By Truman Lewis
ConsumerAffairs.com
May 22, 2006
The World Health Organization says it does not believe the bird flu virus has mutated and doubts the cluster of bird flu cases confirmed in Indonesia was the result of human-to-human infection.
Clusters of human infections are a concern because they could indicate the virus is mutating into a form that is easily transmissible among humans.
Six members of one family in a village in North Sumatra were infected, and five have died. A seventh family member, a 37-year-old woman, was thought to have been the first victim in the cluster.
The WHO said it has sent a team to the area and says its scientists have found no evidence that the H5N1 bird flu virus has mutated.
The scientists on the scene say the source of the cluster of infections is unknown but the most likely reason is exposure to infected birds or their feces.
It's the largest bird flu cluster to date and could be the result of a large family gathering on April 29 where there was a shared environmental exposure.
So far, investigators say no infections have been identified outside the family cluster. If the virus had mutated, there would probably have been more infections among other family members, close friends, neighbors, other villagers, or health care professionals who had been attending the infected patients.
A senior Indonesian health official has promised complete transparency should human-to-human transmission of bird flu occur and says efforts to raise awareness among the public will include a robust campaign on the dangers of bird flu.
