The announcement, made on Friday by the World Health Organization, follows two months of heated debate about the flu research.

For the first time ever, a government advisory board is asking scientific journals not to publish details of certain biomedical experiments, for fear that the information could be used by terrorists to create deadly viruses and touch off epidemics.

— Habitat destruction and species extinction may lead to an increase in diseases that infect humans and other species, according to a paper in the journal Nature co-authored by a University of Florida ecologist.

..the Iowa cat's case reinforces just how different H1N1 is from the seasonal flu viruses.

Yu Wang at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing and co-workers1 have identified a case in Nanjing where a father caught the same strain of H5N1 that killed his son.

A bird flu virus that killed dogs in South Korea can spread from one dog to another, showing that the disease is capable of crossing species and causing widespread sickness in mammals, a study found.

Ducks, people and rice paddies – rather than chickens – are the major factors behind outbreaks of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza in Thailand and Viet Nam, and are probably behind outbreak persistence in other countries of the region such as Cambodia and Lao PDR.

Liberia has just one veterinarian. As part of his many government duties, the veterinarian, who is also director of livestock resources, helps prevent bird flu, following outbreaks in nearby countries.

Despite significant advances to deal with the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu in the past two years, countries must maintain their vigilance and cooperate in the face of a possible pandemic, according to a joint United Nations and World Bank report.

Africa has little ability to achieve any of the priorities identified by the WHO to fight avian influenza, warn Folorunso O. Fasina, Shahn P. Bisschop and Robert G. Webster in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Japan suspended poultry imports from Canada on Friday after the H7N3 strain of avian influenza was found on a Saskatchewan chicken farm, the Japanese agriculture ministry said.

BEIJING, Sept. 18 -- China scrambled to respond Tuesday to an outbreak of bird flu among ducks in the southern city of Guangzhou. But as officials sought to reassure the public, there were signs that China was reluctant to release details about a possible health threat.

Only 27% of Americans describe themselves as concerned about avian influenza, down from 35% last year, according to a national survey released this week.

A lightning strike knocked out power for about an hour last month at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new $214 million infectious disease building.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued two reports that address avian and pandemic influenza planning; one examining how well the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is prepared to respond to avian flu outbreaks and the other assessing efforts by US and internation …

ATLANTA - A leading U.S. health agency staged a war game this week to test its response to one of the worst health emergencies it could imagine — an outbreak of avian flu on American soil.

The vaccine, approved for adults 18 to 64, will not be available for sale to the general public. It will be dispensed only by the government in the event of a pandemic under rules that have yet to be fully worked out.

Scientists around the world are racing to study the ways in which H5N1 might mutate to spread easily among humans.

Dr. Margaret Chan has been approved to head the World Health Organization, making her the first Chinese citizen to take on that role. Chan organized the Chinese response to Avian Influenza and SARS.

The structure of an enzyme in avian influenza may give clues on how we can develop drugs to combat this disease. A classic example of structure-based drug design in progress.

A 35-year-old Indonesian woman who died last week was infected with bird flu, two local tests showed, and a possible new cluster case is being probed after her daughter died showing similar symptoms, officials said today.

Just the Facts: Avian Influenza

Here are some basic facts:

From the article:

Does this mean the Avian flu has indeed mutated and is about to ravish humankind? Stay tuned and start putting your cans of tuna fish under your bed (so recommends ABC News).