County awaits bird flu. Yakima County, Washington health and emergency response workers are preparing for the potential arrival of avian influenza at the same pace as the rest of the state. And it's a slow one. [News Source]

Bird flu defies control efforts. The spread of avian influenza to at least 29 new countries in the last seven weeks is prompting a sobering reassessment of the strategy that has guided efforts to contain the disease. [News Source]

Oregon bird flu plan is rocky. A serious flu pandemic could force Oregon physicians to make life-and-death decisions about who would get scarce mechanical breathing machines that are essential in treating severe influenza and the pneumonia that often accompanies it. [News Source]

Health experts stress need for preparation, not panic. Despite the uncertainty, hospitals, schools, and businesses must be prepared to deal with a flu pandemic. [News Source]

Mad cow shows sharp drop. In good news on the health front, a United Nations agency has reported an annual 50 per cent drop worldwide over the past three years in cases of Bovine Spongiform Encepalopathy, or mad cow disease. [News Source]

Why can’t they figure out the flu? The CDC, as an institution, is populated by a hybrid of public-health policy-makers and applied scientists. But lately this rarefied clique is causing concern. [News Source]