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WHO INVESTIGATION SHOWS H5N1 BIRD FLU VIRUS MUTATED SLIGHTLY IN INDONESIAN FAMILY CLUSTER
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 23 - 06 - 2006


A WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE H5N1 VIRUS MUTATED SLIGHTLY
IN AN INDONESIAN FAMILY CLUSTER ON SUMATRA ISLAND, BUT BIRD
FLU EXPERTS INSISTED FRIDAY IT DID NOT INCREASE THE
POSSIBILITY OF A HUMAN PANDEMIC.
THE VIRUS THAT INFECTED EIGHT MEMBERS OF A FAMILY LAST
MONTH _ KILLING SEVEN OF THEM _ APPEARS TO HAVE SLIGHTLY
MUTATED IN A 10-YEAR-OLD BOY, WHO IS THEN SUSPECTED OF
PASSING THE VIRUS TO HIS FATHER, THE WHO INVESTIGATIVE
REPORT SAID.
IT IS THE FIRST EVIDENCE OF POSSIBLE
HUMAN-TO-HUMAN-TO-HUMAN TRANSMISSION, SAID TIM UYEKI, AN
EPIDEMIOLOGIST FROM THE U.S. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL
AND PREVENTION, ADDING THAT THE H5N1 VIRUS DID NOT PASS
OUTSIDE THE CLUSTER AND DIED WITH THE FATHER.
«IT STOPPED. IT WAS DEAD END AT THAT POINT,» HE SAID,
STRESSING THAT VIRUSES ARE ALWAYS SLIGHTLY CHANGING AND
THERE WAS NO REASON TO RAISE ALARM BELLS.
THE FINDINGS APPEARED IN A REPORT OBTAINED BY THE
ASSOCIATED PRESS THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED AT A CLOSED MEETING
IN JAKARTA ATTENDED BY SOME OF THE WORLD'S TOP BIRD FLU
EXPERTS.
THE THREE-DAY SESSION THAT WRAPPED UP FRIDAY WAS CONVENED
AFTER INDONESIA _ WHICH IS ON PACE TO BECOME THE WORLD'S
HARDEST HIT NATION WITH 39 HUMAN BIRD FLU DEATHS _ ASKED
FOR INTERNATIONAL HELP.
THE GOVERNMENT SAID IT NEEDED US$900 MILLION OVER THE NEXT
THREE YEARS TO FIGHT THE VIRUS, WHICH IS RAVAGING POULTRY
STOCKS ACROSS THE ARCHIPELAGO, AS HEALTH EXPERTS URGED FULL
IMPLEMENTATION AND FUNDING OF ITS NATIONAL BIRD FLU PLAN.
BUT LIKE OTHERS AT THE CONFERENCE, WELFARE MINISTER
ABURIZAL BAKRIE SAID THE SLIGHT MUTATION OF THE VIRUS IN
THE SUMATRA FAMILY CLUSTER SHOULD NOT SPARK PANIC.
«THERE IS NO SUSTAINED HUMAN-TO-HUMAN TRANSMISSION,» HE
SAID, NOTING THAT THE VIRUS HAS SHOWN NO SIGN OF CHANGING
IN ANY WAY THAT WOULD ALLOW IT TO SPREAD EASILY AMONG
PEOPLE, POTENTIALLY SPARKING A PANDEMIC.
SO FAR, THE H5N1 VIRUS REMAINS HARD FOR PEOPLE TO CATCH,
AND MOST HUMAN CASES HAVE BEEN TRACED TO CONTACT WITH
INFECTED BIRDS.
WHO CONCLUDED IN ITS REPORT THAT HUMAN-TO-HUMAN
TRANSMISSION LIKELY OCCURRED AMONG SEVEN RELATIVES INFECTED
WITH THE H5N1 VIRUS. AN EIGHTH FAMILY MEMBER WHO WAS BURIED
BEFORE SPECIMENS COULD BE TAKEN IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN
INFECTED BY POULTRY, A WHO REPORT SAID.


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