News highlights on health security threats and countermeasures curated by Global Biodefense
This week’s selections include DARPA’s program to develop a vaccine durability prediction model; the crisis shortfall of infectious disease physicians; the EU’s CBRN emergency strategic reserve; and a review of the emerging Langya henipavirus.
POLICY + GOVERNMENT
Congress Trims Funding For Pentagon ‘Chem-Bio’ Programs
The latest defense spending law would subtract about 7 percent from the president’s request for numerous Pentagon chemical and biological defense programs on the grounds that they need to be more effectively executed. The approximately $126 million cut to the almost $2 billion worth of “chem-bio” programs could gain more prominence in the public mind when the Pentagon makes public the first-ever “biodefense posture review,” which is expected to occur soon. “Spending one-quarter of 1 percent of the Pentagon budget on this vital mission is negligence. This is a national security imperative.” Roll Call
Will America’s Public Health Reckoning Ever Come?
After 9/11, Congress created an entirely new government agency to address the threat of terrorism, and Americans are still taking off their shoes in airports more than 20 years later. After a pandemic that killed more than 1 million people in the United States alone, very little about the federal government has changed at all, and it may not for a long time. Lawmakers did pass some modest changes as part of a pandemic preparedness package in December, including creating a new, unfunded pandemic mission control office at the White House; creating new emergency hiring authorities; maintaining domestic manufacturing capacity; and requiring a modernization of public health data infrastructure. But there are also a whole lot of filler policies, ones that will require Congress or the federal health and oversight agencies to convene new committees or write new reports. STAT
118th Congress: Bioeconomy & Health Security
Many provisions in the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act are intended to enable the bioeconomy. Implementation should focus on three areas: cutting-edge R&D, fundamental and publicly available tools, and biomanufacturing. To further support fundamental research, Congress could direct the NIH to aim to maximize returns on its massive R&D budget by piloting novel funding mechanisms with evaluation through randomized control trials, funding more high-risk high-reward research, and dedicating more funding to early-career researchers. To promote U.S. bioindustrial manufacturing scale-up and commercialization, Congress could authorize a Bio for America Program Office at NIST. Importantly, Congress can help prepare and invite more Americans into skilled jobs that support the bioeconomy by funding modernized biology education, establishing world-class entrepreneurial hubs for biotechnology in non-traditional regions of the country, and supporting equitable access to industry-recognized certificates and work-based training. Federation of American Scientists
Pentagon Rescinds COVID-Vaccine Mandate
The move was required by the 2023 defense policy bill. Troops who were ejected for refusing the vaccine may petition for a change in their discharge status. Before the 2023 NDAA passed, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said he was concerned that a repeal of the vaccine mandate could cause problems for the service, including potential movement restrictions during foreign port visits. “Unquestionably, it will create almost two classes of citizens in our services: those that can’t deploy and those that can deploy. And that creates all sorts of problems.” Nearly all active-duty troops are fully vaccinated, according to early-January numbers from the service branches. More than 8,400 service members have been ejected for refusing the vaccine. Defense One
Budget Law Calls for BARDA and FDA to Establish “Warm Base” Manufacturing to Better Prepare for Future Pandemics
The federal budget law passed by Congress and signed by the president in late December calls on federal authorities to establish “warm base” domestic manufacturing to respond quickly to demand surges for medical products during a public health emergency. Section 2401 of the law calls on the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to work with the FDA to coordinate these efforts. Regulatory Focus
Congress Approves Development of One Health Coordination Plan, Veterinary Funding Priorities
The One Health concept is a recognition that human, animal, and environmental health do not exist independently of each other but rather are deeply connected. An AVMA-backed provision that Congress passed and was enacted into law on Dec. 29, 2022, requires the development of a national One Health Framework. The framework’s aim is to coordinate federal activities in combating zoonotic disease outbreaks and to advance public health preparedness. The One Health language passed is taken from another bill, the Advancing Emergency Preparedness Through One Health Act (HR 2061/S 681), and directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to work with other relevant federal departments and agencies to develop a national One Health Framework to collaborate on preventing, detecting, controlling, and responding to zoonotic diseases. AVMA
The Unfulfilled Promise of the TRIPS Agreement
