Expert sees grounds for hope on bird flu, bySTEPHANIE NEBEHAY

A LIMITED number of migratory birds appear to be spreading a single sub-strain of the H5N1 virus, a potentially positive discovery, a scientist at the World Health Organisation said yesterday.

This could lower opportunities for the lethal virus to mutate into an easily transmissible form that could spark a human influenza pandemic, according to Michael Perdue, an epidemiologist in WHO's global influenza programme.

Four family groups of the virus have been identified, but it appeared only one was moving westward, he said. ...