Flu summit prescribes self-help. A worldwide epidemic of influenza probably would overwhelm the federal government's capacity to help states so Oregonians must begin planning now for disruptions in health care, food, education and public utilities if an influenza pandemic hits Oregon. [News Source]

State plans to combat avian flu. State and federal scientists are drawing battle lines against the Asian H5N1 flu virus in Alaska, extending from the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta to the state's small domestic bird flocks. [News Source]

Glaxo starts bird flu vaccine trials. GlaxoSmithKline Plc. announced the start of human trials of two new bird flu vaccines on Thursday and said if they work, they would be ready to manufacture by the end of the year. [News Source]

Burma culls birds to fight H5N1 flu. Burma said today it has killed more than 238,000 birds, but has still not succeeded in controlling an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu under control on chicken and quail farms. [News Source]

State gets checkup on bird flu. California has taken some solid steps to prepare for a possible pandemic of avian influenza, but several key roadblocks remain — including the limited capacity of hospitals to care for sick people. [News Source]

Bird flu risk between disaster and exaggeration. Avian flu is being portrayed either as a looming disaster, or as a chicken-little exaggeration. [News Source]

Bird flu vaccine only works at highest dose. An experimental vaccine against H5N1 bird flu only appears to work at the very highest doses, meaning it will be harder than feared to protect the population against a pandemic. [News Source]

Small dose of hope in bird flu fight. Tests of an experimental vaccine on healthy adults indicates it can provide protection in case of an outbreak, but only to half of those who have been vaccinated with very high doses. [News Source]

Bird flu vaccine for humans promising. New research shows a bird flu vaccine for humans is safe and appears to work — but requires a dose up to 12 times larger than a regular flu shot and is effective only about half the time. [News Source]

Norway PM feeds own kids salmon banned by Russia. Saying he often fed salmon to his own children, Norway's prime minister expressed hopes on Wednesday Russia would resume imports of fresh Norwegian fish which Moscow banned due to worries about toxic metals. [News Source]

Country remains bird flu-free zone says minister. Lebanon "remains free of the killer H5N1 bird flu epidemic" rapidly spreading across the globe, according to Agriculture Minister Talal Sahili. [News Source]

Avian flu vaccine falls short in trial. Setting back plans to shield the nation from a potential bird flu pandemic, the first study of a human vaccine showed that even a massive dose failed to protect nearly half of those inoculated. [News Source]