News highlights on health security threats and countermeasures curated by Global Biodefense
This week’s selections include the rapid emergence of Omicron and early evidence of high reinfection risk; persistence of Ebola virus in immune-privileged sites; mRNA-encoded monoclonal antibody for Chikungunya; testimony on biosecurity gaps and priorities; and a look back at the UK’s biowarfare program.
POLICY + INITIATIVES
America Is Not Ready for Omicron
Will the new and rapidly spreading variant overwhelm the U.S. health-care system? The question is moot because the system is already overwhelmed, in a way that is affecting all patients, COVID or otherwise. “The level of care that we’ve come to expect in our hospitals no longer exists.” The Atlantic
Acquiring Covid-19’s Lessons Learned for Government – Bioeconomy Partnership
This moment is critical for codifying smart policies and mechanisms for biosecurity, to use momentum now to prepare for the next biosecurity event. Three areas have emerged as particularly crucial touchpoints: testing and diagnostics to find and follow disease, data management to understand and track it, and laboratory research to respond to it. The bioeconomy’s rapid development shows its great potential for countering natural and manmade threats, even as the same pace makes it difficult to understand and formulate policy accordingly. CSIS
Expert Calls on U.S. House Leaders to Prioritize Biosecurity
Government leaders were implored to take urgent steps to prevent future catastrophic biological events during a Dec. 8, 2021 hearing on “Biosecurity for the Future: Strengthening Deterrence and Detection” convened by the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation. NTI
GPs Are Told to Postpone Routine Care to Focus on Vaccine Boosters in Response to Omicron
The UK government has announced a further acceleration to the covid booster vaccine programme in response to the rapid spread of the omicron variant and has promised that every UK adult will be able to book a booster by the end of 2021. To free up capacity in the health service general practices are being asked to postpone routine appointments and focus on delivering vaccinations, alongside urgent appointments for conditions such as cancer, over the next two weeks. The BMJ
MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES
Regeneron and AstraZeneca Give Mixed Results on Potency of Coronavirus Antibody Cocktails Against Omicron
Regeneron, whose monoclonal antibody cocktail has found conservative support from the likes of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), acknowledged last month that its treatment could be less effective against the new variant. A preprint study published last week showed how omicron could evade the cocktails from Regeneron, Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca. Washington Post
nAb Studies: Omicron Evades Moderna Vaccine Too, But Boosters Help
A preliminary study of blood samples from 30 people who had gotten two Moderna shots found the antibodies in their blood are at least about 50 times less effective at neutralizing the omicron variant (similar to the results for 2 Pfizer mRNA doses). But there was good news too. An additional 17 people in the study had received a Moderna booster (3rd shot). And the antibodies in their blood were highly effective at blocking the virus– essentially about as effective as they are at blocking the delta variant. Antibodies are of course just one part of the immune response profile. NPR
Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies Overcome SARS-Cov-2 Omicron Antigenic Shift
The recently emerged SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant harbors 37 amino acid substitutions in the spike (S) protein, 15 of which are in the receptor-binding domain (RBD), thereby raising concerns about the effectiveness of available vaccines and antibody therapeutics. Here, researchers show that the Omicron RBD binds to human ACE2 with enhanced affinity relative to the Wuhan-Hu-1 RBD and acquires binding to mouse ACE2. Severe reductions of plasma neutralizing activity were observed against Omicron compared to the ancestral pseudovirus for vaccinated and convalescent individuals. The magnitude of Omicron-mediated immune evasion and the acquisition of binding to mouse ACE2 mark a major SARS-CoV-2 mutational shift. BioRxiv
Fact Sheets Updated for J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine the U.S.
