Deaths Caused by Avian Flu Confirmed in Lagos (This Day) The multi-sectoral steering committee on Avian Influenza in Nigeria has confirmed that the deaths of two Nigerian women who died during the Christmas holidays in Lagos were caused by the dreaded avian flu virus. [News Source]

First Bird Flu Death Reported In Nigeria (Nasdaq) (RTTNews) - Nigeria on Wednesday reported the country's first bird flu death. A Nigerian minister said that a 22-year-old woman, who died from the flu symptoms, was tested positive for the avian influenza virus. [News Source]

Bird flu lab to open in city on Feb 15 (Indian Express via Yahoo! India News) A laboratory to identify anti-bodies of the avian influenza virus will start from February 15, joint commissioner of animal husbandry V M Bhuktar said. The Bird Flu Serum testing laboratory has been set up at the Disease Investigation Section (DIS) in Aundh. "We will examine the serum samples and find antibodies of the bird flu virus," Bhuktar explained With the Bhopal-based High Security ... [News Source]

First bird flu death in Nigeria (BBC News) A Lagos woman is the first person in Nigeria to have died with the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu, a minister says. [News Source]

First bird flu death in Nigeria (BBC News) A Lagos woman is the first person in Nigeria to have died with the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu, a minister says. [News Source]

Rapid Response To Avian Flu Threat (Science Daily) An interdisciplinary team of researchers led by Yanbin Li, professor of biological engineering in the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, has developed a portable biosensor for in-field, rapid screening of avian influenza virus. [News Source]

Report: Southern Japan hit by another case of suspected bird flu. A suspected outbreak of bird flu hit southern Japan, a news report indicated Tuesday, amid growing concern about a string of cases at the country's poultry farms. [News Source]

Okayama farm bird flu confirmed as virulent H5. The highly virulent H5 family of avian flu virus has been confirmed at a poultry farm in Okayama Prefecture, where dozens of birds have died in the past few days. [News Source]

Nigeria runs bird flu tests on human samples. A laboratory in Nigeria was running new bird flu tests on Tuesday on samples from 14 people after earlier checks produced inconclusive results. [News Source]

Russia confirms first bird flu cases of 2007. An outbreak of bird flu has been registered in southern Russia, officials said on Monday, and news reports said the cases involved the H5N1 strain that scientists are watching for fear it could mutate into a more deadly form. [News Source]

BioSante Pharmaceuticals Announces Positive Bird Flu Results Using Proprietary Vaccine Adjuvant in Pre-Clinical Study (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance) LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill.----BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced positive results of a dose ranging pre-clinical study demonstrating that its calcium phosphate nanoparticle-based vaccine adjuvant, BioVant, may serve as a vaccine adjuvant for the development of an effective vaccine against H5N1 avian flu, widely known as bird flu. [News Source]

Japan Reports Third Outbreak Of Bird Flu (Nasdaq) (RTTNews) - Japan's agriculture ministry reported on Monday that an outbreak of avian flu had been confirmed at a poultry farm in the prefecture of Okayama, the third case of outbreak of bird flu this year. [News Source]