This information has been compiled as a courstesy service by the Mekong Wetlands Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use Programme (MWBP) (www.mekongwetlands.org) from information that is publicly available. The information does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of MWBP, and the views and information expressed do not necessarily reflect those of MWBP or its partners.
Bird Flu – Weekly Press monitoring (March 20, 2006 - March 24 2006)
March 20th
NIS 15 million allotted for bird flu compensation
Ynetnews - Israel
... in stores and “there is no shortage of meat,” Agriculture Minister Zeev Boim said in a bid to calm Israelis concerned over the spread of bird flu to local ...
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3229581,00.html
Bird flu: 3 more under isolation in Jalgaon
Times of India - India
MUMBAI: A five-year-old child and two others were placed under isolation at hospitals in bird flu-hit Jalgaon over the weekend. ...
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1455916.cms
Egypt reports second human case of bird flu
Ireland Online - Dublin,Ireland
... proceeded with the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of birds as new tests came close to confirming Israel’s first outbreak of the deadly bird flu. ...
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=176504942&p=y765x5648
A focus on bird flu misses the big issue
Newsday - Long Island,NY,USA
... affairs at Stony Brook University. Avian flu is gradually circling the globe, carried by migratory birds. It has caused the death ...
http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-opgre194666963mar19,0,1745280.sto...
Blame Big Chicken Farms for Bird Flu Threat
Houston Chronicle - United States
... But the industrial farming methods that make ever-cheaper chicken possible may also have created the lethal strain of bird flu virus, H5N1, that threatens to ...
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/3733094.html
No human bird flu case so far, says govt
Business Standard - India
Three persons, including a boy and a doctor, who were suffering from fever, were today kept under medical observation here for suspected symptoms of bird flu. ...
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage.php?storyflag=y&leftnm...
Egypt reports bird flu case in man
Aljazeera.net - Qatar
Egypt has reported its second human case of bird flu, a 30-year-old man who worked on a chicken farm in the province of Qalyoubiya. ...
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/BBAA6833-7655-49B8-967A-8AACB48EC...
Bird flu: Israel in mass bird cull
CNN International - USA
... with the slaughter of hundreds of thousands turkeys and chickens as new tests came close to confirming Israel's first outbreak of the deadly bird flu. ...
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/conditions/03/19/bird.flu.israel.ap/
Fear: Woman, teen contracted bird flu
Ynetnews - Israel
... fever. The woman apparently worked at a private coop at the kibbutz, and there are concerns that she contracted bird flu. Meanwhile ...
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3229711,00.html
Bird flu scare impacting egg, chicken market
Hindu Business Line - India
The continuing adverse impact of the bird flu is pushing the poultry sector into a major crisis. Efforts should be made to bring ...
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/03/20/stories/2006032001880300.htm
Uganda equipped with bird flu testing machine
Xinhua - China
KAMPALA, March 19 (Xinhuanet) -- In a bid to block the bird flu virus from entering, the Ugandan government equipped its lab with bird flu-testing machine ...
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-03/20/content_4320226.htm
Avian influenza Egypt announces first human bird flu death
Morocco Times - Casablanca,Morocco
The ministry said that the 30-year old woman, who lived in the Province of Qaloubiyah (north of Cairo), had been hospitalised on Wednesday after showing ... http://www.moroccotimes.com/News/article.asp?id=13572
PM orders continual vigilance over avian influenza in poultry and ...
VietNamNet Bridge - Hanoi,Vietnam
... on March 17 signed a telegramme ordering localities and concerned agencies to continue to take drastic measures to prevent avian influenza from reappearing in ...
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/social/2006/03/551701/
March 21, 2006
Malaysia has third state infected with bird flu
Xinhua - China
KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 (Xinhuanet) -- Malaysia on Monday confirmeda bird flu case in the state of Penang, the third state hit by theepidemic in the country ...