The FDA announced revisions to the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine fact sheets to include a contraindication to the administration of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine to individuals with a history of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia following the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine or any other adenovirus-vectored COVID-19 vaccine. Precision Vaccinations
Novavax to Create an Omicron-Specific Vaccine, While Assessing Current Jab’s Effect on the Variant
Novavax is throwing two punches at Omicron: evaluating how well its lead COVID-19 vaccine candidate NVX-CoV2373 (known as Covavax outside the U.S.) targets the new variant and creating a new vaccine made specifically to target the highly mutated virus. Unlike the mRNA vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna or the adenovirus-based vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, Covavax combines a recombinant protein and an adjuvant designed to boost the body’s immune response. WCG FDA News
How Did Omicron Mutate, And How Could It Evade Antibodies? Fred Hutch Scientist Trevor Bedford Answers Our Questions
“…if you have 30 mutations in spike protein, it’s kind of all over the protein, and it changes its shape enough that your existing antibodies may very well not bind well to it. That will make it so that you’ll still have your T-cell immunity that was engendered by vaccine or infection and it’s not like going back to square one, but it’s likely a significant drop in immunity. It’s pretty equivalent to 10 years of flu evolution happening all at once. It’s a significant jump in just the number of mutations that exists on the protein.” Seattle Times
FDA Clears Use of Eli Lilly’s Covid-19 Antibody Therapy for Kids
The dual-antibody therapy for treating mild to moderate symptoms from COVID-19, bamlanivimab plus etesevimab, was previously authorized for children aged 12 years and older and weighed at least 88 pounds. Reuters
Trial Begins of Needle-Free Covid Vaccine Targeting New Variants
A trial has begun of a new needle-free Covid-19 vaccine to protect against future variants of the virus. The vaccine, administered through a jet of air, has been developed by Prof Jonathan Heeney of Cambridge University and chief executive of DIOSynVax. Participants, aged between 18 and 50 years old, will take part at the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility. BBC News
T Cells Might Be Our Bodies’ Best Shot Against Omicron
New data gathered by teams led by Sette and Redd show that most of the viral bits that trained T cells tend to recognize, including those within the spike protein, are still pristinely preserved on Omicron, with only a few exceptions. In previously infected people, for instance, Sette’s team predicted that some 95 percent of spike-specific killer Ts should still hit their mark; in the vaccinated, it was 86 percent. Similar data from Pfizer, as well as the biotech company Adaptive, clock in closer to 80 percent for the inoculated. The Atlantic
Phase 1 Trial of mRNA-Encoded Monoclonal Antibody with Neutralizing Activity Against Chikungunya Virus
This first-in-human phase 1 trial evaluated the safety and tolerability of escalating doses of mRNA-1944, encoding a CHIKV neutralizing antibody, administered by intravenous infusion in adults aged 18–50 years as a potentially adjunctive therapy to vaccination to help prevent and better control worldwide CHIKV infection. Nature Medicine
BIOSECURITY + BIOPREPAREDNESS
Life-Science Research and Biosecurity Concerns in the Russian Federation
While experts have raised concerns about possible Russian misuse of biotechnologies, Russia is not a top-tier nation for life sciences research, by many metrics. A better understanding of the current landscape of biotechnology and life-science research and investment in the Russian Federation will help to identify potential areas of concern and opportunities for international scientific engagement. The Nonproliferation Review
Analyzing COVID-19 Outcomes in the Context of the 2019 Global Health Security Index
COVID-19 outcomes were significantly associated with sociodemographic, political and governance variables external to the 2019 Index: social cohesion, reduction in social polarization and reduced perceptions of corruption were consistently correlated with reduced excess mortality throughout the pandemic. Fixed country features, including geographic connectedness, larger elderly population and lack of prior coronavirus outbreak experience were detrimental to COVID-19 outcomes. Importantly, there was evidence that countries that lacked certain capacities were able to develop these over the course of the pandemic. BMJ Global Health
The Synthetic-Biology Challenges for Biosecurity: Examples from iGEM
