Susceptibility To Bird Flu May Depend On Your Genes (Medical News Today) The reason some of us get bird flu infection and others don't may be down to our genetic make up, say experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), after analyzing information on the very rare cases of humans catching bird flu from other humans, where infection was only passed on to blood relatives.In May 2006, seven people died of bird flu in North Sumatra, Indonesia. [click link for full [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]

Cape Ann officials finalizing plans to confront bird flu outbreak (Gloucester Daily Times) More than 50 health and public safety officials around Cape Ann are finalizing an emergency plan to deal with the possibility of a severe outbreak of avian influenza that will keep area hospitals functioning, maintain communication and keep stores stocked with food and supplies. [News Source]

New Bird Flu Virus Replacing Other Strains in Southern China (U.S. Department of State) A new variant of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus, the Fujian-like strain, has replaced most other strains across a large part of southern China since 2005 despite mass poultry vaccinations, according to researchers at the University of Hong Kong and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee. The work was supported in part by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious [News Source]

High-tech furnace burns risky waste. A Winnipeg, Canada company has developed a high-tech furnace that will be able to convert dangerous organic waste into nothing but ash and super-heated air that could be used as a fuel source. [News Source]

Information On Bird Flu Cases Poorly Recorded, Scientists Say (Science Daily) Critical information about cases of infection of wild birds by H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza is being recorded inaccurately or not recorded at all, according to scientists writing in BioScience. Species and sex of the bird as well as exact time and location of trapping or collection are among the data that have been improperly reported, compromising attempts to study the disease. [News Source]

Genetic factors might influence human bird flu infection: WHO. Genetic factors might influence human infection of bird flu, which may explain why some people get the disease and others don't, and why it remains rare. [News Source]

Ministries refute bird flu virus rumour. Citing a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao yesterday refuted reports that a new strain of bird flu has emerged in southern China. [News Source]

Cape Ann officials finalizing plans to confront bird flu outbreak (Gloucester Daily Times) More than 50 health and public safety officials around Cape Ann are finalizing an emergency plan to deal with the possibility of a severe outbreak of avian influenza that will keep area hospitals functioning, maintain communication and keep stores stocked with food and supplies. [News Source]

Partnership set up to assist Vietnam’s bird flu containment (Nhan Dan) The National Steering Committee for Avian Influenza, donors and international organisations held a meeting in Hanoi on November 1 to set up a Partnership for Avian and Human Influenza Control to support Vietnam in fighting bird flu. [News Source]

Plans in place to handle possible bird flu outbreak, says ministry (The Jamaica Observer) THE Ministry of Agriculture & Lands, through its National Emergency Animal Disease Committee, has implemented programmes to determine the island's preparedness to handle outbreaks of animal diseases, including the highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI), more commonly called bird flu. [News Source]

Plans in place to handle possible bird flu outbreak, says ministry (The Jamaica Observer) THE Ministry of Agriculture & Lands, through its National Emergency Animal Disease Committee, has implemented programmes to determine the island's preparedness to handle outbreaks of animal diseases, including the highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI), more commonly called bird flu. [News Source]