Fears bird flu could spread through humans

A CLUSTER of human bird flu cases among relatives and possibly health workers in Vietnam may show the virus is changing into a form that can be passed on by humans, the World Health Organisation said.

The WHO is worried that bird flu, which has killed 47 people in Asia, could mutate into an easily spread form that sparks the next influenza pandemic, killing millions.

“Such cases can provide the first signal that the virus is altering its behavior in human populations and thus alert authorities to the need to intervene quickly,” the WHO said in a statement.