On January 27, 2024, the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic
of China reported a confirmed case of human infection with a combination of
avian influenza A (H10N5) virus and seasonal influenza A (H3N2) virus in Anhui
Province. Avian influenza infections are mostly caused by influenza viruses
that normally circulate in various types of wild and domestic birds, but they
rarely infect humans and other animal species. In surveillance conducted
between January 2013 and June 2022, 17 (8.8%) out of 194 World Health
Organization (WHO) Member States reported 2000 human avian influenza
virus (AIV) infections involving 10 virus subtypes. Among these, H7N9
(1568/2000, 78.40%) and H5N1 (254/2000, 12.70%) viruses accounted for the
majority of human infections, but there was no reported case of human H10N5
infection before. Given the proximity of Taiwan to China and the potential health,
economic, and food security risks posed by the outbreak of avian influenza
infection, addressing the management of this H10N5 infection has become a
critical issue