U.S. Bird Flu Threat May Be Overstated, Experts Say (WKYT 27 NEWSFIRST & WYMT Mountain News) FRIDAY, April 21 (HealthDay News) -- As the Bush administration puts the final touches on a massive response plan for a potential avian flu pandemic, experts -- including top-level administration officials -- are predicting that if and when the avian flu reaches American shores, it's not likely to be the disaster most once feared. [News Source]

Researchers race to develop bird-flu vaccine (Contra Costa Times) Health scientists and engineers are racing to find new ways to produce a vaccine that will protect people from the threat of a worldwide bird-flu pandemic. [News Source]

Groups question US plan to detain sick travelers. New agreement that would allow U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and customs agents to detain anyone who looked sick with bird flu. [News Source]

Ag union: U.S. not prepared for bird flu. Homeland Security Department inspectors at U.S. airports don't have enough training to keep a deadly strain of bird flu from getting into the country, a union official is charging. [News Source]

Public doubts U.S. government able to deal with bird flu. 52 percent said they were not confident the government would handle an outbreak among humans properly. One-third worried that someone in their family would get the bird flu. [News Source]

Officials use unusual location to prepare for possible bird flu outbreak. Officials who diligently want to fight the flu are setting up labs in Anchorage, and using prisoners in their efforts to control any outbreaks. [News Source]

Poll Shows Fear of Bird Flu Widespread. The AP-Ipsos survey found widespread belief that birds will become infected in this country in the next year, as the government has predicted. [News Source]

Biotech firm prepares for pandemic. Two years ago, William Gastle was shocked at how little public information there was about preparing for a possible bird flu pandemic that could kill millions of people, and cripple global economies. [News Source]

Bird flu pushes up food prices in hungry Niger (AlertNet) NIAMEY, April 22 (Reuters) - An avian flu outbreak in Niger is pushing up food prices in one of the world's poorest countries, where millions are still reeling from widespread food shortages last year, government figures showed on Saturday. [News Source]

Researchers race to develop bird-flu vaccine (Contra Costa Times) Health scientists and engineers are racing to find new ways to produce a vaccine that will protect people from the threat of a worldwide bird-flu pandemic. [News Source]

Why Seattle is prepared for a bird flu pandemic (MSNBC) In Seattle, the "gateway to Asia," they’ve been planning for an avian flu pandemic for 18 months. [News Source]

Researchers race to develop bird-flu vaccine (Contra Costa Times) Health scientists and engineers are racing to find new ways to produce a vaccine that will protect people from the threat of a worldwide bird-flu pandemic. [News Source]