AVIAN FLU: The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday expressed "alarm" that the death of six members of the one extended Indonesian family may have been caused by human to human transmission of avian flu.
Health experts believe that there is a real danger of a pandemic when avian flu H5NI mutates and becomes easily transmissible between human beings.
When a seventh member of the family in the Karo district of Indonesia fell ill with the flu, WHO officials, including senior epidemiologists, went there to try to investigate.
These and local officials are attempting to trace any contacts with the family while scientists in Hong Kong, London and New York are examining blood and tissue samples from the family.
The latest outbreak began after a family gathering on April 29th, when a 37-year-old woman fell ill and spent the night in a small room with her two sons and a brother. The woman and the boys later died.
The latest to die, on Monday, was another brother of the woman, aged 32.
He is thought to have caught bird flu from his own son, aged ten, who has also died, as well as another family member.
Investigators are now examining the full circumstances of the cases which occurred in two adjoining homes.
More than 30 people in the village have been quarantined and are being treated with the antiviral drug Tamiflu.
"We are alarmed by this cluster," said Maria Cheng of the WHO. "It is the largest cluster we have had that has been identified for possible human to human transmission. The hypothesis is that these people were at very close quarters and were taking care of each other and falling ill."
The WHO said although human-to-human transmission cannot be ruled out, the search for a possible alternative source of exposure was continuing.
The organisation stressed that fresh scientific evidence had shown the virus in Indonesia has not mutated to one that can spread easily among people.