Flu 'Oddities'

October 8, 2005

Here is a whole page of links to further articles on the FLU.

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http://www.legitgov.org/flu_oddities.html

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Flu 'Oddities' Hot Articles are below the Breaking News.

FLU 'ODDITIES' BREAKING NEWS

Last updated: Sat, 08 Oct 2005 06:07:11 GMT

Bush Wants Legal Documents Drafted to Justify Quarantining Thousands

08 Oct 2005 A 381-page plan developed by the Bush regime to deal with

any possible outbreak of pandemic flu calls for quarantine and travel

restrictions... The plan's 10 supplements suggest specific ways that

local and state governments, and hospitals and healthcare workers

should prepare now for an eventual pandemic by, for instance, drafting

legal documents now that would justify quarantining thousands. The

plan details the responsibilities of top health officials in each

phase of a spreading pandemic, starting with planning and surveillance

efforts and ending with coordination with the Department of Defense.

[Note: Bush's media whores at the New York Times have already changed

the article. CLG summarized the earlier version.]

Bush seizes on flu threat to press for martial law power By Bill Van

Auken 07 Oct 2005 " [George W.] Bush suggested that large numbers of

troops could be needed to 'effect a quarantine,' essentially sealing

off whole cities or regions of the country in the event of an [avian

flu] outbreak... Referring to the danger of a flu pandemic, Irwin

Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at

Columbia University, warned that the US government 'is phenomenally

not prepared for this.' Describing Bush's proposal as 'extraordinarily

draconian,' Dr. Redlener added, 'The translation of this is martial

law in the United States.' "

First deadly bird flu cases suspected in Europe --H591 virus may have

caused deaths of ducks in Romania, officials say 07 Oct 2005 Three

domestic ducks have died of bird flu in eastern Romania, but

authorities said Friday they had not confirmed whether the birds were

infected by the H5N1 strain that experts are tracking for fear it

could mutate and spawn a human flu pandemic.

Bird flu drugs are taking on second lives [Not to mention, a

taxpayer-funded corporate-welfare boondoggle that will go

unquestioned.] 07 Oct 2005 Growing fears of a global bird flu pandemic

are revitalizing drugs like peramivir, a flu treatment that BioCryst

Pharmaceuticals gave up on three years ago... A Japanese company,

Sankyo, has developed an advanced version of Relenza that did not go

beyond early clinical trials but that now, with money from Washington,

was being studied as a possible avian flu treatment.

FedEx Plane Carrying Flu Virus Crashes In Winnipeg --Cessna 208 was

carrying frozen influenza and herpes viruses 07 Oct 2005 A cargo plane

crashed on railway tracks not far from Winnipeg's city centre

Thursday, killing the pilot but missing buildings and vehicles in the

area, police said... In its cargo were six half-millilitre vials of

virus samples - frozen influenza and herpes viruses - being sent to

Thunder Bay for research, FedEx spokeswoman Karen Cooper said from

Toronto. Although the samples were labelled dangerous goods, they were

not considered hazardous at the crash site since all the cargo was

destroyed in the blaze, she said [we hope]. [Federal Express. When

your herpes virus absolutely, positively, has to get there overnight.

--LRP]

Security fears as flu virus that killed 50 million is recreated 06 Oct

2005 Scientists have recreated the 1918 Spanish flu virus, one of the

deadliest ever to emerge, to the alarm of many researchers who fear it

presents a serious security risk. Undisclosed quantities of the virus

are being held in a high-security government laboratory in Atlanta,

Georgia, after a nine-year effort to rebuild the agent that swept the

globe in record time and claimed the lives of an estimated 50 million

people. [Will Bush announce that bird flu has 'arrived on US soil'

(actually, it's already sitting in a US bio-weapons lab) on the day

the Plame investigation concludes? I predicted this on 5 July. --LRP]

Scientists resurrected 1918 flu, brought virus back to life 05 Oct

2005 Scientists who resurrected the 1918 " Spanish flu " virus that

killed as many as 50 million people said on Wednesday they are

beginning to understand why it caused such a deadly pandemic and say

it could happen again... " We felt we had to recreate the virus and run

these experiments to understand the biological properties that made

the 1918 virus so exceptionally deadly, " said Terrence Tumpey of the

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta... The

experiment, in which the virus was recreated employing a process

called reverse genetics using preserved samples of the 1918 virus,

allowed the researchers to test it in the laboratory and in several

animals. It will help answer important questions, said Dr. Jeffery

Taubenberger of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Rockville,

Maryland. Taubenberger's team used pieces of virus taken from

preserved samples from 1918 victims, as well as from the corpse of a

victim dug up from a frozen grave in Alaska in 1998. They used these

pieces to make a replica of the 1918 virus, and brought it back to

" life " -- viruses are not truly alive like other microbes -- by

combining it with modern influenza virus pieces and growing it in

bacteria. [OMFG, how blatant can they get?]

From frozen Alaska to the lab: a virus 39,000 times more virulent than

flu --Tight security to prevent 'select agent' escaping --Publication

of its genetic code raises fears of misuse [*Duh.*] 06 Oct 2005 Only a

handful of scientists have security clearance to access the laboratory

at 1600 Clifton Road in Atlanta, Georgia, home to the US government's

Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Before entering, they must

pull on a protective hood, don breathing apparatus and pass through

electronic fingerprint and retina scanners to prove their identity.

Inside the lab lies a batch of a virus, designated a " select agent " ,

that more than justifies the extreme level of security. Resurrected

nearly 90 years after it spread around the globe, leaving an estimated

50 million people dead, it is a replica of the 1918 Spanish flu virus.

1918 pandemic caused by bird flu, experts say --Reconstruction of the

lethal virus shows it jumped directly to humans 06 Oct 2005 The 1918

influenza virus, the cause of one of history's most deadly epidemics,

has been reconstructed and found to be a bird flu that jumped directly

to humans, two teams of federal and university scientists announced

yesterday.

Bird flu virus 'similar to great killer of 1918' 06 Oct 2005 The bird

flu virus sweeping South-east Asia has chilling similarities to the

one that caused one of the world's most deadly disease outbreaks,

scientists revealed yesterday.

Bush Wants Army to Combat Bird Flu 06 Oct 2005 The US military might

have to quarantine areas of the United States if there was a serious

outbreak of the deadly avian flu, George Bush has said. The pResident

said he would ask Congress to consider giving him powers to use the

army if bird flu struck.

Bush wants right to use military if bird flu hits 04 Oct 2005 Dictator

George W. Bush asked Congress on Tuesday to consider giving him powers

to use the military to enforce quarantines in case of an avian

influenza epidemic. [This is why CLG has been busy as a bee, working

on this page: http://www.legitgov.org/flu_oddities.html. Pay

particular attention to the article which reveals that researchers

went to the UK in 2004 to exhume a body from the 1918 flu pandemic.

And, no one asked 'Why.']

Bush proposes using military to enforce quarantines where avian flu

breaks out Dictator George W. Bush said Tuesday that any part of the

country where the avian flu breaks out could likely be quarantined,

and he's considering using the military to enforce it. [Right. New

Orleans and the FEMA camps were the 'dry run.' They are going

full-court press soon, the day the Plame investigation concludes.]

N.H. officials training for possible flu pandemic 04 Oct 2005 In New

Hampshire, public health officials begin training sessions Wednesday

on the roles and responsibilities of police, the courts, prisons and

public health in handling an outbreak, and any quarantine that might

be imposed. Public Health spokesman Greg Moore said so many

jurisdictions would be involved because public health would have to

issue a quarantine order, which could be appealed to the courts. Those

who don't comply could be jailed. [Oh, the courts. Yeah, the 'courts'

are sure going to help. LOL! Bush just installed Damien Thorn as Chief

Justice of the Supreme Court and a silent sicko is warming up in the

bullpen. Do you really think Bush's *personal lawyer* - with twenty

years of loyal service to (and obsession with) Bush - is going to rule

against *any* of his edicts? Gag me with a chainsaw! Everybody needs

to start worshipping Amendment #2. And I mean *everybody* and I mean

*now* - while we still can. --Lori Price]

Tularemia agent found in DC air 03 Oct 2005 In a Sep 30 message to

health agencies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

said environmental air monitors in the Capitol Mall [sep 24, 25]

" signaled the low level presence of Francisella tularensis, " the

bacterium that causes tularemia. The microbe is one of the six agents

considered most likely to be used by [bush's] terrorists as a

biological weapon.

