South Korea bird flu bypasses humans

SEOUL, May 16 (UPI) -- The type of bird flu that broke out in South Korea this year has caused no human infections worldwide, the country's quarantine service said Friday.

A report by the National Veterinary Research Quarantine Service says the virus strain is different from that found in Indonesia and Vietnam, where the disease has been transmitted to humans, resulting in death.

But, despite culling millions of birds since early April, this year's bird flu outbreak is expected to be the worst in the country's history, with damages exceeding $95.7 billion, Yonhap news service reported.