March 24, 2006

Research discovers bird flu not easily transmitted among humans

Dutch and Japanese scientists have found out why the bird flu virus does not spread from humans to humans easily: the virus buries itself too deeply inside the human lungs to be spread easily by coughing or sneezing.

The H5N1 virus enters birds in a different part of the respiratory tract, an area which isn't recognised on humans, according to Ian Barr, Deputy Director of the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Research on Influenza.

However, like human influenza, bird flu's embedment deep in the lungs is very difficult to treat. Fortunately, unless a person is coughing heavily, the spread of infection is reduced.

Researchers warned that although there have been little mutations in the virus so far, it could still mutate into a form that can pass easily from humans to humans.

The research also found that since the virus is so deep in the lungs, it causes severe pneumonia, which often causes death.