Did Bush administration attack peace movement with military grade

biological bacteria? By Bob Fitrakis October 4, 2005 " What do we make

of the Saturday, October 1 Washington Post headline 'Poison Found in

Air During Anti-War Protest'? ...Coincidence theorists. You gotta love

`em and their great faith in believing in the statistically improbable

occurrence of events, rather than an alternative hypothesis: that

friends of Bush (FOBs) planted the tularemia bacteria, just as most

likely sent anthrax to Democratic senators and the media. "

CDC locks up flu data 03 Oct 2005 Amid growing concerns that avian

influenza will develop into a deadly pandemic, the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention is under fire by some in the scientific

community for hoarding data crucial for vaccine development. The

allegations come as CDC has issued new and controversial rules on what

data, documents and other information it will — and will not — share

with the public. Open government advocates are critical of the CDC's

" Information Security " manual, the 34-page document that gives

officials 19 categories to shield data from public scrutiny without

obtaining a " secret " classification.

Concern grows over secrecy at CDC 03 Oct 2005 Scientists are accusing

the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of

hoarding crucial data that could help vaccinations at a time when

there is growing concern about a possible influenza pandemic. The

nation's disease control center is also under fire from

open-government advocates for recently issuing a guide on how to keep

data, documents and information from public inspection.

Bird flu jumps transmission barrier in humans 01 Oct 2005 Bird flu has

broken the transmission barrier and jumped from human to human,

according to the World Health Organisation. Most cases have been bird

to human but transmission between people increases fears of a global

pandemic.

Colo. prairie dogs hit with bubonic plague 29 Sep 2005 Health

officials have issued a warning concerning bubonic plague-infected

prairie dogs in the Boulder, Colo., area.

Rare Germ Found in D.C. on Sept. 24, 25 (DC Protest Days) Tularemia Is

Highly Infectious; Can Cause Pneumonia and Systemic Infection 30 Sep

2005 A relatively rare biological agent has been detected in air

filters serving Washington D.C. in recent weeks, ABC News has learned

-- but current evidence does not show any indication whatsoever of

terrorism [?!?]. The federal government found six air filters around

the nation's capital checked on Sept. 24 and 25 contained " trace

amounts " of tularemia, a type of bacteria. No additional traces have

been detected since Sept. 24 and 25. [Gee, how blatant can they get?

We need to start fighting back. Tolerating their terrorism is becoming

the greater crime. --Lori Price.]

Biohazard Sensors Triggered 01 Oct 2005 Biohazard sensors showed the

presence of small amounts of potentially dangerous tularemia bacteria

in the Mall area last weekend as huge crowds assembled there, but

health officials said they believed the levels were too low to be a

threat. Health authorities in the Washington area were notified

yesterday that the bacteria were found in and near the area between

the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, where crowds gathered

Saturday for an antiwar rally and a book festival.

Pandemic 'could kill 150m people' 30 Sep 2005 A leading United Nations

official has warned there could be a new influenza outbreak at any

time which could kill up to 150 million people.

50 Indonesia bird flu cases suspected 29 Sep 2005 Indonesia faces more

than 50 suspected cases of deadly bird flu, Indonesian health ministry

officials said on Thursday, while lowering their figure on deaths from

the disease to five from an earlier estimate of six.

Senate approves $4 bln to fight bird flu 29 Sep 2005 The Senate passed

legislation on Thursday to add $4 billion to the U.S. fight 'against'

deadly avian flu by stocking up on anti-viral drugs and increasing

global surveillance of the disease.

50 Indonesia bird flu cases suspected 29 Sep 2005 Indonesia faces more

than 50 suspected cases of deadly bird flu, Indonesian health ministry

officials said on Thursday, while lowering their figure on deaths from

the disease to five from an earlier estimate of six.

Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Infection in Humans --The Writing Committee

of the World Health Organization (WHO) Consultation on Human Influenza

A/H5 (The New England Journal of Medicine) 29 Sep 2005 " An

unprecedented epizootic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus that is highly

pathogenic has crossed the species barrier in Asia to cause many human

fatalities and poses an increasing pandemic threat. "

Unease over bird flu pecking order 29 Sep 2005 (AU) The Federal

Government should roll back the " culture of secrecy " surrounding how

life-saving drugs will be rationed in the event of a bird flu

pandemic, Labor says.

Bird flu: 54 Indonesians ill 28 Sep 2005 At least 54 people were being

treated on Wednesday for suspected bird flu in Indonesia, where the

disease had already claimed six lives, said officials.

Fifth Indonesian dies of bird flu - hospital official 26 Sep 2005 A

fifth Indonesian has died of bird flu, a hospital official said, one

week after the country declared it was facing an 'extraordinary'

outbreak of the virus.

Growing bird flu fear sparks alert 24 Sep 2005 The Torres Strait and

Cape York have been put on high alert for deadly bird flu ahead of

widespread testing of migratory birds in the region.

Tourists warned about bird flu deaths 24 Sep 2005 Health officials in

Indonesia have warned that the country could face a bird flu epidemic

after the deaths this week of two girls suspected of contracting the

disease.

A New Deadly, Contagious Dog Flu Virus Is Detected in 7 States 22 Sep

2005 A new, highly contagious and sometimes deadly canine flu is

spreading in kennels and at dog tracks around the country,

veterinarians said yesterday.

Indonesia says 16 under observation for bird flu 23 Sep 2005 The

number of Indonesians under observation for bird flu symptoms has

risen to 16, the Health Ministry said on Friday, but added that tests

confirmed a five-year-old girl who died this week did not have the virus.

Indonesia Braces for Bird Flu Epidemic --Health Minister Issues

Warning as Two More Suspected Cases End in Death 22 Sep 2005

Indonesia's health minister warned Wednesday that the country could

face a bird flu epidemic if the number of suspected cases of the virus

continued to mount.

Ten under bird flu watch in Indonesia hospital 22 Sep 2005 Indonesian

doctors are observing 10 patients with bird flu-like symptoms, a

senior health official said on Thursday, amid fears a deadly avian

influenza outbreak is spreading.

Deaths spark epidemic fears 22 Sep 2005 The suspected bird flu deaths

of two young girls in Jakarta has set off a flurry of political

activity. Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari called the re-emergence

of bird flu " a sporadic epidemic " , adding to concerns that the virus

could mutate into a deadly human-to-human form.

World has slim chance to stop flu pandemic 20 Sep 2005 The initial

outbreak of what could explode into a bird flu pandemic may affect

only a few people, but the world will have just weeks to contain the

deadly virus before it spreads and kills millions.

Bird flu epidemic could kill millions worldwide: experts 18 Sep 2005

Millions of people could die around the world if bird flu spreads out

of control, and most countries are totally unprepared for such an

event, the UN's World Health Organisation says. [No worries - FEMA

will take care of us. *NOT.*]

Two more human bird flu cases suspected in Indonesia as Jakarta closes

zoo 18 Sep 2005 Two more Indonesian children are suspected of having

been infected with bird flu as authorities closed the Jakarta zoo

after 19 birds there were found to be carrying the deadly virus,

officials said.

Bird flu's human transmission high on agenda at WHO meeting 18 Sep

2005 Stemming a possible deadly outbreak of bird flu in humans will be

high on the agenda during a World Health Organization meeting this

week in the South Pacific nation of New Caledonia.

Avian Flu: Is the Government Ready for an Epidemic? 16 Sep 2005

Already, officials in London are quietly looking for extra morgue

space to house the victims of the H5N1 virus, a never-before-seen

strain of flu. Scientists say this virus could pose a far greater

threat than smallpox, AIDS or anthrax.

