See what we’re reading this week at Global Biodefense on topics including the emergence of Crimean-Congo fever, recombinant ricin vaccine clinical trial, the complexities of foodborne outbreaks, and more…
BIODEFENSE POLICY & PRACTICES
- Panel Says VP should manage U.S. biodefense efforts, but questions are raised (Bloomberg)
- Biosecurity: The opportunities and threats of industrialization and personalization (BOTAS)
- Alliance for Biosecurity response to blue ribbon panel recommendations .pdf (AFB)
- Biodefense: Leadership and major reform needed to optimize efforts (Hudson Institute)
- Ag industry ‘woefully underprepared’ for next big threat (Feedstuffs)
- Podcast: Is U.S. biodefense system up to the growing challenges? (USDA)
- Developing the next generation of biosecurity leadership (Bifurcated Needle)
- Biosecurity in the age of Big Data: A conversation with the FBI (Society for Cell Biology)
CHEMICAL AGENTS
- Chemical weapons used by fighters in Syria: OPCW report (NBC News)
- Fort Detrick looking for possible remnants of Agent Orange (Army Times)
- Investigating remnants of Agent Orange, radioactivity on post (Frederick News-Post)
- Chemical weapons used in Syrian fighting (Sky News)
INFECTIOUS DISEASE COUNTERMEASURES
- Statins may dampen response to flu vaccine (NY Times)
- To prevent malaria in humans, scientists try protecting pigs (NY Times)
- Study suggests unprecedented 3-week hepatitis C cure (Science AAAS)
- Pfizer partners with South Africa to produce pneumococcal vaccine (Reuters)
- Taming wild polio virus (Tracking Zebra)
SELECT AGENT RESEARCH
- Early clinical trial shows promise for recombinant ricin vaccine (CIDRAP)
- The Bacillus anthracis exosporium: what’s the big “hairy” deal? (PubMed)
- Safety and immunogenicity of ricin vaccine in a Phase 1 clinical trial (Science Direct)
- Use of ChAd3-EBO-Z Ebola virus vaccine in Malian and US adults (The Lancet)
- Emergence of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (Oxford Journals)
- Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever spreads across India (Outbreak News Today)
- Inhibition of Ebola and Marburg virus entry (Journal of Virology)
- Characterization of Marburg virus infection following aerosol challenge (Journal of Virology)
- Formula developed for vaccines against all hemorrhagic viruses (VOA)
- Prior Inoculation with Type B strains of Francisella tularensis (PLOS One)
- Purification and dose-dependent toxicity study of abrin (PubMed)
INFECTION CONTROL
- Infection preventionists report increased preparedness since Ebola outbreak (Healio)
- Diminishing returns with healthcare worker influenza vaccination? (UPMC CBN)
- The room lottery: why your hospital room can make you sick (IPC Reflections)
- Surface antimicrobial decon products for use against the H1N1 flu (EPA)
OUTBREAK NEWS & THREAT SURVEILLANCE
- Sierra Leone declared free of Ebola transmissions (NY Times)
- Ebola outbreak: Sierra Leone declared free of disease (BBC)
- Cholera Crisis: A neglected disease is back in the headlines (NPR)
- West Nile virus still wiping out birds across North America (Science/AAAS)
- Foodborne outbreaks: More complex, deadlier, harder to Stop (NatGeo)
ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE
- Antibiotics: How India wasted the wonder cure (HuffPost)
- Roche team develops armed antibody in antibiotic fight (Reuters)
- Antibody-antibiotic duo nabs hidden staph (C&EN)
RADIOLOGICAL & NUCLEAR THREATS
- DHS invests in wearables that can detect nuclear threats (NextGov)
- Korea has developed nuclear-capable missiles capable of hitting the US (Business Insider)
INDUSTRY NEWS
- Struggling XOMA divests biodefense program to Nanotherapeutics (BioSpace)
- Emergent BioSolutions reports 3Q+9 financial results (Emergent)
- AstraZeneca launches new FluMist Quadrivalent flu vaccine (Fierce Vaccines)
- Luminex announces earnings results, beats expectations by $0.11 (DFN)
- PharmAthene reports 3Q loss (CNBC)
DETECTION & PROTECTION
- Putting DNA diagnostics on paper (C&EN)
- UK MoD requests information on aircrew protection and PPE (CBRNe World)
- We need you to design the systems that help save lives (HHS Idea Lab)
