Seven Indonesian H5N1 Bird Flu Cases Linked: Human Transmission Possible, There May Be A Need To Raise Pandemic Alert Level.

Source: Bloomberg

A very scary and critical jump of the H5N1 virus from animal transmission to human to human transmission may now be happening in Idonesia. Seven bird flu cases have been reported, and the spread is believed between direct contact from all those involved.

I guess that high probability that it may never morph into this easily spreading version just became a reality.

Either our government is being less than truthful about the spread of this virus or mother nature is kicking it into high gear.

Regardless of who is to blame, the World Health Organization believes this situation may get steadily worse, and a new, higher pandemic threat level may be needed.

May 23 (Bloomberg) -- All seven people infected with bird flu in a cluster of Indonesian cases can be linked to other patients, according to disease trackers investigating possible human-to-human transmission of the H5N1 virus.

A team of international experts has been unable to find animals that might have infected the people, the World Health Organization said in a statement today. In one case, a 10-year- old boy who caught the virus from his aunt may have passed it to his father, the first time officials have seen evidence of a three-person chain of infection, an agency spokeswoman said. Six of the seven people have died.

Almost all of the 218 cases of H5N1 infections confirmed by the WHO since late 2003 can be traced to direct contact with sick or dead birds. Strong evidence of human-to-human transmission may prompt the global health agency to convene a panel of experts and consider raising the pandemic alert level, said Maria Cheng, an agency spokeswoman.

Tags: [Seven Indonesian Bird Flu Cases Linked to Patients], [Bloomberg], [H5N1 virus], [human-to-human transmission of the H5N1 virus], [Bird Flu], [WHO], [World Health Organization], [evidence of human-to-human transmission may prompt the global health agency to convene a panel of experts and consider raising the pandemic alert level], [human-to- human transmission in the Sumatran cluster], [human-to-human spread of H5N1], [Indonesian strain of H5N1], [Indonesia]