Oops! Mice infected with deadly plague are missing in N.J. 15 Sep 2005

Authorities are searching for three mice infected with bubonic plague

that disappeared from a research laboratory about two weeks ago. The

mice went missing from the lab of the Public Health Research

Institute, which is located on the UMDNJ campus and conducts

bioterrorism research for the federal government. [Oh, I'm sure

they'll emerge in a Blue state pretty soon.]

Australia joins global fight against bird flu 16 Sep 2005 Australia

has joined a new international partnership set up by the United States

to try to 'prevent' [foment] an avian flu pandemic.

U.S. Buys $100 Million of Bird Flu Vaccine 15 Sep 2005 Mass production

of a new vaccine that promises to protect against bird flu is poised

to begin, as the government on Thursday agreed to stockpile $100

million worth of inoculations. The new contract with French vaccine

maker Sanofi-Pasteur marks a major scale-up in U.S. preparation for

the possibility that the virus could spark an influenza pandemic.

Indonesia Reports 4th Human Bird Flu Death 15 Sep 2005 Indonesia on

Friday confirmed its fourth human death from the bird flu virus, and

warned that more cases in the sprawling country were inevitable.

Warnings on bird flu pandemic 14 Sep 2005 A bird flu pandemic in

Australia could be more deadly for the nation than almost any sort of

terrorist attack, Health Minister Tony Abbott has warned.

Europe races to shore up bird flu defences 12 Sep 2005 Europe is

racing to bolster its defences against bird flu, fearing it could be

winging its way to the continent with migrating wildfowl via countries

too poor to check its spread.

First bird flu death in Jakarta 13 Sep 2005 An Indonesian woman is

almost certainly the first known bird flu fatality in densely

populated Jakarta...

Police focus on bird flu and disasters 12 Sep 2005 Being prepared to

manage a crisis such as bird flu or natural disasters are areas police

must see they have proper skills for, says (Fiji) Police Commissioner

Andrew Hughes. The conference will see the adoption of a Pacific

framework for natural disasters where police form a regional network

where help can be procured when any big natural [or Bush-engendered]

disaster strikes anywhere in the region.

Indonesian authorities suspect bird flu outbreak 12 Sep 2005 Health

officials in Jakarta suspect there has been another deadly outbreak of

bird flu in the Indonesian capital. Preliminary tests show a woman who

died in hospital overnight was infected by the H5N1 virus which killed

three others in the city two months ago.

" Very strange bird flu " or is bird flu - American bio-weapon? By

Vladimir Ivanov 22 Aug 2005 " In view of all this the fact of

unexpected even for US allies refusal in 2001 by the administration of

George Bush to sign the draft of new multilateral agreement on

toughening the prohibition of bacteriological weapons, already signed

by 140 countries, must not be ignored. And in 2002 the group of

prominent scientists-microbiologists of the USA and England publicly

accused authorities of the USA of development of the new generation

bacteriological weapons, in particular special cluster bombs which

represents a gross violation of international agreements. "

Bird flu pandemic inevitable, says WHO 08 Sep 2005 The World Health

Organisation (WHO) yesterday warned that a pandemic of the bird flu

strain lethal to humans is inevitable, and would likely kill between

one and seven million people worldwide, Reuters reports. [We really

need to eliminate the Bush regime before bird flu 'mysteriously'

arrives, as a Weapon of Mass Distraction for Bush's Katrina and Iraq.

Outside of forced quarantines and utilizing FEMA's concentration camps

on a grand scale, I really can't foresee any other actions that Bush

and Halliburton will take during the pandemic. --Lori Price]

Bird flu pandemic a question of when, not if -WHO 07 Sep 2005 The

world is going to face a pandemic of the bird flu strain lethal to

humans and Thailand is the only nation in South and Southeast Asia

ready to deal with it, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on

Wednesday.

Europe races to shore up bird flu defences 06 Sep 2005 Europe is

racing to bolster its defences against bird flu, fearing it could be

winging its way to the continent with migrating wildfowl via countries

too poor to check its spread.

Bird flu confirmed in 45 Russian villages -- report 05 Sep 2005 The

bird flu virus has been confirmed in 45 Russian villages, and 80

villages are still being tested for the virus as of September 5,

Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Inspection

reported Monday.

Bird flu risks spreading to Europe 05 Sep 2005 The bird flu virus that

had leapt to Russia and Kazakhstan after causing deaths and huge

economic losses in Asia risked spreading further, borne by migratory

birds criss-crossing the globe, experts said today. Wild birds are

widely credited with spreading avian influenza far beyond its

epicentre in the backyard farms of Asia, where the mingling of species

gives virologists nightmares about the risk of mutation into a far

deadlier form.

Nations on alert as bird flu likely to spread around globe 01 Sep 2005

The bird flu virus that has hit several Asian countries is likely to

spread to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, the U.N. food agency

warned on Wednesday, urging nations at risk to step up surveillance

and prepare emergency plans.

U.N. warns deadly bird flu is likely to migrate west 01 Sep 2005 The

bird flu virus that has hit several Asian countries is likely to

spread to Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the U.N. Food and

Agriculture Organization warned Wednesday, urging nations at risk to

step up surveillance and prepare national emergency plans.

France reinforces defences against bird flu 30 Aug 2005 France said on

Tuesday it would toughen defences against the potential arrival of

bird flu in the country, reinforcing checks at airports and building

stockpiles of vaccines in the event of a human pandemic.

Ministers leave '2m lives at risk from bird flu' --University

professor accuses government of creating 'new BSE' in bird flu

--Professor dismisses government claims that bird flu threat to UK is

remote -- 29 Aug 2005 Government complacency over the risk of the

Asian bird flu epidemic reaching Britain is endangering the lives of

up to two million people, according to Professor Hugh Pennington. The

emeritus professor of microbiology at Aberdeen University, who is

Britain's leading expert on the H5N1 sub-virus, yesterday accused

health officials of creating " the new BSE " .

Suspected bird flu hits Finnish gulls 28 Aug 2005 Finland reported

Friday its first case of bird flu, found in gulls in the northwest of

the country, but said the strain did not carry any risks for humans.

Britain's elite get pills to survive bird flu 28 Aug 2005 Members of

Britain's elite have been selected as priority cases to receive scarce

pills and vaccinations at the taxpayers' expense if the country is hit

by a deadly bird flu outbreak. Workers at the BBC and prominent

politicians — such as cabinet ministers — would be offered protection

from the virus.

Deadly flu: 'The only question is when' --Avian's arrival called

inevitable Experts fear global pandemic --Not if, but when for

outbreak of disease: Experts Avian flu virus is possible candidate for

global infection 27 Aug 2005 The deadly avian flu virus is slowly but

surely making its way around the world.

Possible Case of Bird Flu First in Finland 26 Aug 2005 Finnish

authorities said Friday they had found a suspected case of bird flu in

the north of the country. An Agriculture Ministry official said it was

unlikely to be a case of the H5N1 strain, which scientists fear might

spark a human pandemic.

Bird Flu: Intensified Checks At Fiumicino 27 Aug 2005 The morning

after the urgent order signed by Health Minister, Francesco Storace,

checks on passengers and baggage have been intensified at Fiumicino

for passengers coming from (China, Russia, and now also Finland), for

bird flu, HSN1.

Bird Flu Spreads to New Species 26 Aug 2005 Bird flu has killed three

rare civets born in captivity at a national park in Vietnam, marking

the first time the virus has been reported in the species, officials

said Friday.

Bird Flu Discovered in Vietnamese Civet Cats 27 Aug 2005 Bird flu has

killed three rare civet cats at a national park in Vietnam, officials

said Friday, the first time the virus has been reported in the

species. The Owston civets died in late June at Cuc Phuong National

Park, about 75 miles south of Hanoi.

