Bird flu death sparks human transmission fears

THAILAND yesterday confirmed its 10th death from bird flu and said the woman may have contracted the virus from her daughter, raising the alarming possibility of human-to-human transmission of the disease.

Pranee Thongchan, 26, died on September 20 after contracting the H5N1 strain of the virus, said Charal Trinwuthipong, director general of Thailand’s Disease Control Department.

She is the 10th confirmed person to die of bird flu in Thailand this year. Nineteen deaths were also reported in Vietnam, and tens of millions of chickens and other poultry have been killed by the disease or culled to curb its spread through much of eastern Asia.