News highlights on health security threats and countermeasures curated by Global Biodefense
This week’s selections include expanding rules for oversight of research on potential pandemic pathogens; therapeutic strategies for poxvirus infections; a multivalent vaccine against New World arenaviruses; and strengthening a One Health approach to emerging zoonoses.
Contents
POLICY + GOVERNMENT
Battling Biological Threats: Complacency, Progress, or Both?
On the surface, it seems improbable that the United States will learn strategically from its many stark, sobering experiences with the pandemic. Stark new challenges continue to emerge, such as recent action by Congress to rescind the Covid-19 vaccine mandate for U.S. servicemen and women. Global health security, including biodefense, has been elevated to new prominence in U.S. national security thinking. The core message, communicated much more strongly than in the past, is that these are matters of U.S. national security. Of course, this begs the question: Will this security status translate into commensurate budgets and sustained action? CSIS
NIH Missing Top Leadership at Start of a Divided Congress
The Biden administration has yet to nominate a permanent replacement for former NIH Director Francis Collins, who stepped down from the post in December 2021. And efforts to replace the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci, who left in December of last year, are underway. Republicans in the House and Senate have generally supported the NIH’s mission. But this year, House Republicans plan to put the agency under the microscope, conducting a slew of oversight hearings about the agency’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the pandemic’s origins. Roll Call
Bio-Preparedness Workforce Pilot Program
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 authorizes a new Bio-Preparedness Workforce Pilot Program as a part of the PREVENT Pandemics Act. From HHS Secretary Becerra: “I urge you to include $50 million in the President’s Budget Request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 to launch this new pilot program, which is based on the bipartisan Bolstering Infectious Outbreaks (BIO) Preparedness Workforce Act, which I introduced in the 117th Congress. The legislation and pilot program aim to incentivize more health care professionals to enter the field of infectious diseases (ID) and work in underserved areas.” ID Society
HHS Could Improve Oversight of Research Involving Enhanced Potential Pandemic Pathogens
GAO is making three recommendations to improve HHS’s oversight of research, including developing and documenting a standard for “research that is reasonably anticipated to create, transfer, or use enhanced potential pandemic pathogens” and assessing the risk of statutory limitations. HHS neither agreed nor disagreed with two of the recommendations and agreed with the third. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
U.S. Should Expand Rules for Risky Virus Research to More Pathogens, Panel Says
U.S. health officials should expand oversight of federally funded research that tweaks deadly viruses to include some less risky types of pathogens, an expert panel has concluded. Its draft report also recommends funding agencies share more information about decisions to approve such work. The recommendations are welcome news for scientists, lawmakers, and others who have worried the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has revealed gaps in the rules for so called gain-of-function (GOF) research. The group’s recommendations, from a working group of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB), may also bring some relief to virologists who had worried the oversight would extend to common pathogens that rarely cause serious disease, such as cold viruses. But some experts say the proposed definition of risky research still leaves too much to interpretation and could sweep up routine studies important to public health. Science
Proposed Biosecurity Oversight Framework for the Future of Science
Key findings include: The current definitions of a PPP and enhanced PPP (ePPP) are too narrow. Overemphasis on pathogens that are both likely “highly” transmissible and likely “highly” virulent could result in overlooking some research involving the creation, transfer, or use of pathogens with enhanced potential to cause a pandemic; the potential biosafety and biosecurity risks associated with ePPP research and DURC justify USG efforts to introduce oversight of relevant research activities, regardless of the funding source; assessments for the identification of ePPP research must be focused on the potential for an activity or a modification to involve or produce a pathogen that meets the characteristics for an ePPP and not on the specific experimental approach or method to be undertaken; Current P3CO policy does not adequately include roles for investigators and institutions in the identification, review, and ongoing oversight of ePPP research; increased transparency in the review process is needed to engender public trust in the review and oversight processes; and while the focus of the current P3CO framework on pathogens that are likely to cause disease in humans is appropriate, an analogous oversight framework is lacking for research involving enhanced animal or plant pathogens. NIH
ASM Commends NSABB’s Proposed Biosecurity Oversight Framework
ASM supports and appreciates the work of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) to review and revise policies governing enhanced potential pandemic pathogen (ePPP) research and dual use research of concern (DURC). Additionally, scientific publishers play a critical role in ensuring that this work is carried out and communicated in a manner that should instill public confidence. As one of the largest publishers of microbial science research in the world and as an organization that has implemented a rigorous process for assessing publications involving ePPP and DURC, ASM supports the report’s recommendation to develop and adopt more uniform editorial policies, review processes and best practices for safe communication of sensitive research findings. American Society for Microbiology
The WHO’s New Pandemic Treaty is Good for the World — and the U.S.
