World Is 40 Percent Prepared for Pandemic, U.N. Official Says
The world is about 40 percent prepared to grapple with the social, economic and political impacts of an influenza pandemic, according to a U.N. official involved in the international effort.
UK: Local flu pandemic action plan approved
Via This is Wiltshire.co.uk: Flu pandemic action plan approved . Excerpt: The greatest potential hazard faced by the UK - that was the description NHS bosses in Wiltshire gave to a potential outbreak of ...
Thailand: No H5N1, but officials on high alert
There is no bird flu in Thailand, but officials involved in monitoring the potential for a reappearance of the dreaded virus are on high alert in the more-at-riskA upper part of the kingdom as colder weather ...
Foot and Mouth Disease Response Plan to Be Tested in Maine
The Maine Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with several other state and federal agencies, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension service, and a number of Maine dairy farmers, will be conducting ...
A lifeline to Cambodia's poor
Fully equipped floating outpatient dental and medical clinic provides free care and education to people in Kampong Cham and Kandal provinces Photo by: Camilla Bjerrekaer Li Afini, 13, is examined by dentist ...
Live dangerously: it's so much safer
Author Warwick Cairns enjoys an element of risk in his life and likes to skateboard and mountain bike.
New Details Of BBC's Revived Survivors
Adrian Hodges, who is writing and producing a new BBC version of the cult post-apocalyptic TV series Survivors , insists that it will differ markedly from the 1970s original, which ran for three seasons.
In disaster drill, King County tries out temporary hospital
Emergency preparedness in King County: During the December 2006 windstorm that left much of the Puget Sound region without power for days, King County ...
S. Sulawesi establishes bird flu commission
The South Sulawesi administration on Tuesday inaugurated a provincial Bird Flu Control and Handling Commission, as it bids to stop the spread of the virus.
Continue reading "Poultry craze makes headlines"
Newsweek subscribers will have noticed that the latest issue has a long article, titled "The New Coop de Ville," on the craze for backyard chickens.
Agro Care
Vets Look Back, See Prospects In Bird Flu Control -161108 By Olukayode Oyeleye L AST MONDAY in Abuja, a disease that has shaken the confidence of many Nigerians and have distracted them from consuming the ...
India to study wild birds' role in H5N1
Via The Hindu , a report datelined Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu state: Project to study role of birds in avian flu .
India is free of bird-flu, for now
Nearly a year after India was hit by the worst case of bird flu epidemic in West Bengal, the central government has notified the World Organisation Of Animal Health that the country for the time being, has ...
Project to study role of birds in avian flu
NAGAPATTINAM: A project, to be funded by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, will study the role of migratory birds in the spread of avian influenza, using tracking devices in three bird sanctuaries later ...
All clear in Makassar?
The English media in Indonesia have been very quiet about the Makassar outbreak, but other media have been covering the story.
Manipur holds workshop on bird flu
Via E-Pao.net, a wonderfully concise report from Manipur: Workshop held . A one-day workshop on "preparedness, control and containment of Bird Flu" was organized by directorate of veterinary and animal ...
EGYPT: Contingency planning for an avian flu pandemic
Egypt, the country hit hardest by avian flu in the Middle East, is working on preventative measures to stop a potential human influenza pandemic.
Das Kapital turned into a manga comic
Karl Marx's seminal anti-capitalist tome Das Kapital is to be reincarnated as a Japanese manga comic.
The FDA in China - Not a Good Way to Deal With the Problem
Someone in Washington thinks that the FDA can do what the Chinese government has constantly failed to do; protect people from being poisoned by Chinese goods that are constantly laced with pesticides,drugs, and ...
Jakarta to combat bird flu by restricting poultry sales
The Jakarta administration plans to force traditional-market poultry sellers out of the city in an effort to prevent outbreaks of avian influenza in the capital, the Jakarta Globe on Monday quoted an official ...




Cleveland Clinic Recognizes New Strategies For Creating Vaccines For Avian Flu As A Top Ten Medical Innovation For 2009
Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX) announced that its strategy for treating avian flu through genetically-engineered virus-like particles (VLPs) was ranked as a Top Ten Innovation at Cleveland Clinic 6th Annual Medical Innovation Summit. Novavax, Inc.
A New Way To Predict Outbreaks: Replikin Peptide Concentration In H5N1 Influenza Virus Genome As A Marker For Lethal Outbreaks
WHO and CDC have stated that the predictive accuracy of their annual formulations for human influenza vaccines is "suboptimal" -- often correct less than 50% of the time, especially for seniors. Perhaps in part because we are not yet accurate in our predictions of upcoming influenza strains, approximately 36,000 people die each year of flu in the United States alone.
A New Way To Predict Outbreaks: Replikin Peptide Concentration In H5N1 Influenza Virus Genome As A Marker For Lethal Outbreaks
WHO and CDC have stated that the predictive accuracy of their annual formulations for human influenza vaccines is "suboptimal" -- often correct less than 50% of the time, especially for seniors. Perhaps in part because we are not yet accurate in our predictions of upcoming influenza strains, approximately 36,000 people die each year of flu in the United States alone.
Record-level US Support For Bird Flu Program - Indonesia, Viet Nam And Egypt Among Major Beneficiary Countries
The United States will provide an additional $44.4 million in support of FAO's avian influenza control and prevention campaign, FAO announced today. With the new funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), US support to the FAO avian influenza program has reached a total of $112.8 million. The United States remains the largest donor to FAO's bird flu control activities implemented in more than 96 countries.
New Warning Over Bird Flu Vaccine - University Of Leicester Professor Calls For Vaccination Programme
A team of international researchers has written to the journal, The Lancet Infectious Diseases, calling for people to be vaccinated now against bird flu in order to mitigate the effects of global pandemic. Professor Karl Nicholson, Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Leicester and Consultant Physician at the Leicester Royal Infirmary is among those who has written the article.
Avian Flu Virus Freed From Immune Recognition By Protein 'Tubules'
A protein found in the virulent avian influenza virus strain called H5N1 forms tiny tubules in which it "hides" the pieces of double-stranded RNA formed during viral infection, which otherwise would prompt an antiviral immune response from infected cells, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers in an online report in the journal Nature.
Vaccinations Against Bird Flu Should Happen Now, Say Experts
People should be vaccinated now against bird flu rather than waiting for a global pandemic to erupt, an international panel of experts - including a leading British influenza specialist - say in a new report. 1 The influenza researchers say the World Health Organisation (WHO) and national governments should give "urgent consideration" to the idea of priming people in advance of bird flu with a preparatory vaccination.
Rockeby Biomed Awarded 750,000 Dolars Of Grants By Singapore Government For Influenza And Bird Flu Research, Singapore
Australia-listed, Singapore-based healthcare group, Rockeby biomed Ltd (ASX:RBY), today announced that it has been awarded two grants by the Singaporean Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board (SPRING Singapore) under the Technology Enterprise Commercialisation Scheme (TECS).
Genetic Evidence For Avian Influenza Movement From Asia To North America Via Wild Birds
Wild migratory birds may be more important carriers of avian influenza viruses from continent to continent than previously thought, according to new scientific research that has important implications for highly pathogenic avian influenza virus surveillance in North America. As part of a multi-pronged research effort to understand the role of migratory birds in the transfer of avian influenza viruses between Asia and North America, scientists with the U.S.
Conference Focuses On Avian Flu Threat
As the first globally co-ordinated plan for the planet's gravest health threats is hatched by government ministers from around the world this weekend, a new report sets out a 10-point plan for this new, globalised approach to infectious diseases such as avian flu.
Information Session For Owners Of Backyard Poultry Flocks
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador invite owners of small or backyard poultry flocks to attend a free information session on how to help prevent and detect poultry diseases, such as avian influenza. Area bird owners and the general public are welcome to attend the session from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 29, 2008, at the Provincial Agriculture Building located at 308 Brookfield Road, in St.
Global Viral Forecasting Initiative Receives $11M To Implement Pandemic Early Warning System
The Global Viral Forecasting Initiative (GVFI), a nonprofit research initiative dedicated to preventing pandemics, has received $11 million dollars from Google.org and The Skoll Foundation. The support, which includes $5.5 million dollars from each organization, represents the largest grant to date from Google.org.
Google.org Battles Bugs & Viruses - Announces More Than $14 Million In Grants To Partners Working To Predict And Prevent The Next Pandemic
Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), has announced grants of more than $14 million to support partners working in Southeast Asia and Africa to prevent the next pandemic. Google.
Protection For People And Pets By Vaccine Based On A Bird Flu Virus
A single vaccine could be used to protect chickens, cats and humans against deadly flu pandemics, according to an article published in the November issue of the Journal of General Virology. The vaccine protects birds and mammals against different flu strains and can even be given to birds while they are still in their eggs, allowing the mass vaccination of wild birds.
Studies Of How SARS And Bird Flu Evade Antiviral Responses Funded By NIAID
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NAID), one of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded a contract to the University of Washington (UW) to use systems biology approaches to comprehensively analyze and model the virus-host interactions and cellular response networks that are induced or altered during the course of acute respiratory virus infection. This new research program will be led by Dr.
Pandemic Flu Models Improve Food, Quarantine Strategies
The 1918 flu pandemic killed more than 40 million people worldwide and affected persons of all age groups. While it is difficult to predict when the next influenza pandemic will occur or how severe it will be, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed models to help organizations like the American Red Cross and Georgia Department of Education prepare emergency response plans.
Idaho Unveils Website To Help Idahoans Prepare For Pandemic Influenza
Is your family prepared for school closures, empty food shelves and no available medical care? Could your business still function with 40% of workers staying home? Will police, fire and critical utility services be available if workers are ill or caring for ill family members? These are things which could easily occur during an influenza pandemic, and the driving force behind a new website that was launched by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare,
Scientists Recommend Stockpiling Influenza Vaccine: Double Flu Jab Needed Against Bird Flu Pandemic
An international study led by University of Leicester researchers has determined that vaccination will be the best way to protect people in the event of the next influenza pandemic - but that each person would need two doses. In an article in the New England Journal of Medicine published on October 9, researchers from the University of Leicester and University Hospitals of Leicester report on a study carried out at the Leicester Royal Infirmary.
Information Session For Backyard Poultry Flock Owners, Canada
Owners of small or backyard poultry flocks are invited to attend a free information session on how to help prevent and detect poultry diseases such as avian influenza. The session is being hosted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands (BCMAL). Area bird owners and the general public are welcome to join from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.
Scientists Working To Protect Northern Ireland From Bird Flu
Queen's University Belfast scientists are involved in two international projects aimed to protect Northern Ireland's agri-food industry from Bird Flu and African Swine Fever, a disease which kills pigs. Working with colleagues from other EU-member states and the Far East in the FLUTEST project they are providing improved diagnosis and early warning systems for bird flu.
Novartis MF59®-adjuvanted Vaccine Rapidly Induces Protective Antibody Levels Against Diverse Strains Of Avian Flu
A new study shows that individuals immunized six years earlier with an MF59 adjuvanted H5N3 (clade 0) vaccine mounted a protective immune response seven days after a single immunization with an H5N1 (clade 1) vaccine containing the Novartis proprietary adjuvant MF59. The immune response was broadly cross reactive and covered all H5N1 clades known to date. These data were presented at the Third European Influenza Conference in Vilamoura, Portugal.
Journal Of Clinical Investigation: Sept. 18, 2008
Maternal diet can increase development and severity of asthma in offspring John Hollingsworth and colleagues, at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, have generated evidence in mice that a maternal diet rich in methyl donors, of which one source is the prenatal supplement folate, increases the chance that the developing fetus will suffer from asthma after birth.
New Data For GlaxoSmithKline's Pre-pandemic H5N1 Influenza Vaccine, Prepandrix?, Show Administration Flexibility For Pandemic Planning
Results from two new clinical studies announced at the Third European Influenza Conference (ESWI) demonstrate that Prepandrix?, GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) H5N1 adjuvanted pre-pandemic influenza vaccine, confers broad cross-clade immunity that is maintained when the second dose is given many months after the first dose, and even if the second dose is formulated from a different H5N1 strain.
Scientists Working To Protect Northern Ireland From Bird Flu
Queen's University Belfast scientists are involved in two international projects aimed to protect Northern Ireland's agri-food industry from Bird Flu and African Swine Fever, a disease which kills pigs. Working with colleagues from other EU-member states and the Far East in the FLUTEST project they are providing improved diagnosis and early warning systems for bird flu.
Monitoring For 'Pandemic' Mutations By Examining Bird Flu Infections
Scientists funded by the Wellcome Trust are to examine what is preventing the H5N1 avian influenza virus from causing a human pandemic and what mutations are required to realise its deadly potential. The research could hold the key to early identification of a potential influenza pandemic, and to developing drugs and a vaccine. Since its reappearance in 1997, the H5N1 influenza virus has caused disease and death in millions of birds around the globe.

About Bird Flu

This map shows the recent extent (as of April 21, 2006) to which the bird flu virus has spread to wild and domestic birds as well as humans. Map credit: www.pandemicflu.gov