UN probes possible human-to-human bird flu

The UN health agency is investigating possible human-to-human transmission of bird flu among members of an Indonesian family, but said today there is no evidence that the virus has mutated or spread beyond the family.

“We’re not surprised that there is possible human-to-human transmission,” said Steven Bjorge, a World Health Organisation epidemiologist based in Jakarta, Indonesia. “The thing we’re looking for is whether it’s sustained beyond the immediate cluster.”