See what we’re reading this week at Global Biodefense on topics including antidotes for nerve agent attacks, synthetic bioterrorism, and protecting the food supply from intentional adulteration.
POLICY, PRACTICES & POLITICS
- Expert views on biological threat characterization for the U.S. government (Wiley)
- Nobel scientist: when did we start to value killing over living? (Time)
- Synthetic bioterrorism: US developing medical rapid response plan (GenLit)
- Lawmakers propose emergency response fund for pandemics (Morning Consult)
- Advancing new vaccines against pandemic influenza in low-resource countries (SD)
- Why the Pentagon’s coming innovation reshuffle really matters (National Interest)
- Salk professor criticizes disbanding of federal forensics (San Diego Union-Tribune)
- Sierra Leone News: US Embassy hands over 7M testing lab (Awoko)
- Disease outbreaks also pose tremendous threats to business (STAT)
CHEMICAL WEAPONS
- Survivors of the gas attack in Syria face long-term illness (SciAm)
- Syria chemical attack: British sample tests ‘detect sarin’ (Sky News)
- Syria nerve gas attack points to US need for new antidote (Stars & Stripes)
SELECT AGENTS
- 2013–2016 Ebola epidemic: data, decision-making and disease control (RSTB)
- Determining resistance of F. tularensis to resazomycins (WVAS)
- Protecting food against intentional adulteration (Food Safety Tech)
- NIH study of Ebola patient traces disease progression and recovery (NIAID)
- Fleas of black-footed ferrets and their potential role in movement of plague (WDA)
- Evaluation of plant-produced humanized anti-ricin antibody (DRDC)
- Screening vaccine candidates against intestinal botulism (PubMed)
- Unique case of disseminated plague with multifocal osteomyelitis (PubMed)
MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES
- Is Komodo dragon blood the key to new antibiotics? (BBC News)
- Two live-attenuated Zika vaccines advance (CIDRAP)
- Researchers develop powerful HIV antibody (Duke Global Health Institute)
- Efficacy of delayed brincidofovir treatment against a lethal rabbitpox virus (SD)
- Siemens awarded 8.9M to develop Zika test (360 Dx)
- Simply put: Vaccination saves lives (PNAS)
OUTBREAK NEWS & THREAT SURVEILLANCE
- As measles surges in Europe, officials brace for a rough year (NPR)
- A historic yellow fever outbreak spreads in Brazil (STAT)
- A scope, a resistant germ, and missing data walk into a bar (Contagion Live)
- Cholera spreading in Somalia, 50,000 cases foreseen: WHO (Reuters)
- Why Chinese scientists are more worried than ever about bird flu (NPR)
RESEARCH & TECH
- Optical techniques to detect chemical and biological agents (Master CBRNe)
- New CRISPR tool can detect tiny amounts of viruses (Science)
- CRISPR cousin SHERLOCK may be able to track down diseases, scientists say (STAT)
- Innovative sensor can screen toxic drugs (ScienMag)
- Genomics is buried in too much data (Discover)
- New report charts ways to expedite research during epidemics (SciAm)
- Enhancement of Zika pathogenesis by preexisting antiflavivirus immunity (Science)
- SPR system for on-site detection of biological warfare (Igenta Connect)
SPECIAL INTEREST + HISTORICAL
- Presentations on the plague from the European Association of Archaeologists (Contagions Blog)
- Anthrax cases associated with animal-hair shaving brushes (CDC)
- Infectious Disease Mapping Challenge (Pandora Report)
- Announcing the SB7.0 Biosecurity Fellowship Opportunity (JHSPH CHS)
