Research results from Y. Yang and colleagues update understanding of bird flu
2007 NOV 13 -- "Highly pathogenic avian influenza A (HPAI) subtype H5N1 has caused family case clusters, mostly in Southeast Asia, that could be due to human-to-human transmission. Should this virus, or another zoonotic influenza virus, gain the ability of sustained human-to-human transmission, an influenza pandemic could result," investigators in the United States report. "We used statistical methods to test whether observed clusters of HPAI (H5N1) illnesses in families in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, and eastern Turkey were due to human-to-human transmission. Given that human-to-human transmission occurs, we estimate the infection secondary attack rates (SARs) and the local basic reproductive number, R-0. We find statistical evidence of human-to-human transmission (p = 0.009) in Sumatra but not in Turkey (p = 0.114). For Sumatra, the estimated household SAR was 29% (95% confidence interval [Cl] 15%-51%). The estimated lower limit on the local R-0 was 1.14 (95% Cl 0.61-2.14)," wrote Y. Yang and colleagues. The researchers concluded: "Effective HPAI (H5N1) surveillance, containment response, and field evaluation are essential to monitor and contain potential pandemic strains." Yang and colleagues published their study in Emerging Infectious Diseases (Detecting human-to-human transmission of avian influenza a (H5N1). Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2007;13(9):1348-1353). For additional information, contact I.M. Longini, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Program Biostatistics & Biomath, Seattle, WA 98109, USA. The publisher of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases can be contacted at: Center Disease Control, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. Keywords: United States, Seattle, Avian Flu, Avian Influenza, Bird Flu. This article was prepared by Health Risk Factor Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2007, Health Risk Factor Week via NewsRx.com.
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