There is no denying that when the TRIPS Agreement was adopted in 1995, it ushered in intellectual property (IP) norms and standards derived from wealthy nations with robust industries. These norms and standards were suitable to expand the global protection of the IP assets of these industries. However, TRIPS was ill-suited to the needs of developing and least-developed nations, representing the majority of the WTO’s membership. Disputes around access to HIV medicines in the late nineties and early 2000 first called the TRIPS promise into question: medicines were accessible in wealthy countries, but IP protection meant that treatment prices were often several times the per capita income if they were available at all in the lower-income countries hardest hit by the disease. It was not until patent barriers were cleared away that low-cost generic medicines became widely available where they were needed most. The COVID-19 vaccine experience seems to confirm the view that the TRIPS Agreement primarily serves the wealthy to the detriment of the poor. Health and Human Rights Journal
Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) 2023-2026 Strategic Plan
As the public health regulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), FSIS is responsible for ensuring the safety of meat, poultry, and egg products, and thereby reducing foodborne illness linked to FSIS-regulated products. This plan emphasizes the use of science and data to implement advanced and innovative approaches to food safety and enhance collaborative responses to outbreaks. FSIS has proposed new Salmonella performance standards for certain raw pork products and will continue to determine how best to address Salmonella in beef. FSIS remains committed to implementing pathogen reduction initiatives that will have a positive impact on the safety of regulated products and lead to illness reduction. FSIS is analyzing comments and preparing a final rule related to expanding non-O157 Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) testing to all beef products that are currently sampled for O157:H7 because of outbreaks and to prevent foodborne illness. FSIS
Still Fuming Over the Federal Covid Response, Republicans Redirect the House Coronavirus Committee
The revamped, 12-person committee is now commissioned with probing the virus’ origins, investigating gain-of-function research, and interrogating government spending and pandemic-related mandates. The House cleared the altered committee as part of a sweeping rules package approved by a 220-213 vote, with just one Republican voting against the rules. The changes reflect a stark departure from the original, Democrat-formed committee mandate, which largely focused on the nation’s poor preparedness, early Trump administration missteps, and the proliferation of misinformation about the virus, vaccines, and treatments. STAT
BWC Review Conference: A Cliffhanger Conference Seeks to Strengthen Biological Weapons Convention
After three weeks of intense debate, detailed drafting sessions, and late-night meetings, the ninth review conference of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) agreed to establish a working group aimed at strengthening the convention, which outlaws biological arms and entered into force in 1975. The final document approved on Dec. 16 mandated that the working group develop specific, possibly legally binding, measures to support international cooperation, scientific research, and economic and technological development for peaceful purposes. The working group is to recommend establishing two other mechanisms: one to support international coperation and assistance in implementing the BWC and the other to review and assess BWC-related scientific and technological developments and to provide states-parties with relevant advice. Arms Control Association
MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES
DARPA Selects Teams to Develop Vaccine Durability Prediction Model
The current state of vaccine durability assessment is to take a ‘wait-and-see’ approach, largely owing to ignorance of mechanisms underlying immune memory, as well as an inability to measure the cellular contributors that invoke long-lasting immune protection. AIM will take a systems-level view of the response to vaccination and explore the mechanisms that lead to long-lasting protection. The plan is that this will then be implemented as a tool to predict vaccine duration of protection without waiting years for clinical trial results. AIM is a five-year program. The goal of Phase 1(first 2 years) is to identify cell and signaling contributors to generate a “road map” of immune memory. Global Biodefense
Self-Amplifying RNA Vaccine Candidates: Alternative Platforms for mRNA Vaccine Development
The present use of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 has shown for the first time the potential of mRNA vaccines for infectious diseases. Here researchers will summarize the current knowledge about improved mRNA vaccines, i.e., the self-amplifying mRNA (saRNA) vaccines. This approach may enhance antigen expression by amplification of the antigen-encoding RNA. RNA design, RNA delivery, and the innate immune responses induced by RNA will be reviewed. Pathogens
Emergent Awarded $379M+ to Supply the DOD with a Skin Decontamination Lotion
Emergent said on Thursday that it has inked an “indefinite-delivery” and “indefinite-quantity” procurement contract to supply RSDL kits, or reactive skin decontamination lotion, for use by all branches of the US military. The contract’s value is worth up to $379.6 million, and Emergent’s Canadian subsidiary will serve as the subcontractor to supply the lotion kits to the DOD. Endpoints News
