JAKARTA, Oct 21, 2007 (AFP) - A young Indonesian girl who died at the weekend on the island of Sumatra was not infected with bird flu, a health ministry official said Monday.

The 10-year-old was admitted to hospital on Saturday suffering symptoms that led doctors to suspect she could be carrying the H5N1 virus, which has killed 88 people in Indonesia, the highest number anywhere in the world.

'The test result is negative,' said Haris Sugiantoro, an official at the health ministry's bird flu information centre.

JAKARTA, Oct 13, 2007 (AFP) - A 12-year-old Indonesian boy has died of bird flu, raising the toll in the nation worst affected by avian flu to 88, the health ministry said Saturday.

The boy, who tested positive for the H5N1 virus, died at a hospital in Tangerang, just west of here, at 7:30 am (0030 GMT), said Nirwan, a staffer on duty at the health ministry's bird flu information centre.

GENEVA, Oct 9, 2007 (AFP) - European plans to cope with a possible flu pandemic have major weaknesses which might lead to chaos, a study published by the World Health Organisation said Tuesday.

The study of 29 European countries by scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said authorities must urgently tackle shortcomings in preparation for vaccine and antiviral drug distribution, insufficient stockpiles, and incoherent plans for border controls.

GENEVA, Oct 9, 2007 (AFP) - European plans to cope with a possible flu pandemic have major weaknesses which must be tackled urgently, a study published by the World Health Organisation said Tuesday.

The study of 29 European countries by scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine highlighted shortcomings in preparation for vaccine and antiviral drug distribution, insufficient stockpiles, and incoherent plans for border controls.

JAKARTA, Oct 8, 2007 (AFP) - A 44-year-old woman from Indonesia's Sumatra island has died of bird flu, raising the toll in the nation worst affected by the disease to 87, the health ministry said Monday.

The woman died at the general hospital in Pekanbaru, central Sumatra. Two samples taken from the woman tested positive for the H5N1 virus, the health ministry's bird flu information centre said in a press release.

CHICAGO, Oct 5, 2007 (AFP) - Bird flu has mutated so that it can more easily spread to humans and a change in a single amino acid could radically increase its virulence, according to two new studies.

While there has been some transmission of bird flu among the family members of those first infected through close interaction with ill birds, the virus has not yet evolved to the point where it can spread easily among humans.

But researchers warn that it is moving in that direction and with the wrong combination of mutations it could become a pandemic flu.

JAKARTA, Oct 5, 2007 (AFP) - An Indonesian woman suspected of being infected with bird flu died Friday on the island of Sumatra, a hospital official there said.

Blood and tissue samples from the 44-year-old victim have been sent for testing in Jakarta, said Azizman Daad, a doctor at the Arifin Achmad Hospital in Riau province said.

Two tests must come back positive for the H5N1 virus before a victim is confirmed as part of the official bird flu death toll in Indonesia, which is the highest in the world at 86.

PARIS, Oct 3, 2007 (AFP) - Swedish scientists say that Tamiflu -- the frontline weapon in any bird-flu pandemic -- cannot be broken down by sewage systems and this could help the virus mutate dangerously into a drug-resistant strain.

Countries around the world are stockpiling Tamiflu in the belief it will help curb any future outbreak of H5N1 avian flu among humans.

PARIS, Oct 3, 2007 (AFP) - Swedish scientists say that Tamiflu -- the frontline weapon in any bird-flu pandemic -- cannot be broken down by sewage systems and this could help the virus mutate dangerously into a drug-resistant strain.

Countries around the world are stockpiling Tamiflu in the belief it will help curb any future outbreak of H5N1 avian flu among humans.

BEIJING, Oct 1, 2007 (AFP) - China has banned Canadian poultry imports after the discovery of bird flu on a farm in west Canada, Chinese state media said Monday.

The ban covers all poultry and related products, and orders the return or destruction of products imported after September 23, the Xinhua news agency said.

All Canadian poultry products that must pass through China on the way to third countries also must be sealed up, according to the agency.