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-03/20/content_4324399.htm
Muslim leader: Israel bird flu punishment from Allah
Ynetnews - Israel
... "Praise Allah the bird flu has hit the Jews. It ... "This bird flu will be the beginning of diseases which will hit the nonbelievers. Please ... http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3230110,00.html
EU to speed up bird flu aid to farmers
BusinessWeek - USA
20 12:02 PM ET European Union agriculture ministers said Monday they would expedite aid to poultry farmers hit by the spread of bird flu, and aim to have a ...
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8GFE0O85.htm?campaign_id=a...
Study finds two separate bird flu strains
Newsweek - USA
ATLANTA - The H5N1 strain of bird flu in humans has evolved into two separate strains, US researchers reported on Monday, which could complicate developing a ...
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11927943/
CORRECTED - Bird flu likely in US this year - government
Reuters.uk - UK
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bush administration officials said on Monday it was "increasingly likely" that bird flu would be detected in the United States as early ...
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=...
Bird flu suspects test negative
Economic Times - India
NEW DELHI: The bird flu story is taking a happy turn. Four suspected ... ET. The results put an end to fears of a bird flu outbreak. The ...
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1457404.cms
CAMEROON: Mounting bird deaths spark fears of widespread bird flu
Reuters AlertNet - London,England,UK
... in the commercial seaside town of Limbe, close to the Nigerian border but several hundred kilometres from the Cameroon's first case of confirmed bird flu in a ...
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/a128ea209c2b6cfaee869667bd...
Bird flu could hit Britain, but might not hurt
Reuters.uk - UK
LONDON (Reuters) - Bird flu might arrive in Britain in wild birds in August or September, but poultry could escape the virus that has wiped out a farm in France ...
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=20...
Bird flu: Scare eases but not over yet
Times of India - India
NEW DELHI: India can breathe easy on the bird flu front for the time being. All the 11 human samples from Jalgaon screened for the ...
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1457375.cms
No way to stop bird flu from spreading
Jerusalem Post - Israel
... business manager on Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha, said Monday that he was doubtful whether the poultry industry would ever recover from deadly bird flu that hit the ...
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1139395642711&pagename=JPost%...
Adventrx Pharma Says Thiovir Active Against H5N1 Avian Influenza ...
Trading Markets - Los Angeles,CA,USA
... Further, the company said it plans to investigate Thiovir efficacy against multiple H5N1 strains of avian influenza in both in vitro and in vivo studies in ...
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/tm.site/news/BREAKING%20NEWS/198835/
Avian Influenza Changing Into More Forms Infectious to Humans
Bloomberg - USA
... ``This increases the scope of viruses with pandemic potential and the importance of continued surveillance of H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks.''. ...
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000082&sid=aHagzW653F1c&refer=c...
Avian influenza suspected in Israel
United Press International - USA
TEL AVIV, Israel, March 19 (UPI) -- Israel expects to slaughter half a million turkeys and chickens as it struggles to contain deadly avian influenza. ...
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060319-114644-7426r
Avian influenza – situation in Egypt
World Health Organization - Geneva,Switzerland
The Ministry of Health in Egypt has confirmed the country’s first case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. ... http://www.who.int/csr/don/2006_03_20/en/
Screening for Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza in Migratory ...
PR Newswire (press release) - New York,NY,USA
'An Early Detection System for H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Wild Migratory Birds - US Interagency Strategic Plan' WASHINGTON, March 20 /PRNewswire ...
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/0...
March 22, 2006
Bird flu mutation 'adds to threat of human pandemic'
Times Online - UK
THE virus that causes bird flu has split into two distinct genetic subgroups, widening the gene pool from which a form that could trigger a human pandemic ...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,25149-2095339,00.html
Poor nations need help fighting bird flu
Reuters.uk - UK
ATLANTA (Reuters) - Fewer than three dozen nations are capable of the early detection and quick response needed to contain rapidly spreading bird flu and other ...
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID...
Poor nations need help fighting bird flu
Reuters - USA
... 21 (Reuters) - Fewer than three dozen nations are capable of the early detection and quick response needed to contain rapidly spreading bird flu and other ...
http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&st...
