Tachi Yamada, head of health at the mega charity set up by the Microsoft corp. chairman, said the foundation wanted to become involved since 95 percent of deaths from any flu pandemic were likely to be in the developing world. Scientists say the H5N1 virus found in bird populations in Asia, Europe and Africa is the most likely source of the next global flu pandemic in humans, since it may soon mutate into a form that is transmitted easily from person to person. Several companies are...

A lethal combination of no rain and abundant heat arrived at the time many stalks of corn in the Lower Shore's $35 million corn industry were undergoing the crucial pollination stage. Geno Lowe, who farms 700 acres of corn near Hebron, said part of the trade is dealing with the whims of the weather. That increase has upped the feed cost for poultry by $21 per ton, she said. In the meantime, farmers will continue tending to their other crops -- soybean hasn't been affected as much yet --...

Tachi Yamada, head of health at the mega charity set up by the Microsoft corp. chair, said the foundation wanted to become involved since 95 per cent of deaths from any flu pandemic were likely to be in the developing world. Yamada said no specific grant program was in place, but the charity was using "our convening capabilities to ensure that a dialogue takes place," and he believed significant progress had been made. Jul 13, 2007 04:30 AM The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is...

R will ask EU for financial aid to fight bird flu By TK / Published 17 July 2007 Brussels, July 16 (CTK) - The Czech Republic will ask the European Commission to cover a half of the costs of its ongoing efforts to combat bird flu at the Usti nad Orlice area, east Bohemia, Czech Agriculture Minister Petr Gandalovic told journalists in Brussels Monday. R will ask EU for financial aid to fight bird flu By TK / Published 17 July 2007 Brussels, July 16 (CTK) - The Czech Republic will ask the...

The US Department of Agriculture will reimburse the farmer the fair market value of the 54,000 turkeys in which the antibodies were found during routine testing earlier this month. The discovery of the flock with avian flu antibodies prompted Virginia's state veterinarian to ban all live poultry sales and shows until July 30th, as well as the application of poultry litter on fields in 17 counties in and near the Shenandoah Valley. The cost of destroying and disposing of the birds also will...