No persons affected by avian flu in Taiwan: DOH

There are also no confirmed cases of an outbreak of low-pathogenic H5N2 avian flu virus among poultry in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director Lin Ting said.

He added that there is no evidence that the H5N2 can jump species to infect humans.

As of yesterday, the CDC had received reports of eight suspected cases of H5N1 infections in humans. Two persons involved in the cases had visited China, one had visited Vietnam and five had been in close contact with poultry, Lin said.

"Examination results showed that five cases were seasonal influenza virus infections and the remaining three tested negative for any flu viruses," Lin said.

He stressed that none of the suspected cases were H5N1 infections.

Quoting data released by the World Health Organization (WHO), Lin said more than 60 percent of confirmed human H5N1 cases have had close contact with poultry.

He advised local people to avoid contact with wild birds or chickens when they travel to countries or areas where H5N1 outbreaks among humans or animals have been reported, particularly Hong Kong, China's Jiangsu province, Indonesia, Egypt and Cambodia.

Meanwhile, Lin said an outbreak of low pathogenic H5N2 avian flu is not uncommon among poultry. But the infection usually does not have a grave impact on animals. Even if the virus mutates to a high-pathogenic strain, it would only affect poultry, he said.

To date, Lin said, only a few Japanese officials working in animal quarantine jobs have tested positive for weak H5N2 antibodies after slaughtering chickens infected with the virus. "None of the workers have developed the disease, which indicates that H5N2 is unlikely to infect humans," he added.

Meanwhile, Magistrate Su Huang-chih of Tainan County categorically denied a local media report that there was an outbreak of avian flu in November in the southern county.

"The report is totally groundless.

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