India to get funds to fight avian flu (NDTV) Bird Flu: Do people need to be more cautious? The US has committed to increasing funds to fight avian influenza. Currently, it has given $434 million and India is expected to receive a substantial amount as well. [News Source]

“Substantial Progress” in Global Avian Flu Response, Report Says (U.S. Department of State) The world community has made progress in its response to avian influenza, according to a new United Nations-World Bank report whose results are announced at the New Delhi International Ministerial Conference on Avian and Pandemic Influenza. More than 600 delegates from 105 countries -- including 70 ministers from the public health and animal health sectors -- and 20 international and ... [News Source]

Conference hears of bird flu person-to-person infection (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) The convenor of an international medical conference says there is evidence that potentially lethal bird flu is being passed from person to person. [News Source]

Africa: Bird Flu Continues to Threaten Humans, FAO Director-General Warns (AllAfrica.com) The FAO Director-General warned in a speech that "the spread of avian influenza typifies the potential emergence of major health crises with an increased risk of pathogens travelling over large distances in very short time periods, favoured by globalization and climate change." [News Source]

China reports 17th bird flu death (Disaster News Network) A 24-year-old man in China has died from bird flu, bringing that country's death toll from the H5N1 avian influenza virus to 17, the World Health Organization reported Tuesday. [News Source]

China reports new bird flu death. A 24-year-old man from eastern in China has died of bird flu, becoming the country's 17th officially reported fatality from the disease. [News Source]

Chinese man dies from avian flu. A man in southern China's Jiangsu province has died of bird flu, becoming the country's 17th official fatality from the disease, the government said Monday. [News Source]

Bird flu pandemic could cost 2 trillion dollars: World Bank (TODAYonline) A farmer unloading chickens at a local poultry market in the northern Vietnamese province of Ha Tay, March 2007. The global cost of a possible bird flu pandemic could be up to two trillion dollars, a top World Bank official said Tuesday. [News Source]

Bird flu pandemic could cost 2 trillion dollars: World Bank (AFP via Yahoo! News) The global cost of a possible bird flu pandemic could be up to two trillion dollars, a top World Bank official said Tuesday. [News Source]

Malaysia Wants World Agencies To Help Poor Nations Fight Bird Flu (Malaysian National News Agency (BERNAMA)) NEW DELHI, Dec 4 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has called on international agencies to extend financial aid to developing countries to help tackle the Avian influenza threat that is becoming a pressing global issue. [News Source]

 WHO warns that avian influenza remains a threat – Summary (EARTHtimes.org) New Delhi - The impact of avian influenza has been kept in check through surveillance, containment and rapid response, but the risk of a pandemic remains, a top World Health Organization (WHO) official said Tuesday. We dare not let down our guard, ... [News Source]

Bird Flu: Climate change could spread disease, says UN (Adnkronos) Bird Flu: Climate change could spread disease, says UN (AKI) – Climate change and globalisation could promote the spread of avian influenza and create a global pandemic, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).Speaking at the international ministerial conference on avian and pandemic influenza in New Delhi, the director general of the FAO, Jacques Diouf, warned ... [News Source]