The International Genetically Engineered Machine competition (iGEM) brings together nearly 6000 students on multidisciplinary teams to engineer biology following synthetic biology’s “design, build, test, and learn” cycle. During its fifteen-year existence, iGEM has been affected by biosecurity and in turn has affected it. This article describes four specific case studies at iGEM, highlighting their implications for biosecurity, and proposes ways to improve relevant biosecurity procedures and practices. The Nonproliferation Review
Vaccine Holdouts in U.S. Military Approach 40,000 Even as Omicron Variant Fuels Call for Boosters
While overall the vast majority of service members are fully vaccinated, military analysts have characterized the number of refusals and holdouts as a troubling indicator the nation’s divisive politics have influenced a small but significant segment of the Defense Department. Military leaders have few options to address the dissent other than to hope that, as waiver requests are denied, more troops will choose to fall in line. The alternative, the Pentagon has said, is to purge the ranks of those failing to meet requirements. Washington Post
Breakthrough Technologies for Pandemic Preparedness
Constant data sharing plays a major role in any health system, and particularly pandemic response. When COVID-19 arrived, largely neglected public health agencies, local health departments, and providers across the globe were unprepared to update and sync their data systems, hindering their capacity to rapidly access, share, evaluate, and communicate information broadly. In advance of the next major outbreak, data systems must be updated and standardized across regions, and public health workers and departments must be trained in their use. Brookings
SELECT AGENTS + CBRNE THREATS
Sitting on the Boundary: The Role of Reports in Investigations Into Alleged Biological-Weapons Use
Concerns that biological weapons will be used has focused attention on the need to develop a capability to independently investigate any allegation of use. The United Nations Secretary-General’s Mechanism is one such tool, and efforts to revitalize and strengthen it have acknowledged a wide range of technical difficulties to overcome. The Nonproliferation Report
Ebola Virus in the Ferret Model and Evidence of Viral Evolution in the Eye
Some survivors are left with long-term sequelae and persistent virus in immune-privileged sites for many years. Here researchers report the characterization of the ferret as a model for EBOV infection, reproducing disease and lethality observed in humans. They identify viral RNA in the eye (a site of immune privilege) and report on specific genomic changes in EBOV present in this structure. Thus, the ferret model has utility in testing MCMs that prevent or treat long-term EBOV persistence in immune-privileged sites. Journal of Virology
Congo Declares End of Ebola Outbreak That Killed Six People
Authorities in Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday declared the end of an Ebola outbreak that emerged in early October in North Kivu province and infected 11 people, killing six of them. Health authorities vaccinated more than 1,800 people using Merck’s recently licensed ERVEBO vaccine to quickly limit spread of this outbreak. Reuters
Reservoir Host Studies of Lloviu Virus: First Isolation, Sequencing and Serology in Schreiber’s Bats in Europe
Filoviruses are prime examples of emerging human pathogens that are transmitted to humans by zoonotic spillover events. One of these novel filoviruses, Lloviu virus (LLOV), was first identified in 2002 in Schreiber’s bats (Miniopterus schreibersii) in Spain, Portugal, and southern France. Subsequently, in 2016, LLOV was detected during the passive monitoring of bats in Hungary. Here researchers report the first isolation of infectious Lloviu virus from the blood of an asymptomatic Schreiber’s bat; and further show that LLOV is able to infect monkey and human cells, suggesting that LLOV might have spillover potential. BioRxiv
Influence of Wash Aids on Bacillus Spore Removal from an Asphalt Parking Lot Using Two Spray-Based Washing Methods
The goal of this study was to measure the removal efficacy of Bacillus atrophaeus spores from a parking lot using spray-based washing methods and wash aids. B. atrophaeus is a commonly used nonpathogenic surrogate for Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax and a deadly bioterrorism agent that would cause major disruptions and damage to public health should it be disseminated over an urban area. Journal of Applied Microbiology
PUBLIC HEALTH
Behind Low Vaccination Rates Lurks a More Profound Social Weakness