Sabin Vaccine Institute to Advance Ebola Sudan and Marburg Vaccines with New BARDA Funding
There are currently no licensed vaccines against Ebola Sudan and Marburg viruses, which cause hemorrhagic fever and kill approximately half the people infected. BARDA will initially invest approximately $35 million to produce up to 100,000 doses of Sabin’s Ebola Sudan virus (ChAd3-SUDV) vaccine. The contract also includes support to manufacture Sabin’s vaccine against Marburg virus (ChAd3-MARV), which would generate doses that could also be used in trials and in response to a possible Marburg virus outbreak. Global Biodefense
Murine Efficacy Studies of Sulopenem Against Bacillus anthracis
Sulopenem is a thiopenem β-lactam antibiotic being developed for the treatment of infections caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria. It has also demonstrated good in vitro microbiological activity against a range of bacterial pathogens including penicillin resistant S. pneumoniae, β-lactamase-producing H. influenza, and M. catarrhalis. Sulopenem is also active in vitro against a number of bio-threat pathogens at concentrations likely to be achieved after oral dosing in humans and meets criteria to be tested in the murine models of Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, Burkholderia mallei, and Burkholderia pseudomallei. Open Forum Infectious Diseases
NISTCHO: New Living Reference Material for Producing Monoclonal Antibodies
NIST and collaborators have developed a new line of mAb-producing living cells that can help manufacturers better understand how their monoclonal antibody drugs can be affected during the production process, to further ensure they are producing pharmaceuticals that work as intended. NISTCHO, as a first-of-its-kind NIST living reference material, will be available to researchers worldwide. Global Biodefense
BIOSECURITY + BIOPREPAREDNESS
Motivating Proactive Biorisk Management
Biorisks are managed through a “web of prevention” involving institutional, national, and international policies; tools and technical standards of practice; and social norms. However, risky situations can and do arise in day-to-day laboratory work. Individual life scientists exercise a great deal of freedom in their approach to these situations because there are typically many possible experimental paths with different degrees of risk for achieving a scientific goal, and because external observers often cannot see their choices and reward or punish them accordingly. Life scientists frequently appear to conceptualize dual-use research as solely involving a small set of pathogens and experiments. This may be due in part to US government guidelines on “dual-use research of concern,” which defines the term broadly but flags a small set of pathogens and experiments for required review under certain conditions. As a result, life scientists, even those aware of the term “dual use,” tend to believe that their own work cannot be dual use, potentially reducing their motivation to consider its risks. Health Security
Bangladesh Uses Lessons From COVID-19 to Build Rapid Response Capacities for Influenza or Any Other Respiratory Pathogen
Bangladesh has used lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic to build emergency preparedness capacities by training rapid response teams (RRT) that can be deployed during any public health event due to influenza or any other respiratory pathogen. In total, more than 200 RRT members have been trained, including epidemiologists, clinicians, laboratory technicians, communication officers, anthropologists, logisticians, psychosocial support experts, data managers, and environmental experts among others. World Health Organization
China’s Covid Wave Threatens Another Snarl of U.S. Medical Supply Chain
Health care executives and supply chain analysts warn the impact of China’s latest Covid wave could take months to work its way through the supply chain and much will depend on the trajectory of the pandemic in the coming weeks, something officials in the U.S. have limited insight into given the lack of data from China. “One major concern throughout the entire pandemic has been that because of China’s zero Covid policy, shutdowns greatly reduced manufacturing capacity in China. This is obviously that type of activity on steroids.” Potential shortages could range from generic drugs, like antibiotics and blood thinners, to electronic components used in advanced medical devices. Despite efforts over the past two years by the Biden administration to bolster the country’s domestic medical supply chain, the complexity, costs and regulations involved in health care manufacturing has limited companies’ ability to shift production. NBC News
Another Ebola Outbreak, Another Missed Opportunity for Preparedness
An intense around-the-clock effort allowed one of the vaccine candidates to reach Uganda in a record 79 days after the outbreak was declared; the other two followed shortly after. Yet before the trial could begin, the comprehensive public health response in Uganda contained transmission of the virus. What the global public health community needs a mechanism for stockpiling yet-to-be-licensed vaccines across known viral families so they can be rapidly deployed in clinical trials during outbreaks. STAT
Addressing the Decline in the Number of Infectious Disease Physicians
