WHO: Changes in H5N1 virus may promote spread in birds

The agency said countries that have reported their first cases of H5N1 infection in birds this month, in chronological order, are Iraq, Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Iran, Austria, Germany, Egypt, India, France, and Hungary.

Authorities in Hungary confirmed today that three dead swans were infected with the virus.

Human cases still rare
In reporting on the evolution of the virus, the WHO said the recent changes have not had any noticeable effect on the disease in humans. "Human infections remain a rare event," the agency said. "The virus does not spread easily from birds to humans or readily from person to person.

As reported here yesterday, the agency said its investigation of human cases in Turkey has yielded no evidence that viral mutations have changed the epidemiology of the disease in humans."


Source: cidrap


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