In December, delegates from more than 180 countries met in Switzerland to discuss the International Treaty for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response, which had initially been proposed in December 2021. Provisions to facilitate data-sharing between countries could help U.S. scientists and public health officials make quicker and more informed decisions to limit the spread of a disease, while clauses on ensuring an equitable global distribution of vaccines could prevent the rise of dangerous variants of a pathogen. STAT
A Global Analysis of One Health Networks and the Proliferation of One Health Collaborations
Findings show that, although more One Health Networks were formed in the past 10 years than in the preceding decade, investment in these networks has not been equitably distributed; more One Health Networks are formed and headquartered in Europe than in any other region, and emerging infections and novel pathogens were the priority focus area for most of them, with fewer focusing on other important hazards and pressing threats to health security. The Lancet
MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES
Therapeutic Strategies for Human Poxvirus Infections: Monkeypox (Mpox), Smallpox, Molluscipox, and Orf
Therapeutic and vaccine development for human poxvirus infections (e.g., monkeypox (mpox) virus, variola virus, molluscum contagiosum virus, orf virus) has been largely deserted, especially after the eradication of smallpox by 1980. Human mpox is a self-limited disease confined to Central and West Africa for decades. However, since April 2022, mpox has quickly emerged as a multi-country outbreak, urgently calling for effective antiviral agents and vaccines to control mpox. Here, this review highlights possible therapeutic options (e.g., tecovirimat, brincidofovir, cidofovir) and other strategies (e.g., vaccines, intravenous vaccinia immune globulin) for the management of human poxvirus infections worldwide. Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
Mpox: Development of Drugs and Biological Products Guidance for Industry
The FDA announced the availability of a draft guidance titled, “Mpox: Development of Drugs and Biological Products”. The draft guidance provides the FDA’s current thinking regarding nonclinical, virology, and clinical considerations for mpox (monkeypox) drug development programs. Deadline to comment is 21 March 2023. FDA
Multivalent Vaccine Induces Sterile Protection Against New World Arenaviruses
Having shown that the MOPEVAC vaccine, based on a hyperattenuated arenavirus, induces neutralizing Abs against Lassa fever, here researchers hypothesized that expression of New World arenavirus glycoproteins in this platform might be protective. In this study, the presence of neutralizing Abs at the time of infection may enable viral elimination before dissemination, particularly into the brain, avoiding the risk of late-onset encephalitis. Nature Microbiology
Development of Gamma-Tocotrienol as a Radiation Medical Countermeasure for the Acute Radiation Syndrome
Despite research and development during the last six decades, there is a shortage of nontoxic, safe, and effective radiation medical countermeasures (MCMs) for radiological and nuclear emergencies. To date, the FDA has approved only four agents for the mitigation of hematopoietic acute radiation syndrome (H-ARS). GT3 is a newer type of radioprotector having significant injury-countering potential and is currently under advanced development for H-ARS. As a pre-exposure drug, it requires only single doses, lacks significant toxicity, and has minimal, ambient temperature storage requirements; thus, GT3 appears to be an ideal MCM for military and first responders as well as for storage in the Strategic National Stockpile. Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs
Breakthrough Treatments for Ebola Virus Disease, But No Access—What Went Wrong, and How Can We Do Better?
