Bird flu virus poses no risk to humans

EUROPEAN UNION officials helping investigate an outbreak of bird flu in a western Turkish village said yesterday there was no indication the virus here, which has killed some 1,800 fowl, posed a risk to humans.

Officials have been seeking to allay fears across Europe after a deadly strain of bird flu was identified in Greece, Romania and Turkey in recent days.

Among the key points: while the H5N1 strain of bird flu might mutate and spawn a human virus that could kill millions of people, in its current form it is difficult to transmit to people.