Free Republic

The Agriculture Ministry suspects that the bird flu that hit Israel last week originated in the Gaza Strip and that the Palestinian Authority attempted to conceal the outbreak. "We suspect that the avian flu outbreak in Israel originated in the Palestinian Authority," Agriculture Minister Ze'ev Boim (Kadima) said Thursday, while touring the sites of the outbreak in southern Israel. "There is reason to suspect that the Palestinian Authority tried to conceal the outbreak from Israel." Initial tests conducted on chicken carcasses from Gaza this week indicated the existence of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu there. The virus was...

Toronto — Researchers in Vietnam have reported two additional cases of H5N1 avian flu infection in which the virus developed resistance to the antiviral drug Tamiflu. While the findings will likely lead to concern over the future efficacy of the drug — the main weapon in the limited arsenal against pandemic flu — influenza experts were quick to caution against over-interpreting the results. But they said the findings raise serious concerns about whether the current dosing regime — which is based on experience with regular human flu strains — is adequate to combat the infection caused by this virulent avian...

Sauerkraut, the dish adored in Germany but much maligned in Britain, could prove to be a secret weapon against the threat of bird flu, experts revealed yesterday. Scientists believe that the traditional recipe, which is made from chopped cabbage that is fermented for at least a month, contains a bacteria that may combat the potentially fatal disease. Their findings follow a study in which kimchi - a spicy cabbage dish popular in South Korea and similar to sauerkraut - was fed to 13 chickens infected with bird flu. Just one week later, 11 of the birds showed signs of recovery...

HA NOI — Heightened awareness has proved a decisive factor in the initial success against the recent bird flu outbreak, reportedly waning in Viet Nam, reported authorities. The Animal Health Department of the Ministry for Agriculture and Rural Development said nine out of 35 affected provinces and cities have been disease free for over 21 days. Compared to the previous outbreak, the number of affected zones and culled poultry sharply decreased this time around. Last year, officials killed 37.5 million birds, whereas this year the number only reached 1.5 million. Bui Quang Anh, director of the department, said the lower...