Fears grow over arrival of bird flu in UK 26 Aug 2005 Britain's public

health experts are losing sleep over the threat posed by bird flu to

Britain's health and economy, one of them revealed yesterday.

Spread of bird flu virus is a 'national emergency' 25 Aug 2005

Veterinary experts from across Europe are meeting today to develop a

strategy to stop the spread of a deadly strain of avian flu, which one

British scientist has declared a national emergency.

Avian flu " undoubtedly " will hit UK 25 Aug 2005 Avian flu will

" undoubtedly " be carried to Britain by migrating birds, the president

of the British Veterinary Association warned today.

Britain on alert as bird flu heads towards Europe 25 Aug 2005 Britain

is to begin testing wild birds for avian flu as EU officials meet

today to discuss the growing health threat from a deadly strain of the

virus. Scientists fear that a lethal form of bird flu that can infect

humans may be brought into the country this autumn by migrating waterfowl.

Bird Flu Again Detected in Japan Poultry --Bird Flu Again Detected in

Japanese Poultry, Agriculture Ministry Says 22 Aug 2005 Authorities

have detected another outbreak of bird flu at a poultry farm near

Tokyo, the Agriculture Ministry said Monday.

Flu measures urged for UK 22 Aug 2005 The government is under pressure

to bring in emergency measures to protect poultry in this country from

bird flu.

Lock Up Your Chickens [LOL!!] 23 Aug 2005 Warning as bird flu spreads

west --Britain's chickens should be kept indoors to stop them catching

bird flu, it was claimed yesterday. The warning came as Holland told

farmers to move their flocks inside - with Germany set to follow next

month. A strain of the H5N1 virus - which infects poultry and has been

linked to the deaths of 57 people - has spread into Russia and could

soon reach Europe.

Airport guards against bird flu 20 Aug 2005 The Rome-Fiumicino

international airport has begun implementing precautionary measures

involving passengers and merchandise originating from regions affected

by bird flu, the airport said on Saturday. Passengers travelling to

the Rome airport from China or Russia may be immediately hospitalised

in an infectious diseases clinic if they shows signs of respiratory

problems, airport authorities said in a statement.

Flight H5N1 is approaching Britain. Brace for impact 21 Aug 2005 Some

scientists are already drawing parallels with the so-called Spanish

Flu outbreak of 1918, in which another bird flu virus - code-named

H1N1 - hit the right genetic combination needed to trigger

human-to-human transmission. The resulting pandemic led to at least 20

million deaths, double the number of people killed in the First World

War. " The population is higher now, so we could be talking about 100

million deaths or more, " says Prof Neil Ferguson, an expert on virus

epidemics at Imperial College, London. " The 1918 scenario is within

what people should be planning for. "

Migrating birds could bring deadly flu to UK this winter 21 Aug 2005

Migratory ducks and waders could bring bird flu to Britain this

winter, experts have warned, after the disease was found in wild

flocks in Russia.

Bird Flu Suspected at Big Russian Farm --Presence of Deadly Virus, if

Verified, Would Be the Nation's Biggest Outbreak 21 Aug 2005 Russian

officials have quarantined a large poultry farm in Siberia because of

a suspected outbreak of bird flu, news reports said Saturday. If

confirmed, it would be the first major occurrence of the lethal virus

among birds in Russia, and international health officials expressed

concern that the disease had spread closer to Western Europe.

Bird flu virus: A crisis waiting to explode It is spreading fast and

nations are stockpiling antidotes 20 Aug 2005 Health experts claim

bird flu is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Initially, it was

seen as a few isolated cases in South-East Asia, may now be the

beginnings of a global pandemic.

'Bird flu may cause global economic mayhem' [We've got Bush already

doing that] 19 Aug 2005 Canadian financial analysts predicted that an

avian flu pandemic would have dire consequences on the global economy,

its impact comparable to the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Progress of bird flu across Russia tracked by European scientists 19

Aug 2005 A highly infectious form of bird flu which appears to be

moving westwards across Russia towards Europe is being tracked by

teams of scientists in Germany and the Netherlands.

Germany considering measures to prevent bird flu 18 Aug 2005 Germany

is considering special measures to prevent bird flu entering the

country, Agriculture and Consumer Protection Minister Renate Kuenast

said on Thursday.

Bird flu case detected at chicken farm in east Japan 18 Aug 2005

Chickens at a farm in Konosu, Tokyo's neighboring Saitama Prefecture

in east Japan, have tested positive for bird flu virus, the Ministry

of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said Thursday.

Russia: Bird flu deadly to humans 16 Aug 2005 Russia says an outbreak

of bird flu in Chelyabinsk is dangerous to humans, as teams of

sanitary workers destroy birds in Siberia in an attempt to prevent the

westward spread of the deadly virus.

Dutch told to keep birds indoors over fear of flu 16 Aug 2005 Dutch

farmers are being ordered to keep poultry indoors in the toughest

measures yet imposed by a European Union country against bird flu.

Deadly bird flu virus is closing in on Europe 16 Aug 2005 An outbreak

of avian flu among wild and domestic birds in Russia is spreading west

and starting to approach Europe, public health officials said yesterday.

World on alert as bird flu reaches the Urals 16 Aug 2005 Russia warned

the world yesterday that migrating birds could export the bird flu

virus to Europe and the Middle East within months.

Russia says bird flu may spread to Europe 15 Aug 2005 Russia, which is

scrambling to contain a bird flu outbreak in Siberia, warned the world

on Monday that migrating birds may export the deadly virus to Europe

and the Middle East in coming months.

Bird flu may spread to southern Russia - physician 15 Aug 2005 Bird

flu may spread to the Astrakhan, Rostov and Volgograd regions,

Stavropol and Krasnodar territories in southern Russia this fall, the

country's chief sanitary doctor said Monday.

Bird-flu pandemic just 'plane ride away' --Officials watch state for

signs of outbreak 14 Aug 2005 Though avian flu has been confined to

Asia so far, public health officials in Washington state are taking

the threat seriously. They're preparing for the worst even as the Bush

regime has proposed cuts in federal funding for agencies already

cash-strapped because of 'bioterrorism responsibilities' in the wake

of Sept. 11.

Asian doctors attack western hoarding of key bird flu vaccine 12 Aug

2005 Doctors in Asia fear western countries will grab the lion's share

of vaccines and other drugs needed to fight an avian flu pandemic.

WHO Warns Global Bird Flu Pandemic 11 Aug 2005 A World Health

Organisation official warned of a possible global bird flu pandemic on

Thursday, and urged governments and health workers around the world to

prepare for a possible worst-case scenario.

Deadly bird flu strain spreads in Kazakhstan 11 Aug 2005 A deadly

strain of avian influenza that can infect humans has spread to three

more Kazakh villages, a senior official at the Central Asian state's

Agriculture Ministry told Reuters on Thursday.

Bird flu virus found in Kazakhstan could kill humans 11 Aug 2005 The

recent bird flu outbreak found close to Kazakhstan's northern border

with Russia was caused by the deadly H5N1 strain that can be

transmitted to humans, a statement by Kazakhstan's Agricultural

Ministry read on Thursday.

Britain prepares for bird flu death toll of thousands 07 Aug 2005 The

government is to mount an exercise to help emergency services prepare

for any potential bird flu pandemic that could kill thousands of

people in Britain. Estimates of deaths in the first six weeks of the

outbreak range from 20,000 up to 710,000, after which the disease

would begin to subside... Officials are looking for sites for mass

mortuaries.

A Successful Vaccine Alone Is Not Enough to Prevent Avian Flu Epidemic

07 Aug 2005 Health officials, who over the weekend announced success

in an initial test of a human vaccine against avian influenza,

cautioned Sunday that the existence of a vaccine in itself would not

be enough to avert a worldwide pandemic. [Dictator Bush will *still*

give billions to the pharma-terrorists.]

U.S. to order millions of bird flu vaccine doses --Government says

mass distribution of drug could start by mid-September 08 Aug 2005 The

government is optimistic about a new vaccine to protect against [sic -

*foment*] an outbreak of potentially deadly avian flu, and

distribution could start as soon as mid-September, a senior federal

health official says.

