Study finds no human transmission of bird flu

Researchers identified traces of the H10N5 bird flu virus in environmental samples linked to the world's first human case, which was reported in China in January, but no human-to-human transmission occurred, according to a study released last week.

The study said the infection most likely stemmed from long-distance transmission through wild birds, and called for enhanced surveillance of bird flu among poultry.

The National Disease Control and Prevention Administration reported on Jan 30 that East China's Zhejiang province had confirmed a case of combined infection of H10N5 bird flu and the H3N2 seasonal flu strain in a 63-year-old woman from neighboring Anhui province. It was the world's first human infection with H10N5, but H3N2 cases are relatively common.