Bird flu kills five in Azerbaijan
Independent - London,England,UK
The bird flu deaths of five people in Azerbaijan have pushed the world total human deaths from H5N1 past 100, the World Health Organization said yesterday. ...
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article352743.ece
Bird flu no big deal, says Mayo MS
Daily Times - Lahore,Pakistan
LAHORE: All public hospitals in the city except for Mayo Hospital have set up quarantine units to deal with any outbreak of bird flu, Daily Times learnt on ...
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C03%5C22%5Cstory_22-...
Eyeing bird flu's path, US states ready defenses
Reuters - USA
CHICAGO, March 21 (Reuters) - From Hawaii to New Hampshire, states are beginning to struggle with the prospect of bird flu arriving in the United States by ... http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&st...
Bird flu: India hit by Asian strain
Times of India - India
NEW DELHI: The high-security animal disease lab in Bhopal, testing each bird or animal sample for bird flu, confirms that India has been hit by the Asian ...
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1458598.cms
African nations to monitor bird flu measures
Independent Online - Cape Town,South Africa
... officials agreed on Tuesday to set up a continental monitoring committee to ensure that each country implements emergency measures to tackle bird flu, the top ...
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=84&art_id=qw1142977...
Bird Flu `Red Alert` in NWFP after conformation from UK
PakTribune.com - Pakistan
... to immediately establish monitoring cells for surveillance of poultry farms in the province after British Laboratory verified presence of bird flu virus in ...
http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=138101
H5N1 bird flu confirmed
Daily Times - Lahore,Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: The government on Tuesday confirmed the presence of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus in the poultry samples taken from two ...
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C03%5C22%5Cstory_22-...
USDA, DOI, HHS share interagency plans for US avian influenza ...
Agriculture Online - USA
... Human Services Mike Leavitt met with reporters in Washington, DC, yesterday, to discuss federal preparedness in the event of an outbreak of avian influenza. ... http://www.agriculture.com/ag/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/ag/story...
Avian Influenza Impact On The Countryside, Defra, UK
Medical News Today (press release) - UK
In the event of an outbreak of Avian Influenza (AI) the countryside would not be closed down as it was during the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in ...
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=39969
Ag secretary offers reassuring words about spread of avian ...
Staunton News Leader - Staunton,VA,USA
... "This is flu season for birds, and avian influenza virus can move through bird populations pretty efficiently," he said. "But it's ...
http://www.newsleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060321/NEWS01/603...
Avian influenza – situation in Azerbaijan - update 2
World Health Organization - Geneva,Switzerland
... WHO is confident that ongoing house-to-house surveillance for cases of influenza-like illness, undertaken by more than 90 local medical teams in Salyan and ... http://www.who.int/csr/don/2006_03_21a/en/
Presence of H5 avian influenza confirmed in Poultry farms of ...
PakTribune.com - Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, March 22 (Online): World Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza at weighbridge England has endorsed the presence of Avian Influenza H5 at two ...
http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=138195
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) - Embargo of Birds from Specified ...
Community Dispatch (press release) - USA
Based on concerns about highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus and its potential to cause illness in humans, CDC and the US Department of ... http://communitydispatch.com/artman/publish/article_4268.shtml
Egypt reports first human death from avian influenza
CBC News - Canada
Egyptian authorities confirmed their first case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. A 30-year-old woman developed ...
http://www.cbc.ca/storyview/MSN/world/national/2006/03/20/avianflu060320...
March 23, 2006
Bird Flu May Prove Big Threat To Biological Diversity - UN ...
Student Operated Press - Vero Beach,FL,USA
“We are learning many hard lessons from the threatened pandemic,” the head of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which is administered by the UN ...
http://www.thesop.org/index.php?id=733
Human Bird Flu Deaths Pass 100 with Azerbaijan Fatalities
Washington File - Washington,DC,USA
... A new threat posed by the virus was suggested March 22 at a meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) being held in Curitiba, Brazil. ... http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006...
