PESHAWAR, April 3: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed two cases of human-to-human transmission of avian influenza in Pakistan.

According to WHO, a resident of Tajabad, who died of H5N1 avian influenza, had already been confirmed had contracted the infection from his brother, a poultry worker, in November.

Officials said that two samples collected from a family in Peshawar tested positive for avian influenza in serological test done in a WHO H5 reference laboratory in Cairo and at the Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza in Atlanta.

The test report said that a poultry worker in the same family transmitted the H5N1 strain virus from poultry farm to home due to which his 28-year-old brother died with symptoms of bird flu on Nov 19.

He was not tested for bird flu, but WHO officials said that the symptoms showed that he probably died of it.

On Nov 28, his younger brother died of bird flu.

The same day, the global health agency’s headquarters in Geneva announced that a case of human-to-human virus transmission had occurred in Pakistan.

“Today (Thursday), it was confirmed that two more brothers of the two deceased had developed bird flu.

“They have fully recovered now,” the officials said.

The laboratory test results support the epidemiological findings from the investigation in Dec 2007, and the final risk assessment suggested that limited human-to-human transmission likely occurred among some of the family members, which are consistent with events reported previously.

The disease did not spread into the community and appropriate steps were taken to reduce future risks of human infections, the officials said.

In view of the confirmation of H5N1 strain of the infection, the government is dragging its feet on the implementation of the PC-1 aiming to set up two respiratory isolation units for suspected patients of bird flu.

In addition, the world health agency agreed to set up two wards each at the KTH and Ayub Teaching Hospital in Abbottabad at an estimated cost of 500,000 dollars, but no progress is in sight so far.