Tokyo (AsiaNews/Agencies) Japan today reported its first human case of the avian flu, otherwise known as the bird flu. Four other people are likely to have been infected by the same H5N1 virus.
Health Ministry officials said that no one of the five is in serious conditions, but all of them worked at the same contaminated poultry farm during a viral outbreak in February.
It is not clear how they were exposed to the virus but one said he didn't wear a mask at even after the virus was discovered at the farm.
Although there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission, experts worry that the H5N1virus might mutate into a version that could easily spread to people, thus sparking a global pandemic.
The World Health Organisation announced that in January the first vaccine against avian flu will undergo human tests. Its director for epidemics said that if the test results are positive and the vaccine approved, "commercial production could start within six to eight months".
So far the disease has killed 20 people in Vietnam and 12 in Thailand.
