About 15,000 chickens from Tyson Foods, Inc. in Arkansas have tested positive for H7N3, also known as Bird Flu or Avian Influenza. H7N3 is another low pathogenic strain of the disease similar to H5N1 which is more highly pathogenic.
The birds in question showed no signs of illness and the company says there was little risk to humans. A company spokes person said the incident was very low risk.
Tyson Foods said it will step up its testing for bird flu in response. Source 1 Source 2
After the large fire that swept through Universal Studios on Sunday, the President Ron Meyer, vowed that it would be "business as usual" come Monday.
Being true to his word they loaded visitors onto a tram to tour the studios back lot where the fire damage occurred. “We’re going to take you right up next to the devastated part of the lot, and give you a closeup look,” a smiling guide who identified himself as Owen told visitors. “Actually, Hollywood has a long history of back-lot fires,” said Owen. He told the visitors — who asked no questions, and seemed to take it all in stride.
The smell of smoke hung in the air Monday as tourists on the park's tram ride applauded firefighters as they drove past. At least a dozen fire trucks remained on the lot as smoke continued to rise from thick, twisted piles of girders.
The fire was started accidentally by company employees using a blowtorch to heat asphalt roofing shingles, authorities said. It was initially spotted by a security guard at approx 4:43 AM Sunday morning who reported the fire.
The blaze burned for more than 12 hours but was contained to the back lot. It gutted a building housing 40,000 to 50,000 videos, but Universal Studios President and Chief Operating Officer Ron Meyer said there were duplicates of everything.
It also destroyed a King Kong attraction, the courthouse square from Back to the Future, which my wife tells me is also the set of CBS' Ghost Whisperer, and a street scape featured in Spider-Man 2 and Transformers.
About 400 firefighters battled the blaze for nearly 18 hours and were severely hampered by low water pressure.
Damage cost estimates at this time are unknown but, another fire at Universal Studios in November 1990 caused $25 million in damage and was rebuilt in three months.
At Least eight people have been killed as of this writting at the Danish Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan after a suicide car bombing.
The large blast was reportedly heard two miles away and occurred around midday local time.
“It was a suicide attack carried out in a vehicle, apparently targeting the Denmark embassy,” the senior security official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Myanmar's military junta is creating more delays and havoc among relief workers and still refusing aid from some places.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates made a statement on the issue earlier today saying that he will make a decision in a matter of days about leaving the cost of Myanmar. In the statement he said "it's becoming pretty clear the regime is not going to let us help." He also added that as a result many more people in the country will die.
Asked if the military junta there is guilty of genocide, Gates said, "I tend to see genocide more as a purposeful elimination of people, this is more akin, in my view, to criminal neglect."
Speaking to reporters at the close of an international security conference here, Gates said the Myanmar representative at the forum did not seem interested in speaking with him. But, he said "it was interesting to watch as minister after minister described their respective unhappiness at their inability to get assistance in to Burma."
The case was a 16 month old boy, who was infected in January and has made a full recovery. It was determined the boy became infected when he was exposed to live and slaughtered chickens in his home.
A further update on the H5N1 outbreak will be posted later this week, check back for periodic updates.
My name is Keith Erwood, and disasters are my life. Well, not just disasters really, but to help people like you, owners, executives and managers of businesses prepare for disasters and emergencies.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 at 7:55PM 
