The World Health Organization has concluded that
human-to-human transmission likely occurred among seven relatives
who developed bird flu in Indonesia.
In a report obtained Wednesday by The Associated
Press, WHO experts said the cluster's index case was probably infected
by sick birds and spread the disease to six family members. One
of those cases, a boy, then likely infected his father, it said.
The U.N. agency stressed the virus has not mutated
and that no cases were detected beyond the family.
Seven of the eight relatives died last month, but
one was buried before samples could be taken to confirm bird flu
infection.
"Six confirmed H5N1 cases likely acquired
(the) H5N1 virus through human-to-human
transmission from the index case ... during close prolonged contact
with her during the late stages of her illness," the report
said.
The report was distributed at a closed meeting
in Jakarta attended by some of the world's top bird flu experts.
The three-day session was convened after Indonesia asked for international
help. The country has recorded the world's highest number of human
bird flu cases this year, and 39 of those infected have died.
"What is happening in Indonesia? That is
the No. 1 question," said Bayu Krishnamurthi, Indonesia's national
bird flu coordinator. "With all of these limited resources
_ human, financial, institutional _ what should we do?"
The experts were expected to discuss the large
family cluster during the session. One of the remaining mysteries
is why only blood relatives _ not spouses _ became infected.
The WHO report theorizes the family shared a "common
genetic predisposition to infection with H5N1 virus
with severe and fatal outcomes." However, there is no evidence
to support that.
Keiji Fukuda, WHO's coordinator for the Global
Influenza Program in Geneva, said the
Indonesian case appears to resemble other family clusters where
limited human-to-human transmission occurred following close contact.
He said scientists must find out whether anything is different about
the way the virus is behaving.
"The really critical factor is why did that
cluster develop?" he said. "What's the reason why people
in a cluster got infected?"
Fukuda said that although the cluster in the farming
village on Sumatra island grabbed world attention, no country _
including Vietnam and Thailand, which have largely controlled the
virus _ is safe from bird flu.
