The first human case of the H10N3 strain of bird flu was recorded in eastern China, though authorities claim there is little risk of spread.
The Chinese National Health Commission said that the patient, a man from Zhenjiang, had been hospitalized on April 28 and officially diagnosed on May 28, Reuters reported.
Professionals have reported zero spread from the 41-year-old patient, though the source of the case is yet unclear.
“The source of the patient’s exposure to the H10N3 virus is not known at this time, and no other cases were found in emergency surveillance among the local population,” the World Health Organization (WHO) told Reuters.
The commission also stated that the H10N3 strain is considered low pathogenic, so it does not cause severe disease in poultry and has a low likelihood of spreading quickly, according to the BBC.
WHO tried to squash any word that this disease could turn into another worldwide pandemic, as the news comes amid the COVID-19 pandemic decreasing its stronghold.
“At this time,” the WHO assured, “there is no indication of human-to-human transmission.”
Over a year prior, however, WHO made similar statements concerning the coronavirus before it became a pandemic.
“At this time, there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission outside China,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s director general said concerning COVID-19 in January 2020.