New species of Ebola virus discovered

(Not flu related, but very concerning)
Scientists report the discovery of a new species of Ebola virus, provisionally named Bundibugyo ebolavirus, 21 Nov [2008] in the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens. The virus, which was responsible for a hemorrhagic fever outbreak in western Uganda in 2007, has been characterized by a team of researchers from the Centers [...]

Bio Lab In Galveston, Texas, Raises Concerns

Much of the University of Texas medical school on the island of Galveston suffered flood damage during Hurricane Ike, except for one gleaming new building, a national biological defense laboratory that will soon house some of the most deadly diseases in the world.
 How a laboratory where scientists plan to study viruses like Ebola and Marburg [...]

South Africa: From the W.H.O website

Unknown disease in South Africa and Zambia
10 October 2008 — (Snip) Laboratory analysis has been conducted in South Africa at the Special Pathogens Unit, National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service. Samples have, so far, tested negative for a series of viral haemorrhagic fevers and other common infectious disease pathogens. [...]

Some info on viral hemorrhagic fevers

The viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a diverse group of animal and human illnesses that are caused by five distinct families of RNA viruses: the Arenaviridae, Filoviridae, Bunyaviridae, Togaviridae, and Flaviviridae. All types of VHF are characterized by fever and bleeding disorders and all can progress to high fever, shock and death in extreme cases. [...]

‘Mysterious disease in Zambia not ebola’

‘Mysterious disease in Zambia not ebola’
Lusaka, Zambia (PANA) – The woman from Zambia who died in South Africa from a mysterious disease was in fact afflicted by cerebral edema and multi-organ failure, health experts disclosed here, putting to rest suspicions that she was hit by the deadly ebola virus.The state-run Times of Zambia reported [...]

Undiagnosed Mysterious Disease in South Africa: Zambia

This is from the Promed  website:
Date: Mon 6 Oct 2008
From: Amy Cantlay inka@iwayafrica.com
I have just read the posting (Undiagnosed fatalities – South Africa ex Zambia: RFI 20081005.3139) on your site, and it appears to be rather misleading.  The chronological order of events (as I can gather) is as follows (None of this information has yet [...]