Biodefense Headlines – January 29, 2018

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)

SPECIAL INTEREST

• The president who made people take his bogus HIV cure (BBC)
• 24 agencies achieve Project Public Health Ready recognition (NACCHO)
• How do I avoid catching cold or flu from my sick partner? (NY Times)
• Biodefense PhD grad presents dissertation to the TRB (GMU)