According to the statistics from the most recent National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) day—where NRMP releases the eagerly awaited results of all the young medical students who have applied for residency or fellowship training positions in the US—there was only 56% of the adult and 49% of the pediatric ID training programs filled. The existing shortfall in ID combined with the diminished interest in entering the field could be very problematic for the future in healthcare. “Physicians who focus on infectious diseases are uniquely qualified to help prepare for the next pandemic, but 80% of US counties lack a single ID doctor.” Contagion Live
SELECT AGENTS + PRIORITY PATHOGENS
‘Pandemic Potential’: Bird Flu Outbreaks Fueling Chance of Human Spillover
Today, with parts of Europe and North America in the midst of the worst outbreak on record, a global cohort of researchers is keeping cautious watch amid concerns about the impact the disease could have on humans. “There is concern about it having pandemic potential,” says Wendy Blay Puryear, a molecular virologist at Tufts University. “Before Covid was on anybody’s radar, this was the one that we were all watching very closely.” The virus is currently considered a low risk to humans, she says. “But anything that has the ability to replicate and evolve rapidly, and anything that has that ability to infect a lot of different hosts is kind of on borrowed time.” The Guardian
Nipah Virus Continues to Kill in Silence
Bangladesh has an overall 71 percent death rate due to Nipah virus among positive cases, making it one of the most deadly infectious diseases in the country. According to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), 231 NiV deaths occurred out of 326 positive cases since the country first detected the disease in 2001 and started surveillance. New Age Bangladesh
With Attention to Mpox Fading, Health Officials Fear Infections Will Go Undetected and Unreported
As the trajectory of the outbreak has shifted, mpox has faded from the public discourse. But the dwindling case counts obscure an important reality: The global footprint of a disease has expanded substantially and into regions that hadn’t previously experienced cases. Mpox has been reported in 110 countries since the outbreak hit the world’s radar last May, accounting for 84,000 cases and 74 deaths. “The future is going to look different from the past. The poxviruses are here with us to stay. We will learn a lot more about them, and they still reserve many surprises for us.” STAT
The Mechanism of Genome Replication and Transcription in Bunyaviruses
WHO lists three bunyavirus diseases as priority diseases requiring urgent development of medical countermeasures highlighting their high epidemic potential. In the last few years, facilitated by the technical advances in the field of cryogenic electron microscopy, many structures of bunyavirus L proteins have been solved. These structures significantly enhance our mechanistic understanding of bunyavirus genome replication and transcription processes and highlight differences and commonalities between the L proteins of different bunyavirus families. PLOS Pathogens
Plague Meningitis: A Systematic Review of Clinical Course, Antimicrobial Treatment, and Outcomes
Plague meningitis is a serious and often fatal manifestation of Yersinia pestis infection. In the aftermath of a bioweapon attack with Y pestis, this typically rare manifestation may develop in a substantial number of patients, particularly if treatment delays occur. Risk factors, clinical evolution, and optimal treatment strategies for plague meningitis are not well understood. Among 1,496 articles identified in this search, 56 articles describing 84 cases from 1898 to 2015 met inclusion criteria. Most patients (n = 50, 60%) developed meningitis following primary bubonic plague. Health Security
189 Persons Killed, 63 Health Workers Infected by Lassa Fever
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has said that about 189 deaths were recorded in the country in 2022 from Lassa fever. Also, 63 healthcare workers were infected by the disease in the year under review. According to the situation report released yesterday by the NCDC, confirmed cases for 2022 stand at 1,067 across 112 Local Government Areas and 27 states. The Guardian Nigeria
Nipah Virus Exposure in Domestic and Peridomestic Animals Living in Human Outbreak Sites, Bangladesh
Spillovers of Nipah virus (NiV) from Pteropus bats to humans occurs frequently in Bangladesh, but the risk for spillover into other animals is poorly understood. Here researchers detected NiV antibodies in cattle, dogs, and cats from 6 sites where spillover human NiV infection cases occurred during 2013–2015. Emerging Infectious Diseases
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreak in Pakistan, 2022: A Warning Bell
CCHF is listed by World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the top priority diseases for research and development in the public health emergency context. Pakistan faces major challenges in combating CCHF every year due to its specific geographical position and a majority of the population being involved with animal husbandry. The time between the onset of nonspecific symptoms and confirmed CCFH is a time for potential nosocomial and close contact spread. The utilization of faster diagnostic tests for CCHF in primary care settings, standardization of case definitions, and development of algorithms for early triage will be keystones in preventing disease in its early stages. There is no approved vaccine for CCHF. Future CCHF control strategies must work on this front. Health Science Reports
Langya Henipavirus: Is it a Potential Cause for Public Health Concern?
