A strain of H5N1 avian influenza identified last year has become dominant in southern China and is the source of a new wave of bird flu in Southeast Asia, scientists reported today. Chickens tend to succumb only in the winter, but the researchers found cases in 11 of the 12 months of their study, up from four of 12 months the previous year. The Fujian-like strain, named for the coastal Chinese province where it was first identified, has steadily risen in prevalence over the past year,...

A worker in a bio-hazard suits gestures as new gas for the culling machine arrives at the entry of a sealed off poultry farm in Hofing, southern Germany September 9, 2007. German authorities started the biggest culling action in post-war history on Saturday at two farms in the Bavarian towns Trumling and Hofing as a protective measure over fears of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu. Here is a chronology of major recent bird flu developments: Feb. Her death brings the number of confirmed...

Earlier studies have revealed that poultry and mice infected with the virus gain weight even when they don't eat much and research has also shown that people, who are obese, carry the virus more than their lean counterparts. In a new finding, it appears that adenovirus that causes cold and sore throat could also lead to obesity in certain cases. The study revealed that stem cells or master cells that can mutate into other cells and tissue were infected with adenovirus as they altered into...

Are biofuels everything they're cracked up to be? Following the president's proposal, we would need 35 billion gallons of fuel if corn remains the primary source. Since 70 percent of the corn grown is fed to livestock and poultry, this means that there will be higher prices for meat, milk and eggs. The grain is first crushed and fermented, followed by as many as three distillation steps. government became interested in biofuels when Brazil demonstrated several years ago that ethanol,...

STERLING Groups of young teenage girls and separate groups of adolescent boys walked through the Sterling Fair as soon as the fair opened at 4:45 p. families were pouring through the entrance gate, where visitors could donate $2 for a Sterling Fair pin, but no other entrance or parking fee was charged Vendors were selling sausage, fried dough, tacos and other fare while the Sterling Firefighters Association was making fresh smoked roast beef and ham sandwiches. families were pouring...

The consumer safety talks on Monday and Tuesday overlap with separate meetings on meat and poultry standards and food safety between officials of the U. Get All the Market Sensitive News & Alerts Delivered Right to Your Desktop APEC Leaders Tackle Climate, Doha [] 9/9/2007 7:41:02 PM Leaders of 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum issued a joint statement over the weekend, calling on the global community to combat climate change. Get All the Market...