Bird flu update: 4 December 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]

Bird-flu outbreak slows poultry sales in EU (Financial Times) European farmers yesterday reported declines in poultry purchases following fresh outbreaks of the lethal H5N1 bird flu virus in birds within the European Union over the weekend. [News Source]

Bird-Flu Fight to Cost $750 Mln a Year, UN Envoy Says (Update2) (Bloomberg.com) Dec. 4 (Bloomberg) -- The global fight against bird flu needs as much as $750 million extra a year to stem its spread and prepare for any pandemic it spawns, the United Nations said. [News Source]

No Vaccine Yet For Malaria As R&D More On HIV, Bird Flu (Bernama) BANGKOK, Dec 4 (Bernama) -- Every year, malaria kills more than one million and infect between 300 million and 500 million people but research on an effective vaccine is slow to come as more prominent diseases like HIV/Aids and avian influenza take centre stage, a forum here was told Monday. [News Source]

Bird-Flu Fight to Cost $750 Mln a Year, UN Envoy Says (Update2) (Bloomberg.com) Dec. 4 (Bloomberg) -- The global fight against bird flu needs as much as $750 million extra a year to stem its spread and prepare for any pandemic it spawns, the United Nations said. [News Source]