Cluster of Bird Flu Deaths Alarms WHO
In a statement yesterday, the World Health Organization says a cluster of avian
flu deaths among an extended Indonesian family has raised concern that the virus
has passed between people there. Reports from a village on the island of Sumatra
of at least 5 family members as having the A(H5N1) virus was verified by a
WHO-certified laboratory. Seven or 8 members of the family were said to have
shown symptoms, and 6 were reported to have died. "We haven't seen any evidence
of spread beyond this cluster," said Maria Cheng, a WHO spokeswomen, "The
investigation is still at an early stage."

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