A new virus, named Langya henipavirus (LayV), has recently been identified in Shandong and Henan provinces in China and has so far infected 35 individuals between April 2018 and August 2021. It is closely related to other known henipaviruses (Nipah and Hendra viruses) that can cause up to 70% human case fatality. Even though LayV has not been shown to be fatal in humans and does not appear to be transmitted from human-to-human, it is an RNA virus with the capacity to evolve genetically in the infected hosts (e.g. shrews) and can infect humans (e.g. farmers who have been in close contacts with shrews). Virulence
Recent Outbreaks of Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in Iraq
The CCHF was recognized for the first time in Iraq in 1979 where the virus was isolated from human cases and characterized. Since then, several small-scale outbreaks have been reported in 2019, 2021, and 2022. During this period, awareness workshops were conducted targeting government officials, veterinarians, medical doctors, and assistant staff. Science Archives
Risk of Transmission of Certain Arboviruses Through Blood Donation
In Mali, screening for certain viruses such as dengue fever, Zika and Rift Valley fever is not systematic at the national blood transfusion center (CNTS). The risk can be considerable due to their short periods of asymptomatic viremia in the population whose incidence is variable and sometimes extremely high. This study aimed to explore the possibility of transmission of certain arboviruses through blood donation to the CNTS in Bamako. Health Sciences and Disease
CHEMICAL + RADIOLOGICAL THREATS
Man Arrested on Suspicion of Terror Offence After Heathrow Uranium Seizure
A man in his 60s has been arrested on suspicion of a terror offence after traces of uranium were found at Heathrow airport at the end of December, Scotland Yard has said. Border Force officers found the radioactive material with a shipment of scrap metal on 29 December. Specialist scanners detected the uranium, which had reportedly arrived on a flight from Oman, as it was ferried to a freight shed, which then triggered alarms. “The discovery of what was a very small amount of uranium within a package at Heathrow airport is clearly of concern, but it shows the effectiveness of the procedures and checks in place with our partners to detect this type of material.” The Guardian
EU Sets Up Reserve in Finland to Respond to Nuclear and Chemical Threats
The European Commission is funding the EU’s first chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) strategic reserve in Finland, under rescEU, which includes personal protective equipment, measuring equipment, pharmaceuticals and antibodies in Finland for CBRN accidents. The rescue equipment and medical supplies are intended to protect both first responders and the civilian population. The project will run until autumn 2026. Its budget is EUR 242 million. The project is very significant in scale and the first of its kind. Ministry of the Interior Finland, Reuters
Comparison of Skin Decontamination Strategies in the Initial Operational Response Following Chemical Exposures
In mass casualty incidents including hazardous chemical skin exposure, decontamination is the primary intervention to avoid systemic uptake of the toxic compound. The protocol needs to be both simple and efficient to enable a rapid response and avoid delay of patient management. In this study, decontamination strategies included in the initial operational response were evaluated following human skin exposure in vitro to four different contaminants. Toxicology in Vitro
Patients Exposed to Sulfur Mustard Gas: 4 Decades Follow Up of 719 Victims
Respiratory diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the survivors exposed to sulfur mustard. The late abnormalities can be present as chronic bronchitis, tracheobronchial stenosis, asthma, bronchiectasis, airway narrowing, lung fibrosis, and lung cancers. This study investigates the association between radiological findings and lung cancer development in patients exposed to sulfur mustard gas. The mean year interval between exposure and the last follow-up was 38 years. BMC Pulmonary Medicine
Verification of Exposure to Chemical Warfare Agents Through Analysis of Persistent Biomarkers in Plants
