Bird flu update: 12 June 2006 (SciDev.net) Below is a roundup of the key developments on the spread of the bird flu virus (H5N1) and the threat it poses to human health. Each title is a link to the full article. [News Source]

Scientists call for more research into bird flu (Reuters via Yahoo! UK & Ireland News) Scientists called on Tuesday for more research into how avian flu is spread from wild birds to domestic poultry. [News Source]

US Gov’t Approves Multi-million $ Wild Bird Avian Flu Surveillance Network (Medical News Today) In an effort to improve the tracking of avian influenza, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded $5 million in support for a new initiative that will monitor wild bird populations for the disease around the globe, according to the New York-based Wildlife Conservat [click link for full article] [News Source]

H5N1 avian flu viruses trigger worse disease in adult cells than in children (CP via Yahoo! Canada News) TORONTO (CP) - Some avian influenza viruses, and particularly the dangerous H5N1 subtype, appear to prompt the human immune system to over-produce important pathogen-fighting chemicals called chemokines, triggering an exaggerated response that creates more damage than it fixes, a new study suggests. [News Source]

Paris Anti-Avian Influenza 2006 World Congress- Latest Advances on Prevention, Therapies and Protective Measures – (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance) For the first time, more than two hundred international specialists will gather on June 29-30 2006 at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France, to discuss about the latest advances on Avian Influenza, especially on new therapeutic targets for treatment and prevention in humans, and plan the strategies to avoid or stop a human pandemic. [News Source]

First bird flu cases in northern Ukraine (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Teams of veterinarians have been sent to destroy domestic poultry in northern Ukraine after the first appearance of bird flu in the region, Interfax Ukraine news agency reported on Monday. [News Source]

Bird flu update: 12 June 2006 (SciDev.net) Below is a roundup of the key developments on the spread of the bird flu virus (H5N1) and the threat it poses to human health. Each title is a link to the full article. [News Source]

Debate over pets’ role in spread of avian flu / No cases passed yet by dogs or cats, but experts want study (San Francisco Chronicle) If the bird flu virus arrives in the United States on the wings of migrating wildfowl, pet owners may need to take special precautions to protect their household members -- both human and animal. No case has been reported anywhere in the world of a... [News Source]

Bird flu surveillance in Indonesia under-funded: World Bank (Kyodo via Yahoo! Asia News) _ Bird flu surveillance in Indonesia is under-funded and under-prioritized in the government budget, the World Bank says in a report released Monday ahead of a meeting of Indonesia's donor countries. [News Source]

More on woitv.com (WOI-TV Des Moins) Centers For Disease Control and Prevention Key Facts About Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) and Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus The facts behind the myths are compiled by the CDC on this webpage. If you've ever wondered the truth about the virus, this site is sure to give you the answers. [News Source]

Can China handle bird flu?: (ABC Asia Pacific) China's ability to fight bird flu could have an impact on the whole world. Health experts have warned a human bird flu pandemic could kill millions of people around the world. [News Source]

Akzo unveils new bird flu vaccine prototype (Financial Times) Akzo Nobel , the Dutch paint, chemicals and drugs group, on Monday said that it has developed a new bird flu vaccine prototype that can be used on large avian populations by spraying instead of injecting. [News Source]