First case of human bird flu transmission confirmed

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed the first case of human-to-human bird flu transmission in Pakistan.

A poultry worker in the north-west region of the country was affected with bird flu in November last year and two weeks later his brother was also diagnosed with the disease.

Later in the month, two other brothers of the worker were taken to hospital suffering with the same bird flu strain.

The original worker and one of the infected brothers later died and samples taken from three of the four infected brothers confirmed the presence of the H5N1 bird flu strain.

WHO officials reported that the outbreak "did not extend into the community and appropriate steps were taken to reduce future risks of human infections".

A mutation of the disease which could spread human-to-human infection and trigger a deadly influenza pandemic has been feared by experts.

Earlier this month Vietnam started clinical trials to develop a human vaccine for the H5N1. Eleven volunteers have recently received their second dosage of the trial vaccine at the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Hanoi.