bird flu

The Bush administration warned Monday that bird flu will probably arrive in the United States this year. Officials announced plans to test 75,000 to 100,000 birds for early signs of the disease. The most likely route into the country for the disease is believed to be along the Pacific flyway, the path followed by migratory birds as they cross into the country. The flyway stretches the length of the West coast from Alaska to California.

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said that the …

The new head of Google's philanthropic wing said he is organizing an initiative that will use information technology to provide early warning in the event of a possible outbreak of pandemic influenza or other communicable disease. Dr. Larry Brilliant, who was named head Google.org last week, announced the International Networked System for Total Early Disease Protection at a meeting of the Technology, Entertainment and Design Conference in Monterey California. The initiative has early …

> A third member of a Turkish family has died of bird flu in the town of Dogubeyazit, close to the Iranian border. The World Health Organization says a quarantine has been imposed on the town. These are the first bird flu deaths outside of Asia. Article

> Louisiana, which faces an uninsurance crisis after Hurricane Katrina, granted Affiliated Computer Services' a 20-month, $11 million contract extension to …

> A serious bird-flu epidemic breaks out and spreads worldwide.

> Significant numbers of physicians stop taking Medicare after a fee cut.

> Bankruptcy of major for-profit hospital systems.

> A malicious virus infects a significant number of medical devices causing patient deaths due to inaccurate readings.

> The FDA regulates health information software.

> An outbreak of a hospital-centered bacterial infection, such as MSRA, becomes a …

Public health officials are expressing concern that a federal plan to respond to an avian flu outbreak may not do enough to ensure that supplies are available and that local healthcare facilities are able to handle a sharp increase in patients. Michael Osterhom of the Center for Infectious Disease Research at the University of Minnesota says that he is worried about the impact of an outbreak on a global economy.

- see this …

The potential for an avian flu pandemic remains a major national story. President Bush today meets with pharma company representatives to discuss ways to increase production. Unconfirmed reports suggest the administration is making plans to raise the nation's stockpile of Tamiflu from 12 million doses to 81 million doses. Critics say the move comes too late as other countries have already placed major orders with Roche, the antiviral's manufacturer. According to some estimates, the …

> A medical society representing cardiologists who implant defibrillators in patients said it is preparing guidelines for device makers after Guidant's problems. Story (Wall Street Journal sub. req.)

> Investor's Business Daily looks at the IT changes hospitals are being forced to make to meet HIPAA requirements. …

> Vietnam reported that an outbreak of the bird flu appears to be widening. Story

>  Robert F. Kennedy jr. has authored an investigative piece which alleges a government and pharmaceutical cover-up of a connection between the mercury based vaccine preservative thimerosal and childhood autism. …

> DeLay attacks upcoming stem cell bill. Story

> IBM and LineaGen will led the technological effort behind a project to study the massive database of genetic information developed by the Mormon church. Story

> WHO issues another bird flu warning. …