China Turns Over Bird Flu Samples to WHO
Houston Chronicle - United States
BEIJING, China — China agreed to turn over bird flu samples from poultry to the World Health Organization as Vietnam stepped up efforts along its borders ...
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/3741415.html
BIRD FLU FOUND IN GAZA
Special Broadcasting Service - Australia
Bird flu has been detected among poultry in Gaza but tests have yet to determine whether the virus is the H5N1 strain deadly to humans. ...
http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/region.php?id=127894®ion=6
Experts seek to contain Azeri bird flu outbreak
Malaysia Star - Malaysia
SALYAN, Azerbaijan (Reuters) - A bird flu outbreak in Azerbaijan that has killed five young people seems to have stabilised, the World Health Organisation (WHO ...
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/3/23/worldupdates/2006-0...
African Bird Flu Conference Fails to Discuss Human Infection
Voice of America - USA
At the end of a three-day bird flu conference in Gabon, some experts are surprised that African ministers did not discuss measures to prevent human infection. ...
http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-03-22-voa15.cfm
Clue to slow human bird flu jump
BBC News - UK
Scientists believe they may have discovered a reason why the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus cannot yet jump easily between humans. Flu ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4829858.stm
Scientists find why bird flu doesn't spread easily
CTV.ca - Canada
The H5N1 strain of bird flu lodges itself too deeply in the respiratory tract of humans to be easily expelled by coughing and sneezing. ...
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060321/bird_flu_tr...
H5N1 bird flu may have spread to Gaza: official
Reuters - USA
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu which struck Israel last week appears to have spread to the Gaza Strip, Palestinian ...
http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=globalNews&storyID=2...
Bird flu report pushes sales further down
Daily Times - Lahore,Pakistan
KARACHI: Confirmation from Britain of presence of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has hit sales of chicken, pushing the prices of chicken at retail level ...
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C03%5C23%5Cstory_23-...
Update 1: Bird Flu on Hospital Specialists' Agenda
Forbes - USA
Hospital infection experts bracing for a possible worldwide flu epidemic say the first US cases might show up in travelers returning from bird flu hot spots ...
http://www.forbes.com/infoimaging/feeds/ap/2006/03/22/ap2614848.html
Schools urged to prepare for bird flu
MSNBC - USA
... The nation’s schools, recognized incubators of respiratory diseases among children, are being told to plan for the possibility of an outbreak of bird flu. ...
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11958162/
Pakistan confirms Avian Influenza
Asian Tribune - Bangkok,Thailand
Islamabad, 23 March, (Asiantribune.com): Pakistan has confirmed first cases of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu or Avian Influenza that has already hit ...
http://www.asiantribune.com/show_news.php?id=17404
March 24, 2006
UN: Bird Flu May Imperil Diversity
Prensa Latina - Havana,Cuba
... before that, in the sessions of the Convention on Biological Diversity the Conference in the Brazilian city of Curitiba. Ahmed Djodhlaf, CBD executive secretary ... http://www.plenglish.com/Article.asp?ID=%7BBD398048-2FA5-4AA6-B89F-9698F...
Avian flu may threaten endangered species
People & the Planet - London,UK
Experts attending the Convention on Biological Diversity conference, which ... Ahmed Djoghlaf, Exceutive Secretary of the CBD, said: “We are learning many ... http://www.peopleandplanet.net/doc.php?id=2699
Bird flu poses fresh threat to endangered species
Reuters AlertNet - London,England,UK
... It said experts at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) conference in Brazil said "there is growing evidence that the H5N1 virus can infect and harm ...
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L22367371.htm
Avian Flu May Prove Big Threat to Biological Diversity
Harold Doan and Associates (press release) - Rocklin,CA,USA
Experts attending the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) conference say there is growing evidence that the H5N1 virus can infect and harm big cats like ... http://www.harolddoan.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=485
Albania, Greece cooperate to keep bird flu under control
Xinhua - China
23 (Xinhua) -- Albania and its southern neighborGreece will join hands in tackling the spread of bird flu, said a report carried by local media on Thursday. ...