Three years since proving effective for Ebola virus disease in a clinical trial, two breakthrough treatments are registered and stockpiled in the USA but still not registered and generally available in the countries most affected by this deadly infection of epidemic potential. Current financial incentives for companies to overcome market failures and engage in epidemic-prone diseases are geared towards registration and stockpiling in the USA, without responsibility to provide access where and when needed. The Lancet Infectious Diseases
BIOSECURITY + BIOPREPAREDNESS
The World Needs a COP-Like Process for Pandemic Preparedness
In the coming decades, climate change could double the chances of future COVID-scale pandemics occurring. Together with climate shocks, this worrying combination of disaster and disease heralds a perfect storm of devastation and disruption — and it means that COVID-19 could just be a taste of things to come. Without an international and globally inclusive process, recognised by international law, aimed at driving and monitoring progress towards global solutions, there is a very real danger that we slip back into a dangerous cycle of neglect and panic, ignoring the warning signs and only taking action after disaster strikes. Gavi
Strengthening a One Health Approach to Emerging Zoonoses
Given the enormous global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, greatly exacerbated by the intra-pandemic emergence of novel variants of concern (VOCs), and multiple, ongoing outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), there is a pressing need for a deeper understanding of the interface where humans and other animals interact in their shared environment, and the intersecting biological, ecological, and socioecological factors contributing to the emergence, spread, and impact of zoonotic diseases. Failure to embrace or sustain a One Health approach to viral zoonoses resulted from both a limited understanding of viral biology and drivers of emergence and disease, as well as from a lack of political will. Facets
SELECT AGENTS + PRIORITY PATHOGENS
Joint ECDC-WHO Regional Office for Europe Mpox Surveillance Bulletin
A total of 25,780 cases of mpox (formerly monkeypox) have been identified up to 17 Jan 2023 from 45 countries and areas throughout the European Region. Over the past 4 weeks, 166 cases of mpox have been identified from 14 countries and areas. The majority of cases were between 31 and 40 years-old (10,125/25,659 – 39%) and male (25,193/25,628 – 98%). There were 777 cases hospitalised (6%), of which 268 cases required clinical care. Seven cases were admitted to ICU, and five cases of mpox were reported to have died. There have been five cases of occupational exposure (4/5 wearing PPE). ECDC
Don’t Wait for an Ebola Outbreak to Vaccinate People Against It
Uganda’s most recent Ebola outbreak should be a wake-up call to the world. Last October, just 3 weeks into the outbreak, the disease spread to Kampala, a well-connected city of 1.5 million people. From there, it might easily have entered other countries. We need a better way. Preventive, not reactive, vaccination is needed to fight Ebola. Wealthier nations must urgently fund mapping efforts and vaccine production to protect vulnerable populations in sub-Saharan Africa and, through them, the rest of the world. Nature
PAHO Issues Alert on Outbreaks of Avian Influenza in Birds in Ten Countries of the Americas
PAHO issued an alert in response to the increasing detection of avian influenza outbreaks in birds in ten countries in the Region of the Americas, and the recent confirmation of the first case of human infection of avian influenza A(H5) in South America. Pan American Health Organization
Researchers Detail H5N1 Avian Flu Outbreak at Mink Farm in Spain
Several countries have reported instances of H5N1 avian flu infections in mammals, but now Spanish researchers have reported the first known outbreak in farmed mink. A detailed genetic analysis of the H5N1 virus found that it belonged to the current clade circulating in wild birds and poultry on multiple continents and is most closely related to a strain found in seabirds across Europe. No related human infections were found at the farm. Spanish mink farm workers are required to wear masks because of the risks of SARS-CoV-2 in those setting. CIDRAP
Modeling Gastrointestinal Anthrax Disease
Researchers model GI anthrax with virulent B. anthracis Ames in immunocompetent Guinea pigs and mice. They find that both spores and vegetative bacilli can lead to disseminated anthrax disease without causing damage to the gastrointestinal tract. They find that the capsule, but not the toxins, is critical for bacterial survival in the host. Both mice and Guinea pigs succumb to GI anthrax in absence of toxins but with reduced bacterial titers in their tissues. Such reduction are likely to impact transmission to new hosts. Research in Microbiology
Molecular Pathogenesis of Nipah Virus
Absence of antibodies or therapeutics to counter this sickness is a major cause why scientists worldwide are trying to develop a powerful NiV immunization and therapy policy. This particular review reports the pathogenesis of Nipah virus and includes studies on the interaction between host and pathogen, host resistance, if any, and its risk factors. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology
