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Bloomberg is reporting this morning that a WHO (World Health Organization) spokesperson is saying there have been no major mutations detected in the H5N1 virus among samples taken from victims since the first of the year in Indonesia.
Bird Flu Strain in Indonesia Shows No Major Changes, WHO Says
By Karima Anjani
Jan. 29 (Bloomberg) -- The bird flu virus spreading around Indonesia isn't mutating into more variations that increase the risk of infection in humans, the World Health Organization said.
Indonesia has reported five deaths from the H5N1 strain of the virus this month, the most since May, heightening concerns of resurgence in the disease after a hiatus of almost two months.
``Here in Indonesia so far we have not seen any mutation'' that may cause an alarm, Georg Petersen, the WHO's country representative in Indonesia, said in an interview on Jan. 25. ``There haven't been changes and that's good news.''
The virus in its current form isn't spreading easily among people. Changes to the virus that make it more contagious may touch off a pandemic similar to the one that killed as many as 50 million people in 1918. The H5N1 virus has spread from Asia to the Middle East, Africa and Europe in the past three years. At least 269 people have been infected with avian influenza, and 163 of them have died, the Geneva-based WHO said on Jan. 22.
``We don't see these new cases coming in January as any major situation,'' Petersen said. ``It's too few cases to say there's a trend.'
