U.N.: Bird flu outbreak alert (UPI) BANGKOK, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization is warning nations, particularly in East Asia and Africa, to be vigilant for outbreaks of bird flu. [News Source]

Bird Flu Season Hits Asia, Despite Clampdown (NPR) The regular U.S. flu season is late this year, with only five states reporting widespread cases. But several countries are seeing a surge of bird flu that has become an annual event. Vietnam successfully clamped down on bird flu throughout 2006, but it is seeing widespread poultry outbreaks. [News Source]

Avian flu in Miyazaki Prefecture almost identical to one in China. The avian flu that killed thousands of chickens in Miyazaki Prefecture is almost identical to the one that sparked an epidemic in China that has been spreading since 2005, experts said. [News Source]

U.N. bird flu officials call for vigilance ahead of Chinese New Year, Tet holidays. U.N. bird flu officials urged Asian countries Tuesday to be on heightened alert for new outbreaks ahead of the upcoming Chinese New Year and Tet holidays. [News Source]

HK reviews inter-departmental efforts to prevent avian flu. The Hong Kong government announced Monday that it has been notified by the Guangdong Province Health Department of the Chinese mainland that there was no human case of avian influenza and atypical pneumonia in the province. [News Source]

Bird Flu: Predictions Prompt Call For Antiviral Drugs To Be Shared (Science Daily) New predictions about bird flu, involving the use of a mathematical model, suggest that international cooperation to share antiviral drugs might be the best way to deal with an emerging pandemic. [News Source]

Toxic China produce sold in Hong Kong: Greenpeace. Hong Kong was urged Tuesday to step up checks on vegetables imported from China after a pressure group found produce sold at food markets contained dangerous levels of banned pesticides. [News Source]

Scientists develop model that predicts how airliners spread avian flu virus (ANI via Yahoo! India News) Washington, Jan 23 (ANI): An Indiana University School of Informatics-led team of researchers has devised a model that predicts how a rising epidemic influenza might spread across the globe by airliners. H5N1 avian influenza, commonly referred to as bird flu, has not yet resulted in a pandemic influenza because the virus lacks the ability to spread efficiently and sustainably among humans. ... [News Source]

Bird flu entrenched in Indonesia: UN (News Interactive) AVIAN influenza is now endemic in Indonesia because of past delays in dealing with H5N1 bird flu, with the virus now well established and a major concern in SouthEast Asia, says an Australian veterinary scientist. [News Source]

Avian flu endemic in Indonesia: expert (AAP via Yahoo!7 News) Avian influenza is now endemic in Indonesia because of past delays in dealing with H5N1 bird flu, says an Australian veterinary scientist. [News Source]

Over 200 birds die at poultry farm in Miyazaki, bird flu suspected (Kyodo via Yahoo! Asia News) _ A poultry farm in northern Miyazaki Prefecture, which saw an outbreak of the lethal bird flu earlier this month, saw 250 of its birds die and prefectural authorities are conducting a test to see if this was caused by avian influenza, prefectural officials said Tuesday. [News Source]

Egypt alert as bird flu threat grows (Gulf Times) CAIRO: Egypt is on high alert after the H5N1 strain of the avian flu became more resistant to the Tamiflu antiviral drug predominantly used to combat the disease, the health minister was quoted as saying yesterday. [News Source]