In this study a novel approach was developed for analyzing persistent biomarkers in vegetation for retrospective investigation of chemical warfare agent exposure. We demonstrate that these plant biomarkers are identical to the analytes that have been accepted as unequivocal biomarkers of exposure in biomedical samples of victims and that have been used by the designated laboratories of the OPCW to analyze samples associated with chemical weapons attacks. This work shows that CWA biomarkers formed in plants are very persistent and can be detected up to three months after exposure, useful for aiding forensic attribution. Analytical Methods
Air Pollution and Radiation Monitoring in Collective Protection Facilities
The Military Institute of Chemistry and Radiometry (MICR) has constructed and developed the ALERT device for the effective monitoring of chemical and radiological contaminations in the air. The CWA detector is an ion mobility spectrometer, toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) are detected by electrochemical sensors, and radiation hazards are detected via Geiger–Muller tubes. This paper presents the results of laboratory testing of the ALERT gas alarm detector, which showed high measurements for important parameters, including sensitivity, repeatability, accuracy, and speed. Sensors
SURVEILLANCE + DETECTION
Pandemic Showed the Power of Viral Sequencing. The U.K. Now Plans to Decode Other Respiratory Bugs
Building on the global boom in viral surveillance during the pandemic, U.K. scientists last week unveiled the Respiratory Virus & Microbiome Initiative, launched and funded by the Wellcome Sanger Institute, to track the evolution not just of SARS-CoV-2, but also other coronaviruses, different flu families, RSV, and other pathogens that typically just cause the sniffles but collectively lead to waves of illness every year. Researchers hope the initiative will enable them to better monitor viruses in the U.K. as they change, alert them to any worrisome mutations, and get tipped to the emergence of new viruses. STAT
DiaCarta’s Mpox Diagnostic Receives EUA
The FDA issued an EUA to DiaCarta, Inc. for the QuantiVirus MPXV Test Kit for the qualitative detection of DNA from monkeypox [mpox] virus in human lesion swab specimens from individuals suspected of mpox by their health care provider. FDA
Evaluation of Two Methods for Detection of Viable Bacillus anthracis Simulant Spores in Maritime Environmental Samples
Coastal zone facilities and assets of the US Coast Guard (USCG), including response boats in diverse geographical areas and maritime environmental conditions, can pose complex and unique challenges for adapting existing analytical detection methods. Here traditional culture and the rapid viability polymerase chain reaction (RV-PCR) methods were evaluated for their compatibility for maritime environmental surface and grab sample analysis to detect a surrogate for Bacillus anthracis. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE CRISIS
Limiting the Spread of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria in Low-to-Middle-Income Countries: One Size Does Not Fit All
Applying international policies to control the spread of MDROs presents several challenges, particularly in low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs). This work evaluates the real risks of dissemination linked to MDROs and proposes an alternative policy that caters to the means of LMICs. There is sufficient evidence to indicate that high compliance with hand hygiene and antimicrobial stewardship reduce the risk of MDRO transmission, though without entirely eliminating it. In LMICs, it would be possible to adopt a policy relying solely on these two factors without necessarily having to implement additional costly isolation and contact precautions. Compliance with hand hygiene, however, must exceed 70%. Nonetheless, a category of patients who are considered superspreaders due to being colonized or infected with particular bacterial species or with a specific clinical profile require isolation. Pathogens
WHO’s Fungal Priority Pathogens List
In October 2022, WHO published for the first time a list of 19 fungal priority pathogens. The stated aim of the list is: “to focus and drive further research and policy interventions to strengthen the global response to fungal infections and antifungal resistance”. It is an urgent task. A reasonable estimate as to the population affected by long-term disease caused by fungal infections would number in the hundreds of millions, with at least 1.6 million deaths every year.