Europeans warned as bird flu heads west 06 Aug 2005 Russian

authorities, struggling to contain an outbreak of avian flu that has

killed thousands of birds in Siberia, have admitted that a spread of

the virus into Europe seems inevitable.

Russia finds more bird flu cases 06 Aug 2005 Russian authorities say

they have found evidence of the bird flu virus in two more regions of

the country. The disease has been confirmed in wildfowl in the regions

of Kurgan and Omsk.

Bird Flu Spreads to Another Russian Region 02 Aug 2005 Russian

veterinary officials said Tuesday that an outbreak of an avian flu

strain that can infect humans has spread to another region in Siberia,

while authorities were struggling to contain the virus.

Man hospitalized with bird flu symptoms in Kazakhstan 31 Jul 2005 A

20-year-old man showing bird flu symptoms has been hospitalized in

Kazakhstan's Pavlodar region, where 600 domestic geese died between

July 20 and July 30 as a result of an outbreak of the disease in the area.

Bird flu moves towards Europe --Migratory birds may have caused

outbreaks in Russia and Kazakhstan. 01 Aug 2005 The H5NI avian

influenza virus has broken out in poultry flocks in Russia and in

Kazakhstan, where a suspected human case is also being investigated.

WHO baffled as pig-disease toll rises --The World Health Organization

suggested that the rarely seen bacterium may have mutated if it was

indeed responsible for the death toll in China, now up to 31 29 Jul

2005 A mysterious pig-borne disease has spread to six more towns in

southwest China and the number of people killed has risen to 31, the

Chinese government said yesterday as it scrambled to reassure the public.

Russia: Outbreak of Bird Flu Confirmed In Siberia 27 Jul 2005 Russia's

chief epidemiologist, Gennadii Onishchenko, confirmed at a Moscow news

conference on 25 July what had been suspected for several days: the

first cases of bird flu ever recorded have now hit Russia...

Authorities say the virus was probably brought to Russia by migratory

birds from Asia.

After bird flu, pig bug human toll rises to 24 27 Jul 2005 The death

toll from infection with a bacteria commonly found in pigs has

reportedly risen to at least 24, with 21 people in critical condition

and nearly 40 new cases in south western China's Sichuan province.

Killer flu linked to bird feces 26 Jul 2005 Three family members who

died of bird flu earlier this month were infected by chicken droppings

that contained the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus, Indonesia's

agriculture ministry has said.

Health experts still bracing for deadlier bird flu strain 26 Jul 2005

Medical experts are bracing for a new and deadlier virus mutating from

bird flu and the common human influenza, according to a top official

of the Department of Health.

Mystery Chinese disease toll now 17 25 Jul 2005 death toll from an

unidentified disease has risen to 17 with 41 other people affected in

southwest China's Sichuan province, state media said overnight.

Bird Flu Deaths Sow Panic In Wealthy Jakarta Suburb --Officials Have

Not Found Source of Outbreak 25 Jul 2005 When Iwan Siswara Rafei, a

government auditor, and his two young daughters died suddenly this

month, there was panic in their middle-class suburb along with reports

that they were Indonesia's first casualties of bird flu.

Unknown Illness Kills Nine Chinese Farmers --Deaths Could Be Linked to

Outbreaks of Bird Flu in Nine Asian Countries 24 Jul 2005 An

unidentified disease has killed nine farmers and sickened 11 others in

a rural part of China's western Sichuan province, prompting the

government to dispatch an emergency team of researchers to investigate

whether the deaths are related to bird flu, a Health Ministry

spokesman said Saturday.

Massive flu outbreak could happen at any moment, WHO warns 22 Jul 2005

The world could at any time be faced with a massive flu outbreak like

those in 1918 or 1968 that killed tens of millions of people, the

World Health Organization warned, urging countries to be prepared.

Signs point to global influenza outbreak--WHO warning 22 Jul 2005

Indonesia's first human bird flu case, coupled with more birds dying

elsewhere including Russia, are signs a long-dreaded global influenza

pandemic may be approaching, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said

on Friday.

Indonesia on alert after bird flu deaths 22 Jul 2005 Indonesia is

preparing 44 hospitals across the archipelago for treatment and

detection of bird flu after the country recorded its first deaths from

the virus.

Evolving Catastrophic H5N1 Bird Flu Pandemic in 2005 (Recombinomics

Commentary) 17 Jul 2005 " The latest boxun report describes 10 strains

of H5N1 circulating in China. Eight of the ten have some evidence for

human infections, but there is no direct independent confirmation of

the data. The data suggest that the 2005 pandemic is well underway and

a wide range of catastrophic events will continue to make news. The

report also suggests H5N1 in China is diverse and evolving, expanding

a trend that will likely culminate in an event that may make the 1918

flu pandemic look tame. "

Bird flu a national security issue, Rudd says 16 Jul Opposition

foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd (AU) says avian influenza

represents a national security challenge. He says he agrees with world

health experts who say the bird flu will cause a pandemic if it

mutates, allowing human to human transmission.

Fresh fears over spread of bird flu 16 Jul 2005 A man and his two

daughters have died of suspected bird flu in Indonesia, and initial

investigations showed they had no contact with poultry, raising

concerns of possible human-to-human transmission.

'No defence against bird flu' 14 Jul 2005 Assurances from South

Africa's Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang that South Africa

has well advanced plans to contain a bird flu outbreak are not backed

up by the facts, says official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA)

spokesperson Diane Kohler-Barnard.

Vietnam bird flu toll hits 40, more infected 14 Jul 2005 Bird flu has

killed another Vietnamese and infected three more, taking the

country's toll to 40 -- half of them killed since the H5N1 virus

returned in December, the media reported on Thursday.

Defense Logistics Agency Spends $58m on Tamiflu 12 Jul 2005 --Roche

Laboratories Inc., Nutley, N.J., is being awarded a maximum

$58,000,000 firm fixed price contract for Army, Navy, Air Force, and

Marine Corps for Oseltamivir Phosphate Capsules [Tamiflu, which is

used to treat Avian flu]. This is a requirements contract with a base

year and one option period. Performance completion date is Feb. 28, 2006.

Killer bird flu virus erupts again in Thailand 11 Jul 2005 The deadly

bird flu virus which has killed 55 Asians has erupted again in

Thailand despite a major campaign to eradicate it, the government said

on Monday.

Japan finds fresh case of bird flu 11 Jul 2005 A fresh case of bird

flu has been confirmed on a chicken farm neighbouring earlier

outbreaks discovered in eastern Japan late last month, a local

government official said on Monday.

Bird flu could spread to Europe, say scientists 09 Jul 2005 A virulent

outbreak of avian flu among migrating geese at a wildlife refuge in

China has raised fears that the disease could spread to India and

Europe, according to studies published this week by the journals

Science and Nature.

Flu virus confirmed in migratory birds 07 Jul 2005 China has confirmed

the deadly avian flu virus was found for the first time in migratory

birds, raising fears the disease could spread to other regions.

Bird flu 'global threat' 08 Jul 2005 Asia's bird flu may be poised to

spread through migrating birds to India, Australia, New Zealand and

eventually on to Europe, scientists warned yesterday.

Bird flu: World is on the edge 05 Jul 2005 Asia's bird flu outbreak is

at a critical stage where it could easily become a human pandemic,

health experts warned yesterday, urging mass poultry vaccinations to

prevent a crisis.

Bird flu pandemic 'just a matter of time'; nations must be better

prepared-WHO 06 Jul 2005 A World Health Organization (WHO) scientist

said it is 'probably just a matter of time' before a bird flu pandemic

breaks out among humans.

Health Experts at Bird Flu Summit Call for Urgent Measures 04 Jul 2005

Health and animal experts Monday called for the mass vaccination of

poultry in Asia to stop the spread of the virulent H5N1 bird flu

virus, which has claimed dozens of human lives in the region.

