A WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE H5N1 VIRUS MUTATED SLIGHTLY IN AN INDONESIAN FAMILY CLUSTER ON SUMATRA ISLAND, BUT BIRD FLU EXPERTS INSISTED FRIDAY IT DID NOT INCREASE THE POSSIBILITY OF A HUMAN PANDEMIC. THE VIRUS THAT INFECTED EIGHT MEMBERS OF A FAMILY LAST MONTH _ KILLING SEVEN OF THEM _ APPEARS TO HAVE SLIGHTLY MUTATED IN A 10-YEAR-OLD BOY, WHO IS THEN SUSPECTED OF PASSING THE VIRUS TO HIS FATHER, THE WHO INVESTIGATIVE REPORT SAID. IT IS THE FIRST EVIDENCE OF POSSIBLE HUMAN-TO-HUMAN-TO-HUMAN TRANSMISSION, SAID TIM UYEKI, AN EPIDEMIOLOGIST FROM THE U.S. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, ADDING THAT THE H5N1 VIRUS DID NOT PASS OUTSIDE THE CLUSTER AND DIED WITH THE FATHER. «IT STOPPED. IT WAS DEAD END AT THAT POINT,» HE SAID, STRESSING THAT VIRUSES ARE ALWAYS SLIGHTLY CHANGING AND THERE WAS NO REASON TO RAISE ALARM BELLS. THE FINDINGS APPEARED IN A REPORT OBTAINED BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED AT A CLOSED MEETING IN JAKARTA ATTENDED BY SOME OF THE WORLD'S TOP BIRD FLU EXPERTS. THE THREE-DAY SESSION THAT WRAPPED UP FRIDAY WAS CONVENED AFTER INDONESIA _ WHICH IS ON PACE TO BECOME THE WORLD'S HARDEST HIT NATION WITH 39 HUMAN BIRD FLU DEATHS _ ASKED FOR INTERNATIONAL HELP. THE GOVERNMENT SAID IT NEEDED US$900 MILLION OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS TO FIGHT THE VIRUS, WHICH IS RAVAGING POULTRY STOCKS ACROSS THE ARCHIPELAGO, AS HEALTH EXPERTS URGED FULL IMPLEMENTATION AND FUNDING OF ITS NATIONAL BIRD FLU PLAN. BUT LIKE OTHERS AT THE CONFERENCE, WELFARE MINISTER ABURIZAL BAKRIE SAID THE SLIGHT MUTATION OF THE VIRUS IN THE SUMATRA FAMILY CLUSTER SHOULD NOT SPARK PANIC. «THERE IS NO SUSTAINED HUMAN-TO-HUMAN TRANSMISSION,» HE SAID, NOTING THAT THE VIRUS HAS SHOWN NO SIGN OF CHANGING IN ANY WAY THAT WOULD ALLOW IT TO SPREAD EASILY AMONG PEOPLE, POTENTIALLY SPARKING A PANDEMIC. SO FAR, THE H5N1 VIRUS REMAINS HARD FOR PEOPLE TO CATCH, AND MOST HUMAN CASES HAVE BEEN TRACED TO CONTACT WITH INFECTED BIRDS. WHO CONCLUDED IN ITS REPORT THAT HUMAN-TO-HUMAN TRANSMISSION LIKELY OCCURRED AMONG SEVEN RELATIVES INFECTED WITH THE H5N1 VIRUS. AN EIGHTH FAMILY MEMBER WHO WAS BURIED BEFORE SPECIMENS COULD BE TAKEN IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN INFECTED BY POULTRY, A WHO REPORT SAID.
