Little chance of H5N2 affecting humans: WHO #H5N1 #BIRDFLU

2012/03/09 13:20:38

Brussels, March 8 (CNA) A World Health Organization (WHO) official said Thursday that there have been no confirmed cases of avian flu virus H5N2 affecting humans, and the possibility of it seriously affecting human health like the more virulent H5N1 has done is low. Gregory Hartl, spokesman for the WHO's Global Alert and Response Network, told CNA that H5N2 is one of many avian flu viruses and is unpredictable, but so far there have been no confirmed cases of H5N2 avian virus in humans. It is possible that there may be incidents of the H5N2 virus existing undetected in humans, and the virus may affect humans in the future, but the possibility of risk to humans at present is low, he commented. The WHO official made the remarks after Taiwan alerted the World Organization for Animal Health March 3 that a highly pathogenic H5N2 avian flu virus had been found for the first time in the country, as a result of a recent outbreak. According to Lin Tzou-yien, a deputy minister of Taiwan's Department of Health, blood samples from nine workers at a poultry farm in Changhua have been tested but the H5N2 virus has not been detected. In Tainan, where some 4,000 chickens have been culled since early February after the H5N2 virus found in a farm was confirmed as being highly pathogenic, 38 workers have had blood samples taken, Lin said, adding that the samples' results have not yet come out. He said H5N2 is a commonly found virus among birds and the so-called "highly pathogenic" tag refers to a high infection rate among birds affected by the virus and has nothing to do with human health. He added that no global medical data shows that the less virulent H5N2 has infected humans. He called for people in Taiwan not to panic over the latest H5N2 outbreak, suggesting that chicken meat and eggs be fully cooked before being consumed.  http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aSOC&TNo=&ID=201203090009