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Woman dies of bird flu in East China

It was a first lethal case caused by the H10N8 virus in the outgoing year

© EPA/ALEX HOFFORD

BEIJING, December 19. /ITAR-TASS/. A 73-year-old woman has been reported dead in the province of Shanxi in East China on Wednesday as a result of being infected with a bird flu virus identified as H10N8 which had earlier been considered as posing no threat to man.

It was a first lethal case caused by the H10N8 virus in the outgoing year, the Health Ministry of the Shanxi province said on Wednesday.

Before being infected the woman had contacted household poultry, according to her medical record. Later, the victim had her blood pressure going up, she developed symptoms of pneumonia and cardiac deficiency.

Epidemiologists said it was the only registered case yet of bird flu hitting man, and the threat of its proliferation was minimal.

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