Experts to plan bird flu strategy 04 Jul 2005 Health, food and animal

experts plan to hammer out a strategy this week to ensure that the

bird flu virus does not spread from humans to humans -- a possibility

that has raised fears of an influenza.

U.S. bird flu effort lags, Congress told 01 Jul 2005 Although avian

flu may be only " a few mutations away " from becoming a pandemic that

could kill 500,000 Americans, the United States lags behind other

countries in planning for the disease, health officials told Congress

on Thursday.

Japan detects new bird flu outbreak 01 Jul 2005 Another outbreak of

bird flu, H5N2 strain, has been found near a farm proven infected

earlier this week, the Ibaraki prefecture authorities announced on July 1.

Vietnam confirms 60 bird flu patients 28 Jun 2005 Vietnam Health

Ministry on Monday confirmed 60 human bird flu cases in the country in

the latest outbreak since late December 2004, including 18 fatalities,

local Tuoi Tre newspaper reported.

Bird Flu Outbreak in Japan 27 Jun 2005 Bird flu has been detected in

chickens at a farm in north-eastern Japan, and restrictions have been

imposed on shipments of poultry and eggs from the area, the government

said yesterday.

Bird flu virus detected in Japan 27 Jun 2005 The H5N2-type avian

influenza virus has been detected in chickens at a poultry farm in

Mitsukaido, east Japan's Ibaraki Prefecture.

Bird flu 'as grave a threat as terrorism' 26 Jun 2005 Bird flu is now

as much of a danger to Britain as terrorism, ministers have been told

by the Government's official emergency body. Plans are being made to

close schools and cancel sporting fixtures in an attempt to limit the

spread of the virus, and official advice on how to try to avoid being

infected will be ready for publication this summer. [Looks like the

deaths of the forty-plus microbiologists (since 9/11) are about to pay

off big-time for the Bush junta: the quarantines and the tag-along

full-blown police state, all managed by Vice President Bill Frist.

Bush's approval rating for the Iraq war just hit 28% in California...

even Rove and Diebold can't pull this one out of the sewer. When the

('expected') avian flu pandemic hits, do you think we will all be

sitting around, discussing the Downing Street Memo? Bush now needs his

bioterror chickens to come home to roost. Remember, you read it here

first. --Lori Price]

Chance of bird flu between humans increases-Vietnam 25 Jun 2005

Vietnam's agriculture ministry was quoted as saying on Saturday that

the mutation of a bird flu virus was increasing the infection

possibility between humans. State-run media cited a ministry report as

saying laboratory test results overseas and at home showed the antigen

structure of the virus is changing.

Flu pandemic could kill half million in U.S.-report 24 Jun 2005 Half a

million Americans could die and more than 2 million could end up in

the hospital with serious complications if an even moderately severe

strain of a pandemic flu hits, a report predicted on Friday.

Pandemic could create serious and sustained food shortages, expert

warns 20 Jun 2005 An influenza pandemic would dramatically disrupt the

processing and distribution of food supplies across the world,

emptying grocery store shelves and creating crippling shortages for

months, an expert warned Thursday.

Indonesia says has 50 polio cases, one bird flu 20 Jun 2005 Indonesia

has found 50 polio cases since the disease re-emerged in the country

last month [right along with the presence of the US], and one human

carrier of the bird flu virus after an outbreak hit the nation's fowl

in March, the health minister said on Monday.

Oops! It's dead scientist #78... Russian Investigators Probe

Biological Weapons Link to Hepatitis Outbreak 9 Jun 2005 An

investigation is checking whether the mass outbreak of hepatitis A in

the Tver region near Moscow could be linked to the biological weapons

sector. At the moment 363 people are in hospital, NewsRu.Com reported

Thursday. Some newspapers have linked the outbreak to the recent

murder of Russia's leading specialist in bio weapons. Some sources

link Wednesday's murder of Anti-Microbe Therapy Institute director

Leonid Strachunsky, who specialized in creating microbes resistant to

biological weapons, to the hepatitis outbreak, NewsRu.Com added. [see:

Steve Quayle's List of Dead Scientists.]

Bird Flu Drug Rendered Useless 18 Jun 2005 Chinese farmers, acting

with the approval and encouragement of government officials, have

tried to suppress major bird flu outbreaks among chickens with an

antiviral drug meant for humans, animal health experts said.

International researchers now conclude that this is why the drug will

no longer protect people in case of a worldwide bird flu epidemic.

Where they'll bury us if bird flu hits Bay 18 Jun 2005 Burial grounds

have been earmarked in Hawke's Bay (NZ) for a deadly flu epidemic that

could kill thousands of the region's people. The nightmare scenario is

part of health authorities' planning for an event they say is " a

matter of when - not if " . The first suspected case of human-to-human

transmission of bird flu was reported in Vietnam two weeks ago.

Vietnamese bird flu doctor has bird flu 17 Jun 2005 A Vietnamese

doctor who treated bird flu patients has contracted the disease

himself, a state newspaper reported on Friday.

How pigs could be launchpad for bird flu pandemic 18 Jun 2005 A

virologist from Hong Kong has warned that pigs could provide a

launchpad for bird flu, even if birds carrying the virus, which is

causing havoc in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, failed to do so.

WHO confirms new bird flu cases in Vietnam 15 June 2005 The World

Health Organisation (WHO) says three more cases of bird flu have been

recorded in Vietnam.

Indonesia Reports Human Bird Flu Case 15 June 2005 A farm worker in

eastern Indonesia has tested positive for bird flu, marking the

country's first human case of the virus that has already killed at

least 54 people elsewhere in Southeast Asia, health officials in

Indonesia said Wednesday.

New Asian Flu Outbreaks in China Raise Fears of a Mutant Virus 11 June

2005 -- Two reported new outbreaks of avian flu among birds in western

China have raised fears that the virus is being spread widely by

migrating birds and mutating rapidly. [Avian flu will finish mutating

and become a full-blown pandemic the day the hearings begin on the

'Downing Street Minutes' (i.e., the beginning of the end of the Bush

regime). Forty-plus microbiologists dead since 9/11 . . . cui bono?]

As the 'Downing Street Memo' heats up: WHO urges bird flu vigilance,

warns virus unstable 10 June 2005 The World Health Organisation urged

vigilance against a deadly strain of bird flu on Friday, warning that

the disease scientists say could cause a global pandemic was moving in

new and unpredictable ways. [Gee, it sure looks like the mysterious

deaths of over forty-plus microbiologists since 9-11 is about to pay

off *big time* for the Bush regime.]

Three more contract bird flu in Vietnam 09 June 2005 Vietnam has

reported three new human cases of bird flu, bringing the total number

of cases in the country since late 2003 to 79.

Marburg virus has claimed more than 350 lives 08 June 2005 The death

toll in the Marburg outbreak in Angola has climbed past 350 since it

broke out last October, with a dramatic rise since March, the health

ministry and the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday.

Bird flu: we're all going to die --by Charles Arthur 02 June 2005 " But

if - when - a flu pandemic comes, and millions of people die around

the world over a period of months, the reality will be one of two

alternatives... Or else governments will impose a police state that

will make all the ID cards and airport checks look like a tea party.

You'd not be allowed to move anywhere without showing off a

vaccination certificate. (Sure, you'd get those on the black market,

and they'd cost more than £300, but would you really want them? If

you're not vaccinated would you really want to travel among people who

might be carriers?) " [a must read]

National exercise prepares for bird flu 03 June 2005 --Australia's

preparedness for a bird flu outbreak will be tested in a national

exercise between 29 November 29 and 01 December, 2005. Agriculture

Minister Warren Truss and Health Minister Tony Abbott announced that

Exercise Eleusis will involve a hypothetical scenario [we hope] to

test how well agriculture and health departments can work together to

identify, contain and 'eradicate' an animal disease which can be

transferred to humans.

Bird flu endemic in Indonesia, says World Health Organization 31 May

2005 While the Indonesian government talks about eradicating bird

(avian) flu by the year 2007, WHO has stated that bird flu is endemic

in the country.

