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Last Updated: Thursday, 10 January 2008, 12:21 GMT
Son 'gave bird flu to his father'
chicken
Most people killed by the disease so far have been infected by birds
A rare case of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu being passed from one person to another has been reported by health officials in China.

One man died, but his father lived after he too caught the virus in the eastern Jiangsu province last year.

Scientists fear if the virus mutates and gains the ability to pass easily between humans, millions could die.

But Chinese officials and the World Health Organization said there was no evidence of a mutation in this case.

More than 200 people have died around the world since the current outbreak began five years ago.

Suspected human-to-human transmission of H5N1 has been reported in Hong Kong, Vietnam and Indonesia, but none of the cases have been proven.

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