Pacific Rim Bioinformatics Collaboration on Avian Flu (Newswise) UC San Diego and University of Hawaii researchers have received $350,000 from U.S. Army's Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center to use bioinformatics, grid computing, networking infrastructure and Pacific Rim collaboration to learn more about avian flu. [News Source]

Saudi Arabia reports first bird flu outbreak in fowl (AFP via Yahoo! News) Saudi authorities announced Thursday that they had found H5N1 bird flu in captive birds, in the kingdom's first outbreak of the strain of the disease that is dangerous to humans. [News Source]

Bird flu confirmed in Bangladesh (AFP via Yahoo! News) Bangladesh confirmed Thursday its first case of bird flu, prompting mass culling of poultry at a farm outside the capital Dhaka, officials said. [News Source]

Wyoming would be among big losers in bird flu outbreak (KIFI) WASHINGTON (AP) - Wyoming would be among the biggest economic losers in a widespread outbreak of avian flu. That's according to a new report that says states that rely on tourism and entertainment for much of their economy likely would be the hardest hit during a severe influenza pandemic. [News Source]

Bird flu detected in Pakistan’s capital (AFP via Yahoo! News) Authorities have detected the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in dead crows in Pakistan's capital, officials said Thursday. [News Source]

Extreme TB: the white plague. Tuberculosis is an old enemy, but it has a deadly new twist. The bacteria that cause TB have mutated to resist most -- if not all -- of the weapons we have against it. [News Source]

Progress made against bird flu, but pandemic risk remains: experts (AFP via Yahoo! News) Animal health experts on Thursday offered cause for optimism in the fight against bird flu, while warning that the risk of a global pandemic would be around for years to come. [News Source]

Miconesian leaders ask for help against bird flu (Saipan Tribune) The leaders of Western Micronesia are jointly asking the federal government for more support in fighting bird flu. [News Source]

Animal health experts discuss merits of vaccination against bird flu (AFP via Yahoo! News) Culling remains the best strategy to combat bird flu, while the less radical and more effective option of vaccination remains problematic in many countries, the head of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said Thursday. [News Source]

Further cases of bird flu detected in Pakistani capital (EARTHtimes.org) Islamabad- Further cases of the H5N1 strain of bird flu were confirmed in the Pakistani capital after dead crows found on the streets tested positive for the virus, a senior official said Thursday. A month after Islamabad zoo was closed due to an out... [News Source]