New Mexico preparing plan for potential flu pandemic 31 May 2005 The

state Department of Health is devising a plan to deal with any

potential flu pandemic. State epidemiologist Mack Sewell says the plan

probably should be in place by late this summer.

Vietnam Pledges Not to Pursue Human Vaccine for Bird Flu on Its Own 28

May 2005 Vietnam has promised it will not unilaterally develop a human

vaccine for bird flu, abandoning plans that international health

experts had complained were hazardous and could themselves trigger an

epidemic, the World Health Organization said Friday.

China's bird flu outbreak worse than thought 28 May 2005 New figures

from authorities in China show that an outbreak of the deadly bird flu

in the west of the country is five times bigger than originally

thought. Chinese officials say more than 1,000 migratory birds have

been found dead from the H5N1 virus in a remote area of Qinghai

province, which is on the edge of the Tibetan plateau.

U.S. Criticized Over Bird Flu Plans 26 May 2005 U.S. efforts to

counter a possible influenza pandemic, including an outbreak of bird

flu, are moving slowly and may be inadequate in an emergency, several

witnesses told lawmakers Thursday.

Medium level flu pandemic could kill up to 207,000 in USA, says CDC 27 May 2005 Julie Gerberding, CDC Director, said a mere

medium-sized flu pandemic could kill up to 207,000 people in the USA

and place nearly three-quarters of a million people in hospital.

Experts fear we may be sitting on a flu-pandemic time bomb. The

culprit - the bird flu H5N1 virus.

US braces for flu pandemic 27 May 2005 US health authorities are

taking urgent precautions against a 'flu pandemic' that experts warned

could erupt at any time and claim tens of thousands of lives.

Bird flu virus 'close to pandemic' 26 May 2005 Expert warns estimate

of 7.5m global deaths is optimistic --A leading scientist warned

yesterday that the avian flu virus is on the point of mutating into a

pandemic disease and says that current estimates that such a pandemic

could cause 7.5m deaths may understate the threat.

Flu pandemic looms, experts warn world --Many millions will die if

Southeast Asian bird virus mutates to lethal form, spreads 26 May 2005

A lineup of leading infectious disease experts warned Wednesday that

the world is unprepared for the health and economic consequences of an

outbreak of pandemic influenza that could spring from a lethal strain

of bird flu now ravaging poultry flocks in Southeast Asia.

Bird flu threat urgent, medical journal says 26 May 2005 --In an

attempt to draw attention to what it believes is an underappreciated

threat, the scientific journal Nature is devoting most of today's

issue to the likelihood that the avian influenza circulating in

Southeast Asia could spawn an international epidemic that would kill

millions.

Flu pandemic 'could hit 20% of world's population' 25 May 2005 --A

global taskforce should be urgently formed to tackle a potential

influenza pandemic that could affect 20% of the world's population,

trigger economic disaster and kill millions, experts warned today.

Bird flu plan calls for airport screening --Hawaii officials want to

test people arriving at Honolulu Airport 25 May 2005 --As nations

prepare for a possible avian flu virus pandemic, state and federal

health officials are working on a proposal to screen travelers who

arrive at Honolulu Airport with influenza-like illness. The state

Health Department began developing the proposal a few months ago with

the federal quarantine office [?!?] at the airport, said Dr. Paul

Effler, state epidemiologist.

Bird-flu crisis plan --City sees lethal bug's arrival as inevitable 22

May 2005 --Convinced it's only a matter of time before a new flu

strain capable of killing millions reaches New York, city health

officials have started drawing up a crisis plan, the Daily News has

learned. Infectious-disease experts at the Health Department have been

meeting every two weeks to prepare a strategy for protecting the city

against diseases such as the Asian bird flu, or H5N1.

Vietnam Bird Flu Death Toll Reaches 53 20 May 2005 --Bird flu has

killed another person in Vietnam bringing the regional death toll to

53, the World Health Organization said as it continued to warn of a

potential pandemic.

Bird flu death toll up to 37 20 May 2005 --Vietnam's death toll from

bird flu since January 2004 has risen by one to 37, bringing to 17 the

number who have died since a surge in mid-December, according to the

World Health Organisation (WHO).

Biologists Advocate Study On Marburg Origin [uh, Fort Detrick?] 20 May

2005 --The Association of Biologists of Angola today in Luanda

defended the need to carry out a thorough study to find out the agents

which favour the appearance of the haemorrhagic fever by the Marburg

virus in the country, which already claimed 311 deaths in a universe

of 337 cases registered.

Bird flu early warning system planned 19 May 2005 --The European Union

will tomorrow take another step towards creating an early warning

system to prevent, or at least to limit, an influenza pandemic by the

launch of a new continent-wide monitoring system.

Bird Flu Could Be Capable of Human-to-Human Transmission 19 May 2005

--Bird flu may be capable of human-to-human transmission, the World

Health Organization is warning. A strain of bird flu in Southeast Asia

is blamed for more than 50 deaths, and so far the virus has only

jumped from animals to humans, but the health agency says " the viruses

are continuing to evolve and pose a continuing and potentially growing

pandemic threat. "

Bird flu virus mutating, posing bigger threat -WHO 19 May 2005 --The

spate of human bird flu cases in Vietnam this year suggests the deadly

virus may be mutating in ways that are making it more capable of being

passed between humans, the World Health Organisation said.

WHO report charts disturbing changes in avian flu virus, urges

preparations 18 May 2005 --The World Health Organization urged

countries to make full haste with pandemic influenza preparations

Wednesday as it released a report outlining disturbing changes to the

H5N1 virus circulating in Asia.

Health chiefs fear flu may kill millions 19 May 2005 --Health chiefs

warn they may be unable to detect and tackle a more deadly flu strain

before it causes millions of deaths worldwide.

Vietnam Bird-Flu Pattern Suggests Virus Is Evolving, WHO Says 18 May

2005 --The pattern of human bird flu infections in Vietnam, the nation

hit hardest by the disease, suggests the H5N1 virus that causes the

illness is evolving in ways that make it more contagious, according to

the World Health Organization.

Marburg milestone shocks Angolans 18 May 2005 --The world's worst

outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg virus has claimed 311 lives in

Angola, a joint statement by Angola's health ministry and the World

Health Organisation said on Wednesday.

Threat of Bird Flu Pandemic Dominates World Health Assembly 17 May

2005 --Avian influenza is the most serious known health threat the

world is facing, World Health Organization Director-General Lee

Jong-wook told opening of the 58th World Health Assembly on Monday.

Indonesia tests more pigs for bird flu virus 16 May 2005 --Indonesia

is testing pigs in several regions for bird flu after discovering the

virus in swine on densely populated Java island, an official said on

Monday.

Vietnam reports 2 more bird flu patients 17 May 2005 --Two men from

Vietnam's northern region have fallen victim of bird flu virus strain

H5N1, Vietnam News on Tuesday quoted a doctor at the Institute of

Tropical Diseases as saying.

Angola: Marburg outbreak not under control 16 May 2005 --As the death

toll from the Marburg virus in Angola creeps up to the 300 mark, the

World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed concern at the current

situation and is warning that the outbreak is not yet over.

Bush's bioterrorists running amok: US scientists push for go-ahead to

genetically modify smallpox virus 16 May 2005 --US scientists are

awaiting World Health Assembly approval to begin experiments to

genetically modify the smallpox virus, one of the most lethal

organisms the planet has known.

Indonesia Finds Bird Flu in Pigs 14 May 2005 --Indonesian researchers

have found a strain of bird flu in pigs on the densely populated

island of Java, raising fears the virus could more easily spread to

humans, the government and scientists said Saturday.

Vietnam reports its second bird flu patient in two days 15 May 2005

--Doctors have confirmed a case of the deadly avian flu in a man, the

second human case reported in the last two days in northern Vietnam,

hospital officials said yesterday.

