There's been an intense burst of attention being paid to avian flu as government officials have become alarmed at the possibility of a sudden outbreak. Government planners say that a worst-case scenario of a super flu pandemic could kill 1.9 million Americans and millions more worldwide. A best-case scenario would be 200,000 deaths; and they're updating plans on how the country would deal with a catastrophe of that nature, which would quickly overwhelm hospitals and the country's healthcare system. The government is also concerned with maintaining public order. The government has acquired enough Tamiflu for 4.3 million people but is scrambling to lay its hands on much, much more.

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ALSO: Australia's CSL is downplaying the possibility of windfall profits from its experimental bird flu vaccine; but its experimental cervical cancer vaccine--Gardasil--could be worth up to $200 million per year in royalties. Article

PLUS: The European Commission has banned bird imports from Turkey after an outbreak of avian flu in that country's bird population. Health officials are trying to determine which of the avian flu viruses--there are several--is killing birds now in Turkey and Romania as the disease spreads westward. Report