29/06/07

Bird flu update: 2 July 2007

Vietnamese men protect themselves from bird flu Copyright: FAO

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Below is a round-up of the key developments on the spread of the bird flu virus (H5N1) and the threat it poses to human health. Each title is a link to the full article.

Click here to see the latest World Health Organization (WHO) figures of confirmed human cases.

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Monday 2 July 2007
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Alliance to fight bird flu in Bangladesh
A body from the private sector arm of the World Bank and a Bangladeshi nongovernmental organisation have joined forces to fight bird flu in Bangladesh. They aim to help farmers implement measures to improve farming practices (source: Reuters).

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Saturday 30 June 2007
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British Medical Journal denounces bird flu coverage
The deputy editor of the British Medical Journal has condemned the scientists, conference organisers and media organisations that keep bird flu in the public eye, saying the disease has a relatively minor impact on public health (source: British Medical Journal).

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Friday 29 June 2007
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WHO confirms Vietnam cases
The WHO has confirmed the two latest Vietnamese bird flu cases (source: WHO).

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Thursday 28 June 2007
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Vietnam vaccine spending totals US$7.8 Million
Vietnam has spent US$7.8 million on bird flu vaccines this year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. However, the Veterinary Department has asked the government to stop subsidising the vaccine so that local communities are encouraged to concentrate on their own bird flu initiatives (source: Vietnam News Agency).

UNICEF pilot projects underway in the Philippines
Three pilot UNICEF projects to increase community bird flu awareness and outbreak planning have been carried out in the Philippines (source: Philippine Information Agency).

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Wednesday 27 June 2007
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UN: Bird flu still critical in Egypt, Indonesia and Nigeria
Despite global improvements in the fight against bird flu, the situation remains critical in Egypt, Indonesia and Nigeria, says a UN official (source: Today Online).

Zimbabwe to set up bird flu taskforce
Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and the Department of Veterinary Services are planning to set up a task force to deal with bird flu (source: The Herald Harare).

Bird flu experts meet in Rome
Bird flu experts from around the world are in Rome, Italy, for a three day meeting to discuss better ways to fight the H5N1 virus (source: Reuters).

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Tuesday 26 June 2007
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Experts meet on bird flu threat
Thirty experts from 15 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America reviewed recent bird flu cases at a UN summit in Scotland (source: BBC)

Thailand provides medical equipment to Cambodia
The Thai government has approved the donation of medicine and medical equipment — including bird flu testing kits, masks and gloves — to Cambodia for the prevention and control of bird flu. The aid is part of a joint project organised by Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam (source: Xinhua).