The latest in Bird Flu

Bangladesh slaughters 117,000 birds over avian flu

2010-03-14T04:30:07Z

<div><p>At least 117,000 chickens were destroyed in northern Bangladesh Sunday after avian flu outbreak on one of the country's largest poultry farms, a local official said.</p><p>The deadly H5N1 strain of flu was detected on Saturday when 400 chickens died suddenly at the Kazi Farms complex in Thakurgaon town, district livestock chief Mosaddekur Rahman to...

New inhaled drug protects from flu in single dose

2010-02-25T17:15:12Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A single dose of an experimental influenza drug saves more mice from H5N1 avian influenza than the preferred drug Tamiflu, researchers reported on Thursday, and can also protect against infection.</p><p>The tests of Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd's CS 8958 or lani...

Virus experiment reminds that flu surprises await

2010-02-23T11:30:29Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers who mixed together bird flu and ordinary flu viruses created three extremely virulent new strains, a reminder that influenza viruses can swap genes to create dangerous offspring.</p><p>Their experiment, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrate...

Novartis flu vaccine additive boosts wide protection

2010-02-22T17:34:53Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A vaccine additive made by Novartis and used in its European influenza shots can boost the body's immune response to a wide range of viruses, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday.</p><p>Tests in the laboratory suggested the so-called adjuvant, called MF59, helped the immune system counterac...

Indonesia reports 15 new bird flu deaths in 2009

2010-02-23T00:38:31Z

<div id="subtitle">Indonesia reports 15 new bird flu deaths for 2009, taking human toll to 134</div><div><p>Indonesia on Wednesday reported 15 more bird flu fatalities in 2009, taking the human death toll in the country worst hit by the illness to 134.</p><p>Officials recorded 20 cases of the illness last year, 19 of them fatal, the Health Ministry said in a state...

WHO chief: swine flu pandemic continues

2010-02-23T08:31:02Z

<div><p>Many more people could become sick with swine flu this winter even though it has peaked in North America and some European countries, the head of the World Health Organization said Tuesday.</p><p>The worst of the swine flu outbreak is over in the Reuters) - The H1N1 flu pandemic may not be conquered until 2011 and continued vigilance is required against the virus which can still mutate, the head of the World Health Organization said on Tuesday.</p><p>WHO Director-Gener...

WHO chief warns against swine flu complacency

2010-02-23T08:23:57Z

<div><p>World Health Organisation chief Margaret Chan warned Tuesday against complacency on the swine flu pandemic, noting that influenza viruses are "highly unpredictable" and could still mutate.</p><p>"One thing we need to guard against is a sense of complacency. Viruses are highly unpredictable. We s...

WHO chief says too early to declare flu victory

2010-02-23T08:31:30Z

<div><p>World Health Organisation chief Margaret Chan said Tuesday it was too early to declare victory over swine flu and insisted that measures taken to deal with the pandemic were justified.</p><p>"I think that we must remain prudent and observe the evolution of the pandemic over the next six to 12 mo...

How to Beat Swine Flu Naturally

2010-02-23T16:47:39Z

With all the negative news about the flu, imagine if there was a simple way to protect yourself and your family from SWINE FLU naturally, plus Super charge your Immune System, Boost your Energy, Sleep Well, Look and Feel Good during this Flu season without Vaccine or Drugs. There are amazing remedies from mother nature that makes this possible.<br><br>What is Influenza?<br><br>Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious diseas...

Vietnam reports 5th bird flu death this year

2010-02-23T22:43:31Z

<div><p>Bird flu has killed a Vietnamese man, the Health Ministry reported Tuesday, following warnings from the World Health Organization about a potential combination of the bird flu and swine flu viruses.</p><p>The 23-year-old man died last week, two days after being admitted to a hospital in the northern province of Reuters) - China must be alert to any mutation or changes in the behavior of the H1N1 swine flu virus because the far deadlier H5N1 bird flu virus is endemic in the country, a leading Chinese disease expert said.</p><p>Zhong Nanshan, director of the

Swine Flu Bird Flu

2009-11-23T12:33:19Z

FILE- This Aug. 16, 1957, file photo of Dr. Joseph Ballinger giving Marjorie Hill, a nurse at Montefiore Hospital in New York, the first Asian flu vaccine shot to be administered in New York City. The h...

Vietnam reports bird flu outbreak among poultry

2010-02-24T11:21:23Z

<div><p>Vietnam has announced the reemergence of bird flu among its poultry after six months with no reported outbreaks of the H5N1 virus, the country's animal health department said.</p><p>The infected poultry were reported in nine farming households in the northern mountainous Dien Bien province between October 21 and 23, said...

Indonesia says no policy change on bird flu samples

2010-02-24T15:02:09Z

<div><p>JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia does not intend to resume sharing bird flu samples with other countries until there is a global mechanism for virus sharing in place, the newly appointed health minister told Reuters on Saturday.</p><p>Indonesia, which has suffered the most con...

Swine flu mild for now, but could worsen

2010-02-24T22:06:41Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The new pandemic of H1N1 swine flu is causing a strong second wave of disease in many Northern Hemisphere countries, according to the World Health Organization.</p><p>While the United States, Hong Kong's chief executive said Monday authorities would take no chance in dealing with swine flu despite accusations of over-reacting since its first confirmed case was reported in May.</p><p>"We have taken every precaution to prevent the spread of the virus," the city's chief executive, Donald Tsang, said at the opening cerem...

Single flu dose or two? Why doctors aren't sure

2010-02-25T12:35:55Z

<div id="subtitle">Why do doctors think swine flu might need 2 shots? The answer is in the immune system</div><div><p>Why do scientists warn it may take two doses of vaccine to protect against swine flu when one dose is the norm in a regular flu season? Blame your naive immune system.</p><p>It takes the immune system a while to ramp up to fight unique types of influenza. Since we've never been exposed to this bra...

1 flu dose or two? Why doctors aren't sure

2010-02-25T12:35:59Z

Bird flu survivors could face brain disease risk

2010-02-25T22:08:18Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Survivors of bird flu and perhaps other influenza viruses may not be out of the woods once the fever and cough are gone -- animal studies suggest the virus may damage the brain and cause Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.</p><p>The tests on mice show that the H5N1 virus can get into the brain, causing damage that resembles Parkinson's and Alzh...