December 11, 2007

China says no bird flu outbreak after isolated human cases

China's government said on Monday that the latest human cases of bird flu are isolated events with no other people affected and no outbreak among poultry.

A 24-year-old man in eastern Jiangsu province died from bird flu on December 2. Authorities announced on Friday last week that his father also had the bird flu strain of the virus, raising fears of human-to-human transmission.

China's health ministry spokesman Mao Qun'an clarified reports on Monday that the father, surnamed Lu, 52, was recovering from the virus and that there was no evidence the man had contracted the disease from his son.

Mao emphasized that there is no biological basis for human-to-human transmission, as feared by many.

Bird flu strain has passed from human to human only in very rare cases and scientists fear that such a transmission could become widespread through mutation, causing a global pandemic.

Mao added that the 34 people who had close contact with the father and the son were kept under observation but none of them had shown symptoms of the disease.

There were no reports of bird flu among poultry in Jiangsu province either, the ministry confirmed.