The first avian influenza A subtype H10N8 virus able to infect humans and induce mortality was identified in China at the end of 2013. No such case was observed in other parts of the world. Similar to H7N9, H10N8 viruses are less pathogenic in poultry but could induce severe illness or even death in humans. H10N8 infection poses a potential threat to public health. There is currently no effective means to prevent or treat H10N8 infections. Moreover, it remains unclear how H10N8 viruses are transmitted to humans, and substantial public concerns have been raised about whether H10N8 infections will lead to an outbreak in humans. This article briefly describes the current research on H10N8 subtype viruses.

Key words: Avian influenza virus, Gene reassortment, H10N8, H5N1, H7N9, Receptor-binding preference