Changing Disease Course of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Children, Turkey
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed an increased number of pediatric CCHF cases in Turkey associated with unexpectedly severe disease, including certain cases referred to or misdiagnosed as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) (17). In this study, we aimed to explain the reasons for variations in disease severity among children by determining cytokine/chemokine profiles over time, as well as evaluating clinical and laboratory parameters of patients.” Emerging Infectious Diseases
Monkeypox Virus Evolution before 2022 Outbreak
This analyses of MPXV genome sequences indicate that the virus has been circulating silently and undetected for about 2 decades, probably in multiple non–MPXV-endemic countries outside of Africa. The public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may have favored the spread of MPXV under the radar in the past few years; however, the existence of asymptomatic carriers cannot be ruled out and may have contributed to the undetected spread of MPXV. Emerging Infectious Diseases
Zoonotic Mutation of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Virus Identified in the Brain of Multiple Wild Carnivore Species
This study showed supports the inclusion of brain samples in wild life surveillance programs for the reliable detection of the HPAI H5N1 virus in mammals. Surveillance of the wild carnivore population and notification to the Veterinary Authority are important from a one-heath perspective, and instrumental to pandemic preparedness. Pathogens
New Langya Virus in China Infects 35 People, Can Impair Organs
The study showed that the new Langya henipavirus (LayV) was identified in a throat swab sample of febrile patients with a recent history of animal exposure in eastern China. Subsequent investigation identified 35 patients with acute LayV infection in the Shandong and Henan provinces of China, among whom 26 were infected with LayV only (no other pathogens were present). National Herald India
CHEMICAL + RADIOLOGICAL THREATS
Chemicals and Hazardous Materials Incidents
Emergencies can happen during the production, storage, transportation, use or disposal of hazardous materials. You are at risk when chemicals are used unsafely or released in harmful amounts where you live, work or play. Build an Emergency Supply Kit and include duct tape, scissors and plastic to cover doors, windows and vents. Make a Family Emergency Plan. Know how to operate your home’s ventilation system, shelter in place and self-decontaminate. Ready.gov
Machine Learning Approach for Biodosimetry of Radiation Exposures
During a large-scale radiological event such as an improvised nuclear device detonation, many survivors will be shielded from radiation by environmental objects, and experience only partial-body irradiation (PBI), which has different consequences, compared with total-body irradiation (TBI). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that applying machine learning to a combination of radiation-responsive biomarkers (ACTN1, DDB2, FDXR) and B and T cell counts will quantify and distinguish between PBI and TBI exposures. Scientific Reports
Bifunctional Fluorescent Probes for the Detection of Mustard Gas and Phosgene
Mustard gas and phosgene are the most frequently used chemical warfare agents (CWAs), which pose a serious threat to human health and national security, and their rapid and accurate detection is essential to respond to terrorist attacks and industrial accidents. Here researchers develop a fluorescent dual-sensing-site probe which can detect and distinguish sulfur mustard and phosgene. Analytical Chemistry
Theoretical Prediction on the Hydrolysis Rate of the New Types of Nerve Agents
A new method has been developed to predict the hydrolysis rate of the newer classes of nerve agents including Novichoks. Electrophilicity can be a good indicator for predicting the hydrolysis rate of the new types of nerve agents. Toxicology Reports
Hydrogel Films for Fast and Efficient Decontamination of Chemical Warfare Agents
The goal of this study was to develop an innovative method for CWA decontamination that allows fast and efficient remediation of CWA-affected sites by entrapping the toxic compounds inside the polymeric matrix of the hydrogel, along with their efficient degradation using a dual route─hydrolytic and photocatalytic. ACS Applied Polymer Materials
SURVEILLANCE + DETECTION
New CDC Dashboards Track Hospital Stays, ED Visits for COVID-19, Flu and RSV
The CDC released a dashboard tracking hospitalization rates for laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, flu and Respiratory Syncytial Virus by age group, sex, race/ethnicity, state and season based on data from select counties in 13 states, which the agency will update weekly. CDC also released another dashboard tracking weekly emergency department visits for COVID-19, flu and RSV by age group and percent of all ED visits based on data from the National Syndromic Surveillance Program. American Hospital Association
