Speed of the spread of flu is linked to airline travel. The scientists found an inverse correlation between the timing of the influenza season each year and the number of international travelers between September and November. [News Source]

Study shows need for early use of Tamiflu. New research conducted among bird flu victims in Vietnam shows the H5N1 virus replicates massively before unleashing a dangerous inflammatory response by the immune system, indicating that patients should be given antiviral drugs as soon as possible. [News Source]

Dip in air travel post-9/11 delayed flu spread. The sharp drop in air travel after the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001 may have slowed the spread of flu in the US, researchers have discovered. [News Source]

Planes play big role in spreading flu. Can air travel help influenza to whip around the world? A study after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 has shown that the answer is yes: a steep drop in air travel delayed the spread of winter flu across the United States. [News Source]

Give city residents bird flu jabs first, say researchers. City residents should be the first to receive treatments or vaccinations against major transmissible disease outbreaks, an infectious disease scientist from the University of NSW says. [News Source]

Immediate treatment needed for bird flu cases, study says. Avian flu kills in much the same way the global flu pandemic of 1918 did, by drowning victims in fluid produced in their own lungs, a new study has found. [News Source]

Companies get disaster plans going, but gaps remain. With hurricane season in high gear, more employers are launching disaster plans that ensure employees get paid or business continues if the worst happens. [News Source]

Live Bird Flu Virus Vaccine Protects Animals, Study Shows (Environmental News Network) Three experimental vaccines using live but weakened versions of the H5N1 bird flu virus appeared to protect animals from infection, and might offer a way to stockpile vaccines ahead of a pandemic, U.S. researchers said Monday. [News Source]

Live H5N1 avian flu virus vaccines show protection in animal studies (EurekAlert!) When tested in mice and ferrets, experimental vaccines based on live, weakened versions of different strains of the H5N1 avian influenza virus were well-tolerated and protected the animals from a deadly infection with naturally occurring H5N1 flu viruses. [News Source]

UK gets improved test for the deadly strain of bird flu (The Scotsman) A MORE effective test for identifying bird flu in humans is now available across the UK, the Health Protection Agency announced today. [News Source]

Interior Ministry bolsters cold season bird flu prevention plans (MCOT) BANGKOK, Sept 12 (TNA) - Thailand's Interior Ministry on Tuesday directed local authorities across the country to beef up their bird flu prevention measures ahead of the winter season later this year and to stock up on chemicals to spray formerly affected areas to prevent the avian flu virus from re-emerging. [News Source]

Bird flu death toll in Indonesia now up to 48 (News-Medical-Net) According to the Ministry of Health in Indonesia a new case of the H5N1 avian influenza virus has been confirmed in a young girl. [News Source]