Bird flu is now an ocean away. Starting in April, researchers from several federal agencies will test roughly 100,000 birds, dead and alive, as well as bird feces, in Alaska, Hawaii, and the lower 48. [News Source]

Deadly H5N1 flu virus not yet seen in North American birds. Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey say they have not found the virulent strain of H5N1, the bird influenza virus that has spread in Asia, Europe and Africa and caused human deaths. [News Source]

Speed up bird flu plans, warns IMF. Some countries have still not drawn up plans to cope with the "significant damage" to their economies that a bird flu pandemic would cause, the International Monetary Fund warned yesterday. [News Source]

Azerbaijan reports 3 dead from bird flu. Azerbaijan reported three people killed by bird flu, after Myanmar announced its first outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain in poultry and officials cited a strong threat that the disease also struck Afghanistan. [News Source]

Scientist rebels against WHO over bird flu. A lone Italian researcher has cast a harsh spotlight on the WHO's treatment of bird flu data, suggesting that it places academic pride over public health. [News Source]

Scientists in N.E. quietly test travelers for bird flu. Ten times since last summer, Massachusetts state scientists have tested specimens from patients whose symptoms and travels suggested that they might have been infected with avian influenza. [News Source]

U.S. bird flu budget focuses on future vaccines. More than half the U.S. bird flu budget will go to developing new vaccines, Michael Leavitt said on Monday, but he stressed that companies, schools and local officials would have to do most of the work of preparing for a pandemic. [News Source]

Travelers use medicines and rituals to try to ward off sickness. Few people are more preoccupied with their health than business travelers. They were a cautious lot even before bird flu began to spread. [News Source]