Son May Have Passed Bird Flu to Father

A man in China was diagnosed with the deadly bird flu virus a day after his 24-year-old son died from the disease, raising fears of a strain that can pass from person to person, the Telegraph reports. Health officials don't know for sure if the father caught the virus from his son but said they can't rule out the possibility. A human-to-human strain raises the risk of a global pandemic.

The WHO is monitoring 69 people who had close contact with the son, and so far none of them have symptoms. Scattered reports of other human-to-human transmissions have surfaced throughout Asia, but none have been confirmed. (More avian flu stories.)