New Outbreak of Deadly Ebola Virus Is Feared in Congo Republic 16 May

2005 --Nine people have died in the Congo Republic since late April

from what appears to be an outbreak of the Ebola virus, the second

episode of a deadly hemorrhagic fever to strike the region this year,

a spokesman for the World Health Organization said Friday.

Vietnamese man tests positive to bird flu 13 May 2005 --Initial tests

by doctors from the Institute of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi have found

that a man in northern Vietnam has the H5N1 virus, the first human

case in more than three weeks.

RPT-Cambodian bird flu suspect hospitalised in Vietnam 13 May 2005 --A

young Cambodian woman has been hospitalised in Vietnam after showing

symptoms of the bird flu virus that has killed 52 people in Asia since

2003, a doctor said on Friday.

Tamil Nadu orders probe into bird flu virus report 12 May 2005 --The

Tamil Nadu government has ordered an inquiry into reports that a

strain of bird flu was found [planted?] in this south Indian state by

an American laboratory. A media report said two days ago that the

Atlanta-based Centre for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed

that it found the H5N1 bird flu virus in samples sent by the Indian

Council for Medical Research (ICMR) when the disease was raging in

many Asian countries last year.

Number of cases of deadly Marburg virus in Angola climbs to 316 12 May

2005 --The number of cases from an outbreak of the rare Marburg virus

in the northern province of Uige, Angola, has climbed to 316, the

World Health Organization said.

Bird flu strain found in three Chennai poultry workers 11 May 2005

--Scientists from a partner laboratory of the Indian Council of

Medical Research (ICMR) have found the first signs of an Avian

influenza virus in three workers from a poultry farm near Chennai.

Only specific protein signatures of the " highly pathogenic " H5N1

strain were spotted at ICMR's influenza referral laboratory in

Chennai's King Institute of Preventive Medicine-the disease itself has

not been detected.

Marburg outbreak now devastating all age groups 10 May 2005 --The

outbreak of the deadly Marburg haemorrhagic fever sweeping across

northern Angola is now devastating all age groups - and no longer

predominantly young children - say epidemiologists on the ground.

Marburg Toll in Angola Rises to 327 (Recombinomics Commentary) 09 May

2005 --The Marburg toll in Angola rose to 327 on Friday when 8 new

cases were recorded in the Ministry of Health's daily report.

Virus fear over smuggled bushmeat 08 May 2005 --Diseases that pose a

threat to humans, such as Ebola, may be entering UK through the

illegal food trade --Seizures of illegal meat smuggled into the UK

from 'high-risk' countries where infectious animal diseases can pose a

risk to human health have spiralled by almost 20 per cent, according

to new figures.

Bird flu tests out-of-date, may have missed cases 08 May 2005 --A

diagnostic test designed by Canadian researchers and used in Vietnam

to detect H5N1 avian flu is out of date, scientists from the National

Microbiology Laboratory admit -- raising the possibility some human

cases may have been dismissed in error.

Less lethal bird flu more likely to become pandemic 08 May 2005

--Vietnamese doctors are reporting that the mortality rate from avian

influenza in their country has dropped substantially. But while this

is good news for survivors, it could mean the outbreak of bird flu in

Southeast Asia is taking an ominous turn. If a disease quickly kills

almost everyone it infects, it has little chance of spreading very

far, according to international health experts. The less lethal bird

flu becomes, they say, the more likely it is to develop into the

global pandemic they fear, potentially killing tens of millions of people.

Zimbabweans get Marburg warning 08 May 2005 -- Zimbabwe is warning its

citizens against travelling to Angola following the outbreak of the

Ebola-like Marburg virus which has claimed 280 lives, the health

minister said on Sunday.

Canada sends 3rd team to help combat Marburg outbreak, readies 4th

rotation 06 May 2005 --Canada has sent a third team of scientists to

Angola to help contain the worst outbreak of Marburg fever on record

and is readying a fourth team to go later in the month if needed.

Bird flu virus in Vietnam has not mutated yet: newspaper 06 May 2005

--Bird flu virus strain H5N1 has yet to change into a new form that

allows human-to-human transmission, but there is still a risk of

mutation, according to local newspaper Saigon Liberation on Friday.

Action needed over avian flu threat 05 May 2005 --Governments around

the world must stop burying their heads in the sand as the threat of a

global avian flu outbreak grows, GP Nigel Higson, writing in the

British Medical Journal, said today.

Indonesia to vaccinate 5 million children against polio outbreak 06

May 2005 --Indonesia was yesterday struggling to contain its first

polio outbreak in a decade. ...The latest reports came as the

government announced plans for a mass immunisation programme in which

about 5.2 million children will be vaccinated against [sic] the virus

in a single day.

Cambodia confirms fourth bird flu death 04 May 2005 --Cambodia's

health ministry on Wednesday officially confirmed that the woman died

in Vietnam last month was killed by bird flu.

Indonesia finds second polio case, more suspected 04 May 2005

--Indonesian health officials said on Wednesday they had found a

second case of polio and feared more would be uncovered on Java

island, amid fears of an outbreak of the deadly disease.

Polio alarm as virus spreads to Indonesia 04 May 2005 --Outbreak a

blow for global eradication programme [but, a financial windfall to

Bush's pharma-terrorists - and more deadly vaccines paid for by U.S.

taxpayers] --The battle to eradicate polio from the globe received

another serious setback yesterday with news that the disease has

spread to Indonesia as well as Yemen, both of which had been

polio-free for nearly 10 years. [Yeah, until the U.S. showed up to

'help' after the tsunami.]

Marburg virus has fatality rate of 89%, officials say 03 May 2005

--The rare Marburg virus has killed 280 people in Angola over the past

six months, at a fatality rate of 89 per cent, authorities said.

Marburg kills 280 03 May 2005 --The death toll from the outbreak of

the Ebola-like Marburg virus in Angola has reached 280, most of whom

succumbed to the disease in the northern Uige province, the health

ministry and the World Health Organisation said late on Monday.

Polio Detected in Indonesia, Indicating It Crossed an Ocean 02 May

2005 --A case of polio has been detected in Indonesia [Gee, right

after the U.S. military showed up to 'help,' in the aftermath of the

tsunami. Holy coincidence, Batman! (But, not at all unexpected...)],

World Health Organization officials said today. The virus, found in a

village in Java, is most closely related to a strain that was found in

Saudi Arabia in December, they said, and the most likely explanation

is that it was brought back either by an Indonesian working there or

by a pilgrim [?!?] who went to Mecca in January.[Yeah, the pilgrim

from Fort Detrick.]

Mutated virus raises bird-flu danger level 03 May 2005 --Deadly bird

flu is mutating to spread from person to person, bringing a disastrous

global pandemic closer, experts fear. The bird flu virus - codenamed

H5NI - has crossed the first two barriers, and experts fear it is now

about to breach the third.

Avian flu pandemic could be massive disaster – and few are noticing 01

May 2005 --by Tom Saler " Experts are unsure if the bird flu virus will

mutate enough to facilitate easy person-to-person transmission.

....According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, even a

'medium-level' pandemic in the United States could infect about

one-third of the population and cause up to 200,000 deaths. If that

same infection rate were applied globally, roughly 2 billion people

would fall ill; assuming a mortality rate of just 1% (down from the

current 67%), that translates to 20 million fatalities. "

Nation 'prepared' for flu pandemic 02 May 2005 --Preparations for any

potential flu pandemic were not perfect but the federal government was

doing all it could, Health Minister Tony Abbott said today. Speaking

at an Communicable Diseases Control Conference in Sydney, Mr Abbott

said the next flu pandemic could be a " worldwide biological version of

the Indian Ocean tsunami " .

Bird flu mutates and now more infectious 01 May 2005 --Deadly bird flu

is mutating to spread from person to person, bringing a disastrous

global pandemic closer, experts fear. Evidence from South-east Asia

suggests that the virus, which could kill tens of millions of people

worldwide, is becoming less virulent, but at the same time more

infectious to people.

Flu 'Oddities' Breaking News Archives

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