HAMBURG – Fears that avian influenza had reached Germany were ruled out Tuesday after medical tests cleared a woman suspected of having carried the disease home following an Asian holiday.

The woman was with near 100 percent infected with a human influenza virus, based on tests done at the Hamburg clinic for tropical diseases. “It’s not avian influenza,” said a spokeswoman for the Bernhard Nocht Institute.

The woman had returned Saturday from Thailand and was admitted to the clinic Monday suffering from a high temperature.

The tropical diseases clinic has recommended anyone travelling to Asia to be vaccinated against influenza.

Although the vaccine would not be effective against the bird flu agent it would protect against normal flu viruses and thus ward off the risk of a simultaneous infection, the institute said.

                                                       DPA