Yet less than 1.5% of all research spending on infectious diseases is directed at fungal pathogens. As a result, only four classes of antifungals are used in clinical practice and there are few new drugs in the pipeline. In many countries, the recommended treatments for Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida auris are unavailable. WHO stresses the importance of developing novel antifungals, but there are similar challenges to those associated with antibiotics. The Lancet Microbe
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Coronavirus ‘Chimera’ Made in Lab Shows What Makes Omicron Seemingly Less Deadly
A controversial coronavirus experiment at Boston University has identified a mutation in the omicron variant that might help explain why it doesn’t appear to be as likely to sicken or kill as the original strain. The report, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, comes three months after researchers posted an early version of the study that ignited a media firestorm, as well as confusion over who, exactly, funded the work and whether it required greater government oversight. Washington Post
Genomic Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 Positive Passengers on Flights from China to Italy, December 2022
Results of screening that was conducted in Italy between 26 December and 29 December 2022 on flight passengers from China arriving at two major airports (Rome and Milan). A total of 556 passengers from four flights were screened for SARS-CoV-2. Of these, 126 (22.7%) tested positive. The proportion of passengers detected with SARS-CoV-2 per flight ranged from 11 to 42%. Whole genome sequencing of samples respectively obtained from 61 passengers who tested positive for the virus revealed Omicron variants, notably sub-lineages BA.5.2, BF.7, and BQ.1.1 (each with additional mutations), in line with data released from China. Eurosurveillance
Centering Human Rights to Advance Global COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Through COVAX
Thus far, the benefits of rapid COVID-19 vaccine development have disproportionately benefitted HICs and left LICs behind. In terms of delivery, COVAX has made notable but insufficient contributions toward global vaccination: 1.58 billion doses had been delivered as of July 2022, which is far short of the 2 billion doses COVAX had aimed to deliver by the end of 2021. COVAX has also been used to support the World Health Organization’s targets to vaccinate 40% of all countries’ populations by the end of 2021 and 70% of all countries’ populations by mid-2022. However, by May 2022, only 33% of countries had reached the latter target, and vaccine inequities persisted along lines of country income: 65% of HICs had met or were on track to meet that target, versus 29% of upper middle-income countries, 15% of lower middle-income countries, and 0% of LICs. Health and Human Rights Journal
Update on SARS-CoV-2 Variants: ECDC Assessment of the XBB.1.5 Sub-Lineage
This lineage is currently estimated to have a large growth advantage relative to previously circulating lineages in North America (109%) and Europe (113%), although these estimates are associated with significant uncertainty. The US CDC reports a doubling time of the proportion of XBB.1.5 of 9 days and the US CDC nowcast system estimates the current proportion of the variant around 27.6% in the US. Due to the uncertainty associated with the estimate, it is still unclear whether the variant will become dominant in the US in the coming few weeks. The most likely explanation of the growth advantage is the already high level of immune escape demonstrated by XBB, combined with the effect of the spike change S486P. This mutation has previously been rare during the pandemic, probably due to it requiring two nucleotide substitutions in the same codon to change from phenylalanine to proline. In fact, other variants with this change have emerged before without becoming successful. ECDC
Selective and Cross-Reactive SARS-Cov-2 T Cell Epitopes in Unexposed Humans
Robust T cell responses to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus occur in most individuals with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Several studies have reported that some people who have not been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 have preexisting reactivity to SARS-CoV-2 sequences. The immunological mechanisms underlying this preexisting reactivity are not clear, but previous exposure to widely circulating common cold coronaviruses might be involved. Science
SPECIAL INTEREST
Accepting Applications: 2023 Medical Counter Measures Workshop
NACCHO, in collaboration with the CDC, is hosting a pre-conference workshop at the 2023 Preparedness Summit focusing on Medical Counter Measures (MCM). The workshop is on Sunday, April 23, 1:00-4:00 PM, in Atlanta, GA. Competitive travel awards are available for a limited number of workshop participants. Application deadline is 13 Feb. National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
PPE Breaches: Understanding the Risks and How to Respond
On this podcast episode, experts in personal protective equipment (PPE) talked about breaches in PPE and the importance of preparing health care workers to assess the risks and safely respond to a breach. NETEC
ALSO READING
Vertical Transfer of Humoral Immunity against Nipah Virus: A Novel Evidence from Bangladesh. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease
Reconstructing Mayotte 2018–19 Rift Valley Fever outbreak in humans by combining serological and surveillance data. Communications Medicine
Global COVID-19 Pandemic: A Strategic Opportunity for Operationalizing One Health Approach in Zimbabwe. The COVID-19 – Health Systems Nexus
Using Zoos as Sentinels for Re-Emerging Arboviruses: Vector Surveillance During an Outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease at the Minnesota Zoo. Pathogens
Genome Sequence of a Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Detected in Indonesia in 2022. Microbiology Resources and Announcements
Analyzing Social Media Messaging on Masks and Vaccines: A Case Study on Misinformation During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
An inexpensive and rapid diagnostic method for detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). MethodsX
In Vitro and In Vivo Characterization of H5N8 High-Pathogenicity Avian Influenza Virus Neurotropism in Ducks and Chickens. Microbiology Spectrum