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-03/24/content_4338420.htm
Experts Make Bird Flu Progress
Red Herring - CA,USA
Scientists said Thursday they have pinned down why the H5N1 bird flu virus has trouble jumping from person to person, even though it can replicate efficiently ...
http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=16246&hed=Experts+Make+Bird+Flu...
Woman dies of suspected bird flu in Shanghai
Stuff.co.nz - Wellington,New Zealand
SHANGHAI: A woman has died of what could be bird flu in the eastern Chinese city of Shanghai, state television said. The patient ...
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3613918a12,00.html
More cases of bird flu confirmed in Stockholm
Xinhua - China
STOCKHOLM, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Three new cases of the highly pathogenic strain of H5 bird flu were confirmed in central Stockholm on Thursday, Radio Sweden ...
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-03/24/content_4338427.htm
Americans Get Ready for Bird Flu
Voice of America - USA
The World Health Organization says the deaths of five people in Azerbaijan have pushed the world total human deaths from H5N1 bird flu past 100. ...
http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-03-23-voa34.cfm
Pandemic risk remains despite bird flu find
Swissinfo - Switzerland
... Ruef said that when a pandemic arrived one strain of bird flu was likely to prove dominant and drugmakers would direct a vaccine against this virus. ...
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=106&sid=6572862&cKe...
Chinese Get Crash Course in Bird Flu
Houston Chronicle - United States
By ALEXA OLESEN Associated Press Writer. BEIJING — Can the bird flu virus pass through skin? ... Is it useful to stockpile bird flu vaccines? ...
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/3743505.html
Bird flu hits small farms, paves way to new disease
ABC News - USA
LONDON (Reuters) - Bird flu could spell the end for small poultry farmers and open the door to more diseases at intensive farms, campaigners said on Thursday. ...
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1759053
Maine steps up bird flu planning, monitoring
Reuters AlertNet - London,England,UK
... Maine is modeling its plan after Alaska, where many expect the first US case of bird flu to be detected, Mark Stadler, director of the wildlife division of ...
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N23321672.htm
Mexican official denies rumor of bird flu on northern border with ...
San Diego Union Tribune - United States
“Mexico is totally free of bird flu,” Jose Angel del Valle, the department's head of animal health, said in a telephone interview. ...
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/20060323-1127-mexico-birdflu.html
UN, Africa call for concerted efforts to fight bird flu pandemic
People's Daily Online - Beijing,China
... called for coordinated efforts of African countries as well as between African countries and UN agencies to tackle the grave threat of the bird flu pandemic on ...
http://english.people.com.cn/200603/23/eng20060323_252892.html
Avian influenza suspected in Israel
NewKerala.com - Ernakulam,Kerala,India
TEL AVIV, Israel: Israel expects to slaughter half a million turkeys and chickens as it struggles to contain deadly avian influenza. ... http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&id=28152
Avian influenza suspected in Israel
Alarab online - London,UK
Israel expects to slaughter half a million turkeys and chickens as it struggles to contain deadly avian influenza. On Sunday, the ... http://english.alarabonline.org/display.asp?fname=2006%5C03%5C03-20%5Cza...
Commercial Poultry Industry Prepared for Avian Influenza
Kansas City infoZine - Kansas City,MO,USA
... of Agriculture, Department of Interior and Health and Human Services for communicating their proactive approach to preparing for Avian Influenza (AI) in the ...
http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/13669/
Avian Influenza: Measures for Sweden, France and Israel agreed
EUROPA (press release) - Brussels,Belgium
Following the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza on a game farm in Sweden last week, the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health ... http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/06/370&fo...
ADVENTRX Says Thiovir Active Against H5N1 Avian Influenza Chimeric ...
Trading Markets - Los Angeles,CA,USA
The company plans to further investigate Thiovir efficacy against multiple H5N1 strains of avian influenza in both in vitro and in vivo studies. ... http://www.tradingmarkets.com/tm.site/news/BREAKING%20NEWS/198900/
