Flu research finds self-destructive immune response. Researchers have infected mice with a replica of the deadly 1918 flu virus. As expected, all the mice died within days. But not because the virus directly destroyed the lungs. Instead, it triggered an overwhelming and self-destructive immune response. [News Source]

Assurances; ‘fish safe.’ The Ministry of Health on Wednesday assured the citizens and residents that fish on the local market is safe and contains no contaminating substances that may threaten human life. [News Source]

Zimbabwe: Avian Flu – Govt On Alert (AllAfrica.com) THE Government is alert to the dangers of avian flu, a bird disease that can be transmitted to humans. [News Source]

Epidemic could be key to bird flu. Research on the 1918 flu offers important insights into how virulent flu viruses damage the body, with implications for avian flu. [News Source]

Scientists uncover why Spanish Flu was so deadly. The 1918 Spanish Flu that killed up to 50 million people worldwide caused a severe immune response which may help to explain why it was so deadly. [News Source]

1918 flu may help avert new plague. In order to thwart a new epidemic, scientists at UW have used sophisticated genetic analysis on mice infected with reconstructed 1918 flu virus to partially unravel one of the biggest mysteries of this deadliest outbreak in human history. [News Source]

Migration puts EU on bird flu alert. Europe is on alert to protect poultry from bird flu this autumn but must work harder to avoid another slump in meat sales should the virus strike. [News Source]

Animal officials prepare to combat bird flu, just in case (Boston Globe) As avian influenza continues to spread around the globe, local preparations for a possible flu pandemic have focused on how to provide medical care for people. But there has also been a quiet, growing effort to organize the animal inspectors, wildlife officials, and veterinarians who are likely first responders if birds carry the virus to the region first. [News Source]

Scientists Test Pacific Birds For Avian Flu (KHNL News 8 Honolulu) (KHNL) Avian Influenza, or bird flu has been detected in Europe and Asia. U.S. Wildlife officials fear the virus could reach Hawaii through migratory birds. [News Source]

Bird Flu Claims 52nd Indonesian; Fatalities Double (Update1) (Bloomberg.com) Sept. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Bird flu killed a 20-year-old man in Indonesia, raising the global tally of fatalities reported this year to 70, more than twice as many as a year earlier. [News Source]

Additive In Bird Flu Vaccine May Stretch Supply (Medical News Today) Researchers have achieved an effective immune response to an avian influenza vaccine with doses as low as one-quarter of the norm when they added a chemical mixture known as MF59. The research is published in the November 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, now available online.MF 59 is an adjuvant--a substance that increases the immune system's ability to respond to a stimulus. [click link [News Source]

Bird flu: Who’s next? Bangladesh!The Role of Public Administration (News From Bangladesh) In comparison to malaria and diarroeal diseases, which together kill over 3 million people every year, bird flu has killed very few people. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the H5N1 virus may mutate into a new human flu virus against, which humans have no immunity. [News Source]