Mutation of H7N9 poses 'no new threat'

The mutation of the H7N9 bird flu virus poses no new threat to humans, but sustained vigilance is needed for possible further mutations, both the World Health Organization and Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said.

"The reported genetic changes in the H7N9 virus apply to poultry and there is no evidence that the changes in the virus affect the virus' ability to spread between humans," the WHO China Office said in a statement provided to China Daily on Tuesday.

"Currently, the risk of human-to-human transmission is low, as this virus does not appear to transmit easily from person to person," it said.