China Can't Explain Bird Flu Casualties In Non-Infected Areas

China has reported 11 human cases of avian influenza infections, but cannot explain why all of these infections have occurred in areas where no outbreaks in poultry have been discovered.

"...there was no evidence of the virus mutating into a strain that could be transmitted easily among humans, circumstances that health experts fear would cause a global pandemic that would kill millions of people. 'There is no evidence that this virus is able to go through drastic mutation into an extent that could lead to human-to-human infection,' Mao said. China has reported 34 outbreaks of poultry since the beginning of last year, with most occurring since October."