Vietnam’s Vaccination Effort Helps in Fight Against Avian Flu (U.S. Department of State) Vaccinating its highest-risk populations of chickens and ducks has been an expensive and logistically complex effort for Vietnam’s central government, but animal health officials say it has slowed deadly outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza among birds in the Southeast Asian nation and, critically, among people. [News Source]

Breakthrough possible in testing for deadly bird flu. A Central Michigan University researcher is poking holes in the ice at area waterfowl watering holes, hoping to find a new way to stand guard against the potentially deadly bird flu. [News Source]

Vietnam’s Vaccination Effort Helps in Fight Against Avian Flu (U.S. Department of State) Many avian flu experts consider Vietnam a bright spot in the South and Southeast Asia regions, where many developing nations do not have systematic, coordinated processes for dealing with avian and human outbreaks. An emergency situation is under way in Pakistan, for example, where the Ministry of Health reported its first human cases December 15 -- eight suspected cases of H5N1 in the Peshawar ... [News Source]

Five suspected bird flu patients moved to AI center (Antara News) After three days of medical treatment at the Serang General Hospital, five suspected bird flu patients were moved to the special Avian-Flu (AI) center at the Jakarta-based Persahabatan Hospital by four ambulances on Friday. [News Source]

Avian flu hits Pakistan (Middle East Times) A poultry market in Karachi. (Photo by EyePress/Asim Hafeez via Newscom) Eight people in Pakistan have tested positive for the H5N1 strain of influenza commonly known as avian flu. At least one has been confirmed dead from the disease. [News Source]

Roche encounters dilemma as bird-flu fears fade. Two years ago, Roche Holding AG was under attack because it couldn't make enough Tamiflu, the drug seen as the best available treatment for avian flu. Now, bird-flu fears having subsided, Roche is having a hard time finding buyers. [News Source]