Oral interferon may prevent and control avian influenza virus infection ( Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News ) Avian influenza virus is a threat to the commercial chicken industry and, with its recent rapid spread across China, has also shown the ability for transmission from chickens to humans and other mammals. [News Source]

Additional news “Automotive News” Over the past week in the Murmansk region reported nearly 8.5 thousand of flu and colds. Almost half of patients with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was found. [News Source]

When drillers get A’s. Four of the six school districts in Susquehanna County have signed natural gas leases while in Dallas Township, parents and residents have objected to two proposed natural gas metering stations to be built adjacent to Dallas School District property. [News Source]

FWC and partners continue to monitor birds for avian influenza to protect public health The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services and partner agencies are wrapping up a five-year avian influenza monitoring project. The project was designed to determine if... [News Source]

‘Swine flu’ breath test could reduce future vaccination shortages. A novel breath test, measuring the immune response to the H1N1 flu virus, could help to ease future vaccine shortages by identifying the people who have already been infected with the flu virus. [News Source]

Hemispherx Biopharma Receives U.S. Patent Office Notification of New Patent Granted for the Use of Ampligen(R) as an … PHILADELPHIA -- Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. today announced the granting of a new United States Patent for the use of Ampligen [rintatolimod; poly.poly ] as a vaccine adjuvant for use with seasonal influenza vaccine to induce an enhanced immune response against H5N1 avian influenza. [News Source]

Mosquitoes posing more serious threats. Since the migration of West Nile Virus to the piedmont area of North Carolina, environmental health specialists like Lynn Aldridge have been looking at mosquitoes as less a hindrance and more as an environmental health issue. [News Source]

Avian influenza and wild birds A photo exhibit on migratory birds mounted by the Cebu Birdnuts, at the SM City Cebu North Wing from July 6 to July 12, provided answers to the following questions on “ecohealth”: [News Source]

FLU NEWS SCAN: Global flu picture, flu vaccine projection, vaccine-narcolepsy link, avian flu vaccines in Egypt WHO sees variable Southern Hemisphere flu activity The flu season is on the upswing in Australia and some parts of New Zealand, though the season appears to have recently peaked in South Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today in a global flu update. [News Source]

Contagion Trailer Confirms Fear That Gwyneth Paltrow Will Cause Your Death You always had a lurking suspicion that Gwyneth Paltrow would somehow be the death of you, though before today you assumed it would be the result of terminal eye rolling induced by a DVD of Country Strong, rather an unstoppable outbreak of the bird flu. Either way, now you can see your fear play out [...] [News Source]

Bird Flu Detection Takes a Novel Turn THURSDAY, Aug. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Bloodhounds, you've now got some unusual company: Trained mice were able to detect bird flu in ducks, according to novel research. [News Source]

Scientists Find Way to Stop Spread of Bird Flu in Chickens THURSDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists have developed genetically modified chickens that don't transmit bird flu to other chickens. [News Source]