In 1918, 50 million people died during a worldwide influenza pandemic caused by mutation of a bird-specific strain of the influenza virus. Recently H5N1, another highly infectious avian strain has caused outbreaks of bird flu around the world. There is great concern that this virus might also mutate to allow human-to-human transmission and cause another catastrophic pandemic.

Authorities in Laos say they have detected the country's first outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu virus in almost seven months.

Russian authorities say the H5N1 strain of bird flu deadly to humans has been confirmed on at least two farms outside Moscow where the virus was first detected last week.

Russian health authorities have confirmed an outbreak of bird flu in the Moscow region.

The yearly influenza vaccine that health officials urge people to get each fall might also offer certain individuals some cross protection against the H5N1 virus, commonly known as bird flu, according to investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

British authorities say the bird flu strain found in turkeys on a farm in eastern England may be identical to a strain that killed wild geese in Hungary.

A combination of antiviral drugs should be stockpiled for use in an influenza pandemic, say researchers in this week's BMJ.

The U.S. Embassy warned its citizens to avoid contact with stray cats in Indonesia, saying there had been confirmed reports the animals in the country were able to carry the deadly bird flu virus.

In the wake of last week's announcement confirming Nigeria's first human case of bird flu, Gilbert da Costa in Abuja examines the incidence of bird flu in Nigeria and growing concerns about its spread.

Russia and Japan have imposed bans on British poultry products, after an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu at a turkey farm in eastern England last week.

For nearly a year, there had been a relative lull in cases of H5N1 in Europe. But last month, the deadly strain of avian influenza was found in geese in Hungary. And now an outbreak at a turkey farm in Britain has led to the slaughter there of more than 150,000 birds over the past few days.

The head of the World Health Organization says more must be done to cure "neglected" diseases that afflict 1 billion people in developing countries.