Over the past four decades, governments have slashed budgets and privatized basic services. This has two important consequences for public health. First, people are unlikely to trust institutions that do little for them. And second, public health is no longer viewed as a collective endeavor, based on the principle of social solidarity and mutual obligation. People are conditioned to believe they’re on their own and responsible only for themselves. That means an important source of vaccine hesitancy is the erosion of the idea of a common good. New York Times
Omicron Spreading Rapidly in U.S. And Could Bring Punishing Wave as Soon as January, CDC Warns
The prevalence of omicron jumped sevenfold in a single week, according to the CDC, and at such a pace, the highly mutated variant of the coronavirus could ratchet up pressure on a health system already strained in many places as the delta variant continues its own surge. But federal and some pharmaceutical executives signal they do not currently favor revising vaccines, saying existing regimen plus boosters are effective. Washington Post
SURVEILLANCE + DETECTION
COVID-19 Diagnosis: Current and Future Techniques
This review highlights the rapidly expanding array of existing (RT-PCR, and in-development diagnostic tests/strategies (RT-LAMP, NASBA, CRISPR-Cas-based detection, digital PCR) that may be used to diagnose SARS-CoV-2 infection in clinical settings. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
C.D.C. Virus Tests Were Contaminated and Poorly Designed, Agency Says
The faulty coronavirus testing kits developed by the U.S. CDC in the early weeks of the pandemic were not only contaminated but had a basic design flaw, according to an internal review by the agency. The distribution of faulty test kits, at a time when no other tests were authorized, set back health officials’ efforts to detect and track the virus. New York Times
Increased Risk of SARS-Cov-2 Reinfection Associated with Emergence of the Omicron Variant in South Africa
35,670 suspected reinfections were identified among 2,796,982 individuals with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 who had a positive test result at least 90 days prior to 27 November 2021 in this retrospective analysis in a population in South Africa. Omicron variant appears to demonstrate substantial population-level evidence for evasion of immunity from prior infection. MedRxiv
Epidemiological Characterisation of the First 785 SARS-Cov-2 Omicron Variant Cases in Denmark, December 2021
The response strategy in Denmark has been to delay transmission of the Omicron variant in order to gain time for roll-out of the third vaccine dose and the recently initiated vaccination programme for children aged 5 to 11 years. However, the rapid acceleration of cases catalysed by superspreading events challenged the mitigation. Despite the capacity to detect Omicron cases early, implementation of travel restrictions and implementation of extended contact tracing efforts, more than one in five cases cannot be linked to previous cases. This indicates that within 1.5 weeks from identifying the first case of Omicron, there is already widespread community transmission in Denmark, which challenges further epidemic control. Eurosurveillance
HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS
The UK Biological-Warfare Program: Dual-Use Contributions to the Field of Aerobiology
Between 1940 and the late 1950s, the United Kingdom had a limited biological program to provide a retaliatory capability should UK forces be attacked using biological warfare. Research during these offensive and defensive eras of the UK BW research program has contributed to aerobiological science, leading to a number of positive changes in some areas, including laboratory safety; understanding of infection by the aerosol route; and survival, detection, and identification of airborne pathogens. The Nonproliferation Review
SPECIAL INTEREST
The Long Road to Recognition for the Co-Discoverer of Ebola Virus
Congolese microbiologist Dr. Jean Jacques Muyembe Tamfum’s long road to recognition for his scientific discoveries began in 1976. That year, Muyembe, then working as a field epidemiologist in Kinshasa, traveled to central Congo to investigate a deadly outbreak of an unidentified infectious disease. He collected a blood sample from a patient but, due to insufficient local laboratory capacity, sent it on to colleagues in Belgium for further investigation. For the next four decades, it was those scientists, along with peers in England and the United States, who received credit for discovering Ebola. UW Department of Global Health
Nature’s 10: Ten People Who Helped Shape Science in 2021
An Omicron investigator, a Mars explorer and an AI ethics pioneer are some of the people behind the year’s big research stories. Included on the list are a UN leader that knew vaccine equity wouldn’t happen without a fight; a government epidemiologist; and a bioinformatician in South Africa helped to identify troubling variants of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Nature