(Image courtesy of topnews.in)

Some good news to start the new year: the strain of bird flu which killed a 39-year old man in Shenzhen can’t yet be transmitted between humans.

While that is a relief in many respects, the fact that birds found with the H5N1 strain of avian influenza have been found in nearby Hong Kong remains a big concern.  It’s believed now that the bus driver who died of bird flu was infected directly from poultry.

This, from Reuters:

Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection said on Monday that the virus strain found in the man was very similar to that recently found in wild birds in Hong Kong. An analysis of its genes also found that the virus can be treated by amantadine, a common antiviral drug.

The man, who lived in Shenzhen just across the border from Hong Kong, died from multi-organ failure on Saturday, a week after being admitted to hospital with a fever brought on by the virus, state media reported.

The virus is normally found in birds but can occasionally jump to people. Researchers worry that the virus could mutate into a form that would spread easily between humans.

No doubt authorities will be vigilant in the days ahead.  Any mutation of the bird flu could have disastrous results in such a highly populated area.