of the H3N2 avian viruses in humans. Sun et al. [16] and Zhu et al. [17] verified that the human population was immunologically naïve to the novel H3N8 viruses.
The E627K mutation of PB2 is known to play a decisive role in the mammalian adaptation of AIVs [41, 42]. The A/Henan/4-10CNIC/2022(H3N8) virus contains the E627K mutation, whereas A/Changsha/1000/2022(H3N8) contains the E627V mutation, which has also been shown to increase the replication or virulence of AIVs in mammals [14, 34, 43]. The E627K mutation of PB2 was not observed in any of the H3 viruses in the present study; two strains that caused large weight loss in mice acquired the 627V mutation of PB2 in our study. Moreover, Cui et al. [23] reported the novel H3N8 isolated from poultry was transmissible between guinea pigs via respiratory droplets. Sun et al. [16] showed that the H3N8 virus isolated from humans had acquired the ability to transmit between respiratory droplets ferrets.
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H7N9 also carried the internal genes from the LPAI H9N2 virus, and until an https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2019/04/ofid-avian-h5-h7-h9-contamination.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(63, 63, 127); - emergency H5+H7 poultry vaccine was introduced by China in 2017, appeared poised to spark a much larger public health threat.
While H3N8 has yet to demonstrate the sort of threat that we saw with H7N9, it possesses many of the same attributes (stealthy spread in poultry, H9N2 internal genes, zoonotic spillovers, etc.), making it one definitely worth watching for further development.
DJ...like H5N1 CoViD being widespread in all kinds of mammals will increase spread of lots of other diseases -also in hosts that did not see that disease before...
There will be a new flu pandemic...it may already be starting...So increase of testing for flu, CoViD etc. would be "very wise" !
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein