Flu Shots May Cut Risk Of Blood Clots Forming In Veins Nov 11, 2008
12, 2006) An initial priming shot given in advance of a booster shot may be an effective way to protect people against bird flu, researchers say in a presentation at the annual meeting of the Infectious. . (Science Daily)
Pandemic flu planning 'too slow' Nov 9, 2008
Experts fear a pandemic could result if a particularly deadly form of bird flu, H5N1, mutates so it can easily spread from person to person. KEY STORIES. (Yahoo News -- Influenza)
Teenage girl bird flu suspect dies in Indonesia Nov 8, 2008
JAKARTA, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- A teenage girl suspected of suffering from bird flu in Central Java of Indonesia died on Friday after being hospitalized for four days, The Jakarta Post reported ... "There was a chance that she got infected by bird flu as she had been living nearby a chicken abattoir," said the physician. (Xinhuanet, China)
Geffen called Obama in '04: 'You're going to run for president and I'm going to support you'... Nov 7, 2008
With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, 'Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance ... With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, 'Are we sure this is a good... (The Drudge Report)
FLU SHOTS NOW AVAILABLE TO ALL Nov 7, 2008
Every health unit in the state is practicing their disaster preparedness plans as if we actually had to respond to an emergency and administer vaccinations for things like anthrax or the bird flu, Tidwell said. He added the average wait for a shot last year was about 13 minutes. (Pine Bluff Commercial, AR)
Bird flu dupes our bodies Nov 6, 2008
The finding may explain why this strain of bird flu is so deadly in people, and could lead to drugs that will unmask the virus and let our natural defenses do their job, the researchers said. "Once we confirm the importance of this structural information, we should be able to design drugs to block this action," said Venkataram Prasad, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and leader of the study. (iAfrica.com)
Birds of a Feather: Commercial Producers Play Chicken with Avian Flu Nov 5, 2008
FRIED CHICKEN: Commercially-raised chickens lack the genetic diversity that could protect them from rapidly evolving diseases, such as bird flu. USDA. (Scientific American)
Bird flu outbreak occurs in Laos Nov 5, 2008
HANOI, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- A bird flu outbreak has been confirmed in Donngeun village, Xayaboury district of Xayaboury province of Laos, Lao newspaper Vientiane Times reported on Tuesday, citing Xayaboury district governor Phompan Souththivohaneas saying. The Xayaboury Provincial Avian Influenza Control Committee has declared a red zone which covers areas within one kilometer radius of the outbreak. (Xinhuanet, China)
Media Coverage Affects How People Perceive Threat Of Disease Nov 4, 2008
The research, published online in the Public Library of Science: ONE, suggests diseases that show up frequently in the print media like bird flu are considered more serious than similar diseases that do not receive the same kind of coverage, such as yellow fever. "The media tend to focus on rare and dramatic events," says Meredith Young, one of the study's lead authors and a graduate student in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour. (Science Daily)
Flu Pandemic Threat Remains as H5N1 Deaths Ease, Indonesia's Minister Says Nov 3, 2008
Nov. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Indonesia, the nation with the most bird flu deaths, said the threat of a deadly flu pandemic hasn't passed even though no new human cases of the H5N1 virus have been detected in the archipelago since July ... The Southeast Asian nation, which accounts for of bird flu deaths globally in the past six years, has withheld samples since December 2006, saying the viruses are its own intellectual property ... The deadly H5N1 bird flu virus has killed 112 people and sickened 25... (Bloomberg -- Asia)
Workshop on Avian Influenza opens in Sunyani Nov 3, 2008
Sunyani (B/A), Nov. 3, GNA - A workshop aimed controlling outbreak and transmission of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) in the West African sub-region was at the weekend open in Sunyani, capital town of Brong Ahafo ... Opening the workshop, Mrs. Anna Nyamekye, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in charge of livestock, said that a total of 40,000 birds were lost to the bird flu as a result of natural death and through culling during the outbreak of the disease in Tema, Aflao and Sunyani in 2007... (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Supercomputer tackles climate change Nov 1, 2008
Another of the famous blue series (after IBM s nickname Big Blue ), Blue C has been plotting ways to help out-think the lethal bird flu strain which sparked fears of a killer pandemic in 2006. Blue C is being used to work out the likely path of any lethal strain of bird flu in Britain by analysing billions of combinations of possible bird flight patterns and movements ... It will allow the Government and scientists to predict where bird flu will appear and where to put measures in place to cull... (WalesOnline)
Holding Bird Flu Samples Hostage Exposes World to `More Danger,' U.S. Says Oct 30, 2008
Holding Bird Flu Samples Hostage Is Danger for World, U.S. Says ... Oct. 30 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. should continue to oppose countries that expose the world to ``even more danger'' by demanding payment in return for sharing samples of H5N1 bird flu, said the U.S. government's outgoing top health official. (Bloomberg -- Asia)
Threat From Infectious Diseases Growing Oct 30, 2008
Emerging diseases such as a potential bird flu outbreak or another new disease such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. (Washington Post)
Social networking sites "good for businesses" Oct 29, 2008
Reuters Published: October 29, 2008. Good news for workers addicted to Facebook, Bebo and MySpace -- a think-tank says bosses should not stop their staff using social networking sites because they could actually benefit their firms. (International Herald Tribune -- Technology)
LETTERS: NCT, Oct. 28, 2008 Oct 29, 2008
It is also probable that egg-laying hens will have a greater exposure to diseases like bird flu and exotic Newcastle's disease. We should be concerned as well that Prop. (North County Times)
IMF bailout lifts Hungarian markets Oct 29, 2008
Published: October 29, 2008. Hungarian stocks and the currency soared Wednesday after the country secured more than $25 billion in backing from global institutions led by the International Monetary Fund. (International Herald Tribune -- Business)
Iceland lifts interest rates Oct 29, 2008
Reuters Published: October 28, 2008. The central bank of Iceland raised interest rates Tuesday by a huge six percentage points, to 18 percent, an increase that aimed to satisfy the International Monetary Fund and restore trust in the country's shattered currency. (International Herald Tribune -- Business)
UK finance minister urges flexible economic policies Oct 29, 2008
Finance Minister Alistair Darling of Britain said governments must adapt their economic policies to tackle the fallout from the financial crisis, as speculation grows Britain is preparing to abandon its fiscal rules limiting borrowing. Just as markets change, so should policy," Darling said in extracts from a speech that he is to deliver in London on Wednesday evening. With Britain sliding towards its first recession since the early 1990s, both Darling and Prime Minister Gordon Brown have said... (International Herald Tribune -- Business)
Letter from Egypt Oct 29, 2008
Abdel Moneim Mahmoud once organized student elections, collected donations and educated chicken breeders about the dangers of bird flu as an operative for the Muslim Brotherhood. That all ended after he criticized Egypt's controversial Islamic political group on his blog, Ana-Ikhwan (I Am Brotherhood). (International Herald Tribune)
Wild Birds Carry Avian Flu Viruses To US Report Oct 29, 2008
They found genetic evidence that some non-dangerous influenza viruses infecting northern pintail ducks in Alaska are genetically more closely related to Asian strains of bird flu than to North American strains ... USGS and US Fish and Wildlife Service experts have been testing birds in Alaska for any evidence they may be carrying highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu with them from Asia. (Planet Ark, United States)
Hemispherx Selected to Present At 7th Annual BIO Investor Forum Oct 28, 2008
gov on the worldwide web), is expected to consider improved treatments and diagnostic approaches at its upcoming public meeting Oct. 28 and 29, 2008, in Washington, D.C. Second, a status report addressing the evolving mutations in pandemic bird flu viruses--which mutations may nullify the value of existing worldwide vaccine stockpiles--by introducing the first potentially cross-protective immune adjuvant against multiple virus strains. Third, a status report on building a novel immune treatment... (Primezone Releases)
Islamic Bloggers Confront Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood on Religion, Politics Oct 28, 2008
Oct. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Abdel Moneim Mahmoud once organized student elections, collected donations and educated chicken breeders about the dangers of bird flu as an operative for the Muslim Brotherhood. That all ended after he criticized Egypt's controversial Islamic political group on his blog, (I Am Brotherhood). (Bloomberg -- Europe)
EARLY DETECTION Oct 27, 2008
Reuters AlertNet - U.N. bird flu chief says compensation is key ... U.N. bird flu chief says compensation is key 26 Oct 2008 17:05:48 GMT Source: Reuters ... Cambodia and Egypt -- which is hosting a ministerial summit on the virus -- are the only countries heavily affected by bird flu that do not offer some form of compensation. (AlertNet)
US Pledges Extra $320 Million For Bird Flu Fight Oct 27, 2008
SHARM EL SHEIKH - The United States pledged an additional $320 million to the global fight against bird flu and warned on Saturday against complacency in combating the virus, which could mutate and cause a deadly pandemic ... 2 million) would be available for research into bird flu and other infectious diseases in 2009 ... The World Bank estimates that a global pandemic resulting from the mutation of bird flu could cost $3 trillion and result in a nearly 5 percent drop in world gross domestic... (Planet Ark, United States)
Animal ID rolls ahead with premises registration (3) Oct 26, 2008
" If you can mentally step outside of yourself and the society in which you live, and observe dispassionately the black hole into which you and all of humanity are being drawn, what you will see is the fascinating convergence and culmination of events foreseen more than two thousand years ago and recorded in the Christian Bible. The question is, are you going to stop this march into oblivion? Can you stop or affect this in any way? Should you? If the Bible predicts the Orwellian tragedy now... (Sioux Falls Tri-State Neighbor, SD)
INTERVIEW-Bird flu fight hindered by fatigue -U.N. agency Oct 25, 2008
SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Developing countries, particularly Egypt and Indonesia, have become complacent about the lethal strain of bird flu, hindering efforts to eradicate it, a U.N. health official said ... Almost half of the reported deaths from the H5N1 strain of bird flu have occurred in Indonesia, according to World Health Organisation data ... This week the United Nations and the World Bank said international efforts had limited the spread of bird flu but the risk... (AlertNet)
Humane Treatment Of Animals Up For ... Oct 24, 2008
Additionally, factory farms that have many cages crammed together provide a breeding ground for many diseases, including bird flu. Dr. Kennedy Shortridge, credited with the discovery of the first bird flu virus in Asia, says that bird flu occurred in China because the Chinese switched from small poultry farms to large factory farms over the past twenty years ... He says that domesticated poultry on industrial farms are the cause of the bird flu virus. (Suite101.com)
* No compromise on fundamentals Oct 23, 2008
As if poisoned milk and bird flu were not enough. Here is an excerpt from a piece by Agence France-Presse from July 16, 2006, which is still every bit as valid as it was back then. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Could A Vaccine Treat Many Bacterial Diseases? Oct 23, 2008
(June 29, 2006) Australian researchers have begun a trial to test the effectiveness of a new vaccine to protect against the potentially deadly bird flu. The Vaccine Trials Group at the Telethon Institute for Child. (Science Daily)
Confessions of a real-life Rays fan Oct 23, 2008
The odds of that happening were set at 150-to-1, meaning she stood to win 750 in the unlikely event that the other 29 teams in the Majors came down with a case of the bird flu. Fully aware that five dollars in Vegas where waffles are 10 bucks apiece and even tap water isn't on the house is the rough equivalent of 50 cents anywhere else in the country, she still stood there hesitant, staring up at the board, wallet firmly in purse. (Lenoir News Topic, NC)
Risk of bird flu pandemic great despite efforts Oct 22, 2008
UNITED NATIONS - International efforts have pushed back the spread of bird flu this year, but the risk of a global influenza pandemic killing millions is as great as ever, the United Nations and World Bank reported on Tuesday. Most countries now have plans to combat a pandemic, but many of the plans are defective, said the report, issued ahead of a bird flu conference due to be attended by ministers from some 60 countries in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, from October 24-26 ... The report, fourth in a... (MSNBC -- Health)
Pandemic Flu Models Help Determine Food Distribution And School Closing Strategies Oct 22, 2008
(July 9, 2008) Scientists have discovered how bird flu adapts in patients, offering a new way to monitor the disease and prevent a pandemic, according to research in the Journal of General. (Nov. (Science Daily)
IDNR participating in avian influenza surveillance Oct 22, 2008
While hunters need not be overly concerned about contracting bird flu from handling wild game, there are some basic precautions developed by the National Wildlife Health Center which should be followed to reduce the risk of exposure to other diseases which may be carried by wild birds. Those include. (Canton Daily Ledger, IL)
Dead crow sparks bird flu fears in HK Oct 22, 2008
Dead crow sparks bird flu fears in HK. " /> ". (Radio Australia)
NOT AGAIN! VIDEO: Murtha Says Western Pa. 'Really Redneck'... Oct 21, 2008
The key to stopping a bird flu pandemic could be creating one defense that works for birds, people and other mammals. PhotoVote. (The Drudge Report)
Hong Kong Finds Bird Flu Virus In Crow Oct 21, 2008
HONG KONG - A house crow found dead in a crowded district in Hong Kong last week has tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus, a government spokeswoman said on Monday. The appearance of the virus in Hong Kong, more active in the cooler months between October and March, is closely watched as it may indicate the level of activity of the virus in mainland China, which has a poultry population of 13 billion. (Planet Ark, United States)
New outbreak Oct 21, 2008
Experts predict next epidemic will start in animals - USATODAY.com. Experts predict next epidemic will start in animals. (USA Today -- News)
Students learn how to to tackle avian influenza Oct 19, 2008
Serang is considered a high-risk area, because it neighbors Tangerang, which the government declared a "red zone" for bird flu following the deaths of Iwan Siswara, an official at the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), and his two young daughters in July 2005. Bird flu or avian influenza is a poultry disease, but experts fear that the virus -- H5N1 -- could mutate and become able to be transmitted from human to human ... " Agus was speaking during a visit, jointly hosted by Unicef and John Hopkins... (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Features)
* CEPA endangers Taiwan: forum Oct 18, 2008
As a result, this contributed to a breakout of bird flu in Hong Kong in June 2003, he said. He said that there were substantial differences between Taiwan and China in terms of the quality of food standards, medical services and public health, as well as differences in the way people think and do business, saying that a CEPA is not what Taiwan needs. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Flu Pandemic Could Kill 71 Million People, Cost Global Economy $3 Trillion Oct 18, 2008
The spread of the H5N1 avian-influenza strain across Asia, Africa and Europe prompted the development of vaccines and the slaughter of poultry from Indonesia to the U.K. Measures to avoid infection would generate most of the costs, said the report, which used simulations to underline the importance of global preparations for a pandemic sparked by bird flu ... World leaders will be asked to donate about $500 million -- the amount required annually to fund bird flu control efforts and prepare for... (Bloomberg -- Canada)
Pacific hit by dengue 'pandemic' Oct 17, 2008
He says instead of spending millions guarding against an outbreak of bird flu, more money should be spent on fighting dengue, which occurs in all Pacific countries except New Zealand. It is not just locals who contract dengue, but tourists too. (The Age, Australia -- World)
HEALTH NOTES / Facts and myths about the flu Oct 17, 2008
Avian or bird flu occurs naturally among wild birds ... Bird flu is not easily passed to humans, but some people have become sick after extensive direct contact with poultry. (Cohasset Mariner, MA)
Full Story » Oct 16, 2008
Opponents in the Argument Against Proposition 2 say its passage would increase the risk of Bird Flu and food-borne illnesses like Salmonella; increase grocery prices of California eggs; and potentially put some farmers out of business, among other things. The goal of Prop 2 is admirable, however, it ignores critical aspects of animal welfare that ultimately would threaten the well-being of the very animals it serves to protect, the American Veterinary Medical Association said in a written... (Sebastopol Sonoma West Publishing, CA)
Computer Grids Get Down To Business Oct 16, 2008
9, 2007) A new attack against the deadly bird flu virus, harnessing the combined power of more than 40,000 computers across 45 countries to boost the pace of anti-viral drug discovery, has just been launched. (Aug. (Science Daily)
Students flock to watch "Bird Flu" in Studio Theatre Oct 16, 2008
The Northeastern Theatre Department presented the world premiere of "The Day the Bird Flu Came," performed by an eight-person cast to a sold-out crowd in the Curry Student Center Studio Theatre on Tuesday. The play's plot follows two health agents, Derryberry and Jiggle, who are sent to investigate an alleged breakout of the bird flu ... Director Noah Tuleja, a guest lecturer and friend of Yukich, said he submitted four plays to the Theatre Department from which "The Day the Bird Flu Came" was... (Northeastern News, MA)
LETTERS: NCT, Oct. 14, 2008 Oct 15, 2008
"Voter intimidation.Caging lists.Democrats:Occasional rare instances of inidividuals who get carried away.Democrats stealing an election? God I hope so!God I hope PRESIDENT OBAMA wins after McCain gets more votes and there's a controversy about a stolen election.I WANT to see Ron and Chuck and Raoul squawking about this for the next four years!You owe us at least one. Focal Point wrote on Oct 14, 2008 8:33 PM:ALF: Sign me up for the Alf club. I support him 100% I noticed that Alf is receiving a... (North County Times)
Ag Ministry outlines poultry plans Oct 15, 2008
Jakarta will clear out smaller-scale poultry industries by 2010 as part of its efforts to prevent more deaths from bird flu, agricultural authorities said Tuesday ... Azhar said the 2010 target was part of Jakarta's long-term plans to prevent the spread of bird flu in the capital ... Azhar offered his comments during a workshop for journalists receiving grants from the Food and Agriculture Organization to work on news stories about bird flu. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- City)
Prop. 2 gives farm animals more room Oct 15, 2008
Keeping hens confined prevents them from coming into contact with wild birds that carry bird flu or exotic Newcastle disease. And the cages separate feces from eggs, cutting the risk of salmonella. (Fresno Bee -- Lifestyle)
Health officials take annual shot at stopping flu Oct 14, 2008
Think bird flu, or swine flu. Think a whole new flu we've never encountered. (Missoulian, MT)
DIY safety kit that kills hospital superbugs in just 10 seconds Oct 14, 2008
It also includes disposable wipes and is said even to kill the bird flu virus. Superbug killer: Manufacturers claim the new PatientPak kils MRSA, e-coli, norovirus and salmonella within 10 seconds. (Daily Mail)
Pandemic flu planning 'too slow' Oct 13, 2008
Experts fear a pandemic could result if a particularly deadly form of bird flu, H5N1, mutates so it can easily spread from person to person. KEY STORIES. (Yahoo News -- Influenza)
U.S. limits bird flu vaccine, fearing bioterror Oct 13, 2008
When Indonesia's health minister stopped sending bird flu viruses to a research laboratory in the United States for fear Washington could use them to make biological weapons, Defense Secretary Robert Gates laughed and called it "the nuttiest thing" he'd ever heard ... Yet deep inside an 86-page supplement to United States export regulations is a single sentence that bars U.S. exports of vaccines for avian bird flu and dozens of other viruses to five countries designated "state sponsors of... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Bird flu returns to Germany Oct 13, 2008
German authorities yesterday confirmed a case of bird flu at a poultry farm in Saxony, eastern Germany ... The incident is the first case of bird flu in Germany since December 2007. (Financial Times)
Climate Change: Creeping and crawling into Nagaland Oct 13, 2008
The issues of Climate and Global Warming have today become the greatest challenge to the human strive for its continued and dignified existence. Together, they impact every aspect of life on earth and constitute a threat like never before in human history. (MorungExpress)
AP Top News at 1:10 pm EDT Oct 12, 2008
US controls bird flu vaccines over bioweapon fearsJAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) _ When Indonesia's health minister stopped sending bird flu viruses to a research laboratory in the U.S. for fear Washington could use them to make biological weapons, Defense Secretary Robert Gates laughed and called it "the nuttiest thing" he'd ever heard. Yet deep inside an 86-page supplement to United States export regulations is a single sentence that bars U.S. exports of vaccines for avian bird flu and dozens of... (TMCnet)
Germany Kills 1,400 Farm Fowl After First Bird Flu Case of 2008 Identified Oct 11, 2008
Germany Kills 1,400 Fowl After First 2008 Bird Flu (Update1) ... A duck tested positive for the strain of bird flu, , a spokeswoman for Germany's Friedrich Loeffler Institute, said in a telephone interview today. (Bloomberg -- Germany)
Faster genetic test for flu virus approved Oct 11, 2008
CDC officials celebrated it as a potential lifesaver, especially if the nation is hit by a pandemic of bird flu or some other mutant influenza ... They fear the current bird flu virus that has spread among Asian poultry and has killed some people could mutate into a deadly form that is easily spread among humans, potentially triggering a global pandemic. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
US, China announce agreements after bilateral trade talks Oct 11, 2008
Among them he cited China's willingness to beef up cooperation on intellectual property right (IPR) issues and lift a bird flu ban on some US poultry products ... Agricultural officials at the meeting, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the US had reported a low-pathogenic form of the bird flu virus, which is not transmittable to humans, in poultry and poultry products as a matter of transparency. (Yahoo News -- Pharmaceutical Industry News)
Infectious diseases claim 949 lives in China in Sept. Oct 11, 2008
Except for SARS, poliomyelitis, bird flu and diphtheria, the remaining 23 diseases in the A and B class lists had reported cases. The top five infectious diseases, accounting for 89. (Xinhuanet, China)
COLUMN: Will you choose the comb-over poster child or Mr. Big Ears for president? Oct 10, 2008
The Question wrote on Oct 3, 2008 5:03 PM:" A 6,000-year-old Earth. American torture. American secret police. Secret imprisonment without trial. The trillion-dollar free market bailout of wealthy crooks.Collapsing bridges, health care systems and national economies. Corporations that cheat anyone anytime they want, then brazenly demand subsidy money from the taxpayers. Poison toys. Free-speech zones. Manufacturing companies shipped overseas and replaced by pawn shops, temp agencies and cash... (Mattoon Journal-Gazette, IL)
Bird Flu Discovered in Duck on Farm Near Border With Poland, Bild Reports Oct 10, 2008
Germany Discovers First Bird Flu Case This Year, Bild Says. By Frances Robinson. (Bloomberg -- Germany)
'Vaccinate now' to beat bird flu Oct 10, 2008
Vaccinate now' to beat bird flu ... A vaccine being tested right now could help save lives in a future bird flu pandemic, UK scientists claim ... A jab against one strain of avian flu, given years earlier, may "prime" the immune system to fight a wide range of bird flu strains. (BBC News -- Health)
Scientists: Global Warming May Spread 'Deadly Dozen' Diseases Oct 10, 2008
Bird flu is just one of 11 diseases that may worsen with global warming, scientists are warning. Scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society have nicknamed 12 diseases the deadly dozen and say they are spreading across the globe and becoming increasingly dangerous to wildlife and humans. (FOXNews)
Double Flu Jab Needed Against Bird Flu Pandemic Oct 10, 2008
23, 2007) New predictions about bird flu, involving the use of a mathematical model, suggest that international cooperation to share antiviral drugs might be the best way to deal with an emerging ... (June 29, 2006) Australian researchers have begun a trial to test the effectiveness of a new vaccine to protect against the potentially deadly bird flu. (Science Daily)
