Chief vet issues new alert over bird flu (Times Online) BRITAIN has stepped up its defences against the deadly strain of avian flu and is to increase surveillance at the most likely disease hotspots.... [News Source]

Chief vet issues new alert over bird flu (Times Online) BRITAIN has stepped up its defences against the deadly strain of avian flu and is to increase surveillance at the most likely disease hotspots. [News Source]

Surveillance checks for bird flu. New tactics are being adopted in an attempt to prevent an outbreak of bird flu in Britain. [News Source]

Bird flu pandemic could cost $2 trln: World Bank. A severe bird flu pandemic among humans could cost the global economy up to $2 trillion, the World Bank said on Sunday, sharply raising earlier estimates. [News Source]

Government unveils more targeted bird flu surveillance (Defra) Defra has updated and revised the strategy to screen wild birds for the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza. The strategy has been developed by Defra in partnership with the devolved administrations. [News Source]

Absorbent wipe picks up on health hazards. Cornell University researchers are developing a napkin that will be able to detect bacteria, viruses and other dangerous substances with a mere swipe. [News Source]

Britain targets species, areas in bird flu testing (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Britain's farm ministry on Monday unveiled a new bird flu strategy of testing more intensively in areas and species where an outbreak is most likely to occur. [News Source]

Britain beefs up its bird flu testing surveillance (AFP via Yahoo! News) Britain is to step up its efforts to combat the spread of bird flu by introducing strategic testing for the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus, the environment agency has announced. [News Source]

Asia-Pacific countries vow to continue fight against bird flu, prepare for pandemic (The Jakarta Post) AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP): Top health officials from across the Asia-Pacific region vowed Monday not to become complacent in their fight against bird flu and to increase their pandemic preparedness efforts as the annual flu season approaches. [News Source]

Promising Preclinical Results With Live Attenuated Avian Flu Vaccines (Science Daily) Several approaches are in progress to develop vaccines against the avian flu variety of the influenza virus. Kanta Subbarao and colleagues are working on live attenuated vaccines, which have the potential to elicit a strong, broad and lasting immune response. [News Source]

 Bird Flu surveillance to be more targeted (Government News Network) An updated and revised strategy to screen wild birds for the presence of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza was announced today. The strategy has been developed by Defra in partnership with the devolved administrations. [News Source]

Avian Flu Pandemic Could Cost World 2 Trillion Dollars (Medical News Today) The economic devastation caused by a bird flu pandemic could cost the world up 2 trillion dollars and at least 1 trillion dollars, according to The World Bank.Jim Adams, Vice President, East Asia & Pacific's Avian Influenza Task Force, World Health Organization, said in Singapore that the economic threat is still real and remains substantial. [click link for full article] [News Source]