See what we’re reading this week at Global Biodefense on topics including cybersecurity of biodefense facilities, chemical weapons use in Syria, and the dengue vaccine dilemma.
POLICY, PRACTICES & POLITICS
- U.S. accuses Syria of new chemical weapons use (NY Times)
- Former drug industry executive will lead DHHS (NPR)
- CHS director testifies at Senate hearing on PAHPA (JHSPH CHS)
- Congress to delay medical device tax for two years (STAT)
- DHS inoculating labs against hacks that could release dangerous diseases (Nextgov)
- Everything you need to know about biotech business models (Labiotech)
- 2018 National Defense Strategy (HSDL)
BIOPREPAREDNESS
- DNA origami: Unfolding risk? (Bulletin Atomic)
- IARPA ramps up biosecurity investments in 2018 and beyond (FCW)
- Can virus hunters stop the next pandemic before it happens? (Smithsonian)
- To thwart flu pandemics, we need to decode the human immune system (STAT)
SELECT AGENTS
- Orthopoxvirus synthesis: The implications of publishing instructions (Contagion)
- The perilous road of horsepox synthesis (Pandora Report)
- Military project aims to combat disease outbreaks, protect warfighters (MT)
- Diagnosing Ebola immunity with a paper test (C&EN)
- German patient is immune to highly poisonous ricin (DW)
- Tularemia and the battle to protect against it (Contagion)
- Synthesis of horsepox virus and the failure of DURC oversight (PR)
- This program stopped Ebola. trump may let it expire. (Mother Jones)
MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES
- The dengue vaccine dilemma (The Lancet)
- CDC director urges flu vaccinations as pediatric deaths mount (Reuters)
- Study finds more evidence of impact of flu priming on vaccine protection (CIDRAP)
- Pakistan raises its guard after 2 polio vaccinators are gunned down (NPR)
- New index rates drug companies in fight against ‘superbugs’ (NY Times)
- CDC details yellow fever vaccination errors in the United States (CIDRAP)
OUTBREAK NEWS & THREAT SURVEILLANCE
- Flu season rages on, hitting baby boomers unusually hard (NPR)
- Brazil’s death toll from yellow fever triples – WHO (Reuters)
- Brazil declares yellow fever emergency in Minas Gerais (BBC)
RESEARCH & TECH
- Removing these genes from mosquitos could prevent future outbreaks (Labiotech)
- DARPA wants to build an image search engine out of DNA (Wired)
