WHO sees low risk of spread after China reports combined H3N2, H10N5 bird flu case

Illustration shows test tubes labelled "Bird Flu" and China flag

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday there was a low risk of human-to-human spread after China reported a case involving a person infected with combined H3N2 and H10N5 strains of bird flu.

"No new suspected human cases have been detected through the investigation and testing done by authorities," the WHO said in a statement, saying avian flu viruses are not thought to have acquired the capacity for sustained human transmission. "Thus, the likelihood of human-to-human spread is considered low."

China reported the case to the WHO on Jan. 27, the WHO said, and publicly a few days later.

(Reporting by Emma Farge; editing by Matthias Williams)