See what we’re reading this week at Global Biodefense on topics including findings from the Army’s anthrax investigation, pandemic readiness falls short, and Zika virus causing infant brain damage.
BIODEFENSE POLICY & PRACTICES
- Investigation faults U.S. Army lab’s leaders over mistaken anthrax shipments (Reuters)
- Egregious safety failures at Army lab led to anthrax mistakes (USA Today)
- Pandemic readiness review says $4.5 billion a year needed (CIDRAP)
- Uncertain Impact of critical biosecurity reports (DomPrep)
- Frederick committee addresses pathogen research debate (FNP)
- DHS’ flawed response to deadly Ebola crisis put Americans at risk (HS Today)
- Gain-of-function debate focuses on clarity, global perspective (CIDRAP)
- No humanitarian justification for biological weapons (The Trench)
- Army cites deep flaws at biodefense lab (ABC News)
SELECT AGENTS
- Can we treat Ebola with plasma? The results are in (The Conversation)
- More than 100 people quarantined after Sierra Leone Ebola death (Reuters)
- Seroepidemiological studies of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (PLOS NTD)
- This microbe is sneaky, deadly and more prevalent than we’d known (STAT)
- Trialed Ebola treatment ineffective (The Scientist)
- £3bn a year needed to prepare the world for future pandemics (Wellcome Trust)
- Sierra Leone investigating suspected Ebola death: Health ministry (Reuters)
INFECTIOUS DISEASE COUNTERMEASURES
- Brazil to fund development of vaccine for Zika virus (NY Times)
- Preparing for pandemics could cost less than $1 each a year, review says (Reuters)
- Amid bird flu threat, U.S. producers say no thanks to vaccine (Bloomberg)
- Last-ditch resistance: More countries, more dire results (NatGeo)
- Elephants infected seven Oregon zoo workers with tuberculosis (Reuters)
- Studies note nasal spray vaccine failure against H1N1 flu (CIDRAP)
- This solar-powered box uses human odor to lure and kill mosquitos (NextGov)
- River blindness vaccine edges closer (University of Edinburgh)
- Why is whooping cough on the rise? Scientists disagree (STAT)
OUTBREAK NEWS & THREAT SURVEILLANCE
- CDC issues interim travel guidance related to Zika virus for 14 countries (CDC)
- Coronaviruses: emerging and re-emerging pathogens in humans and animals (BioMed)
- Hawaii baby with brain damage is first U.S. case tied to Zika virus (NY Times)
- Obama’s upbeat message about ending malaria omits discouraging signs (NPR)
- Bird flu outbreak found outside French restriction zone (Reuters)
- Worrisome bat-disease map shouldn’t make people fear bats (NPR)
- Zika virus could spread to parts of Texas, Florida, experts warn (STAT)
- Putting Zika virus into context (Tracking Zebra)
- Iraq bans poultry imports from 24 countries over avian flu threat (Reuters)
INDUSTRY NEWS
- Ligand enters into OmniAb platform license agreement with Emergent BioSolutions (BW)
- Illumina previews Project Firefly semiconductor-based sequencing system (BW)
- FY 2016 funding approved – positive trends for S&T (FLC Newslink)
- Moderna Therapeutics and PPD announce mRNA therapeutics strategic collaboration (BW)
- New York gets biotech boost (C&EN)
- Qualify today for set-aside contracts (GSN)
- Singapore lavishes big money on its scientists (Science)
DETECTION & PROTECTION
- Simple paper test quickly diagnoses illnesses by changing color (MDT)
- Lab Spotlight: Sandia – Decontamination formula (FLC Newslink)
- Certificate of Veterinary Inspection app now available for multiple devices (IIAD)
- New infectious disease test promises quick diagnosis (McMaster University)
HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS
- Human parasites of the Roman Empire (Contagions)
- Inside the institutions for the Chernobyl victims forgotten by society (VICE)
- Plague in diachronic and interdisciplinary perspective (Contagions)
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