Bird flu hits eight provinces of Vietnam nationwide (China Daily) HANOI -- Bird flu is plaguing in eight provinces of Vietnam nationwide with a newly-reported Mekong Delta province Bac Lieu of the virus infection, according to Department of Animal Health under Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Wednesday. [News Source]

Bird flu in West Bengal district (The Hindu) KOLKATA: An outbreak of avian flu has been reported from the Harirampur area in West Bengal’s Dakshin Dinajpur district. [News Source]

Bird flu in West Bengal district (The Hindu) KOLKATA: An outbreak of avian flu has been reported from the Harirampur area in West Bengal’s Dakshin Dinajpur district. [News Source]

Bird flu crops up in Vietnam province (UPI) HANOI, Vietnam, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Health officials in Vietnam have confirmed four cases of bird flu in Soc Trang Province where free-range ducks could make containment difficult. [News Source]

Is China making its bird-flu outbreak worse? In the first six weeks of 2009, eight people have come down with bird flu, and five have died. While the disease has yet to go pandemic, as many doctors fear it could, it remains worrisomely persistent. [News Source]

Saving jaguars, tigers can prevent human diseases? In Central and South America, jaguars are often labeled as "cattle killers" and are slaughtered on sight. But a decline in top-level predators such as the jaguar can lead to a boom in prey populations that encourages the spread of disease including HIV, West Nile virus, and avian influenza. [News Source]

Chinese woman recovers from bird flu (AP via Yahoo! Philippines News) A 21-year-old woman from central China who was sickened by the H5N1 strain of bird flu has recovered, state media reported Tuesday. [News Source]