The test results of 13 persons from Air Batu village in North Sumatra, who were recently admitted in hospital with flu like symptoms, have been found negative for bird flu.

The death of three persons and admission of these patients triggered the suspicion of bird flu in the region. Medical experts believed that these people were affected with bird flu virus.

Bird flu virus is transmitted from birds to humans through direct contact. But medical experts fear that bird flu can mutate into a virus which will trigger a pandemic. The pandemic may take millions of lives before any means to control could be invented.

According to statistics, the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has taken lives of more than 240 people worldwide since late 2003.

The officials from health ministry announced on Saturday that test reports of the patients were negative. The experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) went to North Sumatra to study the probability of possible outbreak of bird flu.

The sudden death of large number of chickens last week in Air Batu village initiated the suspicion of bird flu. Officials slaughtered some 400 chickens and ducks as a preventive measure.

Nyoman Kandun, director general of the ministry's communicable diseases department said that all the people admitted in hospital are recovering.