See what we’re reading this week at Global Biodefense on topics including yellow fever vaccine access, the militarization of biotechnology, and rapid detection of B. anthracis blood stream infections.
BIOPREPAREDNESS
- Only six nations have evaluated readiness for global pandemic (NY Times)
- Don’t forget the fungi when considering global catastrophic biorisks (Health Security)
- Ebola scare shows that we’re still not ready for a major disease outbreak (STAT)
- At what stage will we recognize a Global Catastrophic Biological Risk (Health Security)
- NYC releases annual report on healthcare system preparedness (NACCHO)
- Human agency and global catastrophic biorisks (Health Security)
POLICY, PRACTICES & POLITICS
- Biosurveillance integration: Coverage from the Biodefense World Summit (Contagion)
- States get $200 million funding boost to fight infectious diseases (MH)
- We’ve got to talk: The militarization of biotechnology (BOTAS)
- A close look at President Trump’s new CDC Director (Healthline)
- Opening statements for ASPR nominee (Pandora Report)
SELECT AGENTS
- A strange type of anthrax is killing chimpanzees (The Atlantic)
- Time to effective treatment of inhalational anthrax with antitoxin therapy (PLoS)
- New botulinum neurotoxin discovered (Medical News Today)
- Suspected iatrogenic botulism case investigated in Hong Kong (ONT)
- F. tularensis live vaccine strain – Phase 2 randomized clinical trial (SD)
- Tetrazole-based inhibitors kill B. anthracis spores to protect host cells (ASM)
- Sequencing of two BA strains: a virulent strain and a vaccinal (SD)
- Rapid detection of B. anthracis blood stream infections (JCM)
- Ebola detected in semen of survivors two years after infection (SD)
MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES
- Yellow fever vaccine access (Sanofi)
- Test-tube immune systems can speed vaccine development (VoA)
- 9 dangerous diseases that could be prevented by vaccines (BI)
- Vaccines are part antibiotic resistance crisis solution (STAT)
OUTBREAK NEWS & THREAT SURVEILLANCE
- Conjunction of factors triggering waves of seasonal influenza (bioRxiv)
- Plane size and boarding method can have huge impact on infection rates (Phys.org)
- The war against ‘goat plague’ (NPR Goats and Soda)
- Liberia: Integrated disease surveillance and response bulletin (ReliefWeb)
- Pathogen exposure risks faced by healthcare workers (ICT)
RESEARCH + TECH
- Emerging technologies to combat E. coli (Food Safety Mag)
- Study: Saliva spread of Zika possible but unlikely (CIDRAP)
- Biothreat worries over cancer research (Pandora Report)
SPECIAL INTEREST
- Trained Army physician takes command of USAMRIID on Fort Detrick (FNP)
- Esteemed Ebola researcher at UW fired for sexual harassment (US News)
- ‘Inferno: A Doctor’s Ebola Story’ (The Tyee)
- Can graphic design save lives? (The Art)
HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS
- Contagionism Catches On – Medical Ideology in Britain 1730-1800 (Springer)
- Rewiring Microbiology and Infection (Oxford CID)
