Nonetheless, any possibility of exposure is taken very seriously and the Health Protection Agency is working closely with Defra and local NHS partners to ensure that all the necessary actions are being taken to protect those people who may have been exposed to the virus. Nonetheless, any possibility of exposure is taken very seriously and the Health Protection Agency is working closely with Defra and local NHS partners to ensure that all the necessary actions are being taken to protect...

BANGKOK - Baxter International inc. said Friday that its trial vaccine against an Indonesian strain of avian influenza was safe and effective in a human study, the first time a vaccine has been developed against the virus' deadliest strain. Findings show the experimental vaccine, derived from an Indonesian victim who died after infection with the strain of H5N1 bird flu in 2005, induced protection in more than 90 percent of healthy volunteers even at the lowest dose. Firm calls 2-dose...

Many farms have downsized operations, resulting in significant layoffs and the suspension of business, while producers of poultry feed and farm equipment have also been hard hit. This close proximity of human beings is a risk element for transmission of any contagious disease like flu, Nazrul Haq, a member of the government s technical working group on avian influenza risk, said, adding that the hot and humid environment helps pathogens spread quickly. This close proximity of human beings...

CANBERRA (Dow Jones)--Australian police will question a man who triggered a bird flu scare at Sydney Airport early Wednesday after health authorities ruled out avian influenza as the cause of his in-flight illness. Emergency services sprang into action after the airline reported the man had fallen ill on a flight from Vietnam to Australia, after recently visiting an area with chickens. A "medium level" outbreak of avian influenza would have a serious affect on Australia's economy, reducing...

The imposed ban comes almost a week after the Saudi Agriculture Ministry announced that it had culled over 90,000 birds after deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu was detected at some poultry farms. Oman's decision came as the UAE issued a similar ban after detecting "suspicious samples" among poultry products from Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia cited migratory birds as the cause of outbreak. Oman bans poultry products from Saudi Arabia. Muscat: Oman's agriculture ministry has issued a ban on...

More than 28,000 birds were slaughtered following a suspected outbreak of H5N1 bird flu, a variant of the disease capable of being transmitted to humans. Mr Benn has now said farmers may need to bear the brunt of disease outbreaks, following a year when farms across the UK have been struck with foot and mouth disease, bluetongue disease and bird flu. The cull of poultry on four sites suspected of being infected by bird flu has ended, the government has said. Following the discovery of dead...