NASEM Releases Report on Wastewater-Based Disease Surveillance
This new report’s goal is to assess how useful community-level wastewater surveillance has been in understanding COVID-19 across U.S. communities and in informing public health decisions. With the rapid innovation of wastewater surveillance during the pandemic, the challenge is now to create a standardized national system for surveillance. A future national system should be actionable, flexible in tracking multiple pathogens and adapting to new threats, and equitable, with a focus on engaging communities not currently represented by wastewater surveillance. Coordination among utilities, laboratories, public health agencies, and all other parties involved in wastewater surveillance is essential. National Association of County and City Health Officials
Application of a Universal Parasite Diagnostic Test to Biological Specimens Collected From Animals
The inability to detect parasite coinfections is a limitation of conventional pathogen-specific diagnostic modalities such as PCR, qPCR, and ELISA. Multiplex assays based on the aforementioned test systems can address this to some extent, though multiplex panels are still limited to certain taxa. A universal parasite diagnostic that can detect and identify human blood parasites such as Plasmodium spp., Babesia spp., Trypanosoma spp., and several filariases, with a limit of detection comparable to real-time PCR is described here. International Journal for Parasitology
Researchers Identify Candida auris in Nevada Wastewater
In a dispatch published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, a team led by scientists with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services and the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services described the culture-based recovery of colonies in one of eight samples collected at a wastewater treatment C. auris plant in southern Nevada from May 23 to Jun 13, 2022, during an intense outbreak of the multidrug-resistant yeast. CIDRAP
Lateral Flow Test Engineering and Lessons Learned from COVID-19
Lateral flow tests (LFTs) were adopted at an unprecedented scale during the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling access to testing beyond healthcare settings. But only 0.4% of the 3 billion COVID-19 tests performed through to mid-2022 were conducted in low-income regions, raising ethical concerns and constraining our collective ability to respond to a pandemic. Key barriers to COVID-19 LFT development and adoption include lack of access to well characterized samples, limited accuracy, lack of connectivity, lack of evidence of cost-effectiveness, regulatory delays and centralized manufacturing capabilities. Bioengineering approaches, such as the use of nano- and quantum materials, nucleic-acid-based LFTs, CRISPR and machine learning, will improve the sensitivity, specificity, multiplexing and connectivity features of LFTs. Nature Reviews Bioengineering
Rapid Diagnostic Tests for the Detection of the Four Dengue Virus Serotypes
This study describes the evaluation of four rapid low-resource serotype-specific dengue tests for the detection of specific DENV serotypes in clinical sample matrices. These tests have several advantages compared to RT-qPCR detection, such as a simple workflow, rapid sample processing and turnaround times (35 min from sample preparation to detection), minimal equipment needs, and improved laboratory safety through the inactivation of the virus during the sample preparation step. Microbiology Spectrum
Establishment of a Neutralization Assay for Nipah Virus Using a High-Titer Pseudovirus System
Live NiV virus research must be carried out in a BSL-4 laboratory; therefore, it is desirable to establish NiV detection methods that can be performed in a BSL-2 laboratory. Here researchers construct a high-titer Nipah pseudovirus packaging system using the HIV lentivirus backbone vector and establish a safe neutralization assay for Nipah pseudovirus in BSL-2 facilities. Biotechnology Letters
A New Report Outlines a Vision for National Wastewater Surveillance
Wastewater surveillance provided valuable public health information during the Covid-19 pandemic and merits “further development and continued investment,” according to a new report released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine on Thursday. Although the pandemic spurred the rapid expansion of wastewater surveillance, the current system sprung up in an ad hoc way, fueled by volunteerism and emergency pandemic-related funding. New York Times
HEALTH BEHAVIOR + RISK
The BMJ Appeal 2022-23: How Safe Burial Helped End the 2022 Ebola Epidemic
“Throughout west Africa there’s a tradition of relatives washing and cleaning the body of the deceased and then using that water to cleanse their hands to signify unity.” But these deeply personal religious rituals to prepare bodies for burial or cremation were actually spreading the virus, “leading to situations where bereaved families were confronted by teams of health workers wearing full PPE suits, ordering them to stop performing what they regarded as essential rituals. When people don’t understand, you can’t just yell louder.” IFRC’s recent protocol for safe and dignified burial recognizes that efforts to stop transmission must, as a priority, dismantle the barriers in the way of healthy behavioral change. The BMJ
ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE CRISIS
An ISO-Certified Genomics Workflow for Identification and Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance
Realizing the promise of genomics to revolutionize identification and surveillance of antimicrobial resistance has been a long-standing challenge in clinical and public health microbiology. Here, researchers report the creation and validation of abritAMR, a bioinformatics platform for genomics-based bacterial AMR gene detection. abritAMR was compared with PCR or reference genomes, representing 1500 different bacteria and 415 resistance alleles. In these analyses, abritAMR displays 99.9% accuracy, 97.9% sensitivity and 100% specificity. The tool and validation datasets are publicly available to assist laboratories everywhere. Nature Communications
A Novel, Fast, Accurate, Cost-Effective Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test for Urine Samples
UTIs are one of the most common forms of infection and reasons for antibiotic prescribing. Empirical prescribing without reference to antimicrobial susceptibility tests (ASTs) is common due to the high incidence, burden of symptoms and the length of time needed for an AST (24–48 h). However, untreated UTIs can lead to complications and in severe cases to bacteraemia and death. In addition, resistance to frontline antibiotics is increasing, leading to increased treatment failure. Bacterial impedance cytometry can measure the opacity and electrical size of individual cells by measuring the change in the electrical current as single cells flow between micro-electrodes. Bacteria treated with antibiotics change their electrical size and opacity compared with untreated cells. This change is visible on the iFAST within 2 h of exposure to above MIC of antibiotics, thereby enabling detection of cells susceptible to breakpoint concentrations of antibiotics. JAC Antimicrobial Resistance
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
VRBPAC Meeting on 26 Jan to Discuss Future COVID-19 Vaccination Regimens
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will hold a meeting of its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) to consider whether and how the composition for primary doses and booster doses of the currently available COVID-19 vaccines should be modified. Along with the independent experts of the advisory committee, representatives from the U.S. CDC and the National Institutes of Health will also participate in the meeting. There will also be presentations from manufacturers and the FDA summarizing the manufacturing considerations and timelines related to vaccine composition changes. FDA
FDA Proposes Switching to Annual Coronavirus Vaccine, Mimicking Flu Model
Americans would receive an annual vaccine to protect against the coronavirus under a once-a-year regimen akin to what is used for influenza shots, according to a new strategy outlined by the FDA in briefing documents released Monday in advance of the VRBPAC meeting. The FDA’s proposal represents a shift from its strategy of pushing boosters to counter variant threats — an effort that ran into resistance from the public. The FDA suggested Monday that the annual formulation for coronavirus vaccines would be chosen every June, in time to be manufactured and administered by September as part of a yearly immunization campaign. The new blueprint for an annual dose of protection drew conflicting reactions. Washington Post
Women Accounted for 70.8 Percent of Workplace Illnesses Caused by Viruses in 2020
Women comprise the overwhelming majority of healthcare workers (e.g. Registered Nurses, LPNs, nursing assistants, personal care aids). Women accounted for 70.8 percent of the 390,020 reported workplace illness cases caused by “other diseases due to viruses, not elsewhere classified” in private establishments in 2020. This category includes COVID-19 cases. Nursing assistants had the highest number of virus cases (65,480) and of these cases, 87.2 percent were women. Among licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, workers ages 45 to 54 accounted for 27.5 percent of the 22,910 virus cases. Among maids and housekeeping cleaners, workers ages 55 to 64 accounted for 27.2 percent of the 9,690 virus cases. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Antigenic Mapping of Emerging SARS-Cov-2 Omicron Variants BM.1.1.1, BQ.1.1, and XBB.1
Data reveal substantial cross-neutralization of BA.5 antiserum samples against BQ.1.1 but little cross-neutralization against XBB.1 and BM.1.1.1. Despite the antigenic similarities between BA.5 and BQ.1.1, thus far there is little evidence for increased neutralization of BQ.1.1 by BA.5 bivalent vaccines, potentially due to immunological imprinting. The Lancet Microbe
SARS-CoV-2 Africa Dashboard for Real-Time COVID-19 Information
The SARS-CoV-2 Africa dashboard is an interactive tool that enables visualization of SARS-CoV-2 genomic information in African countries. The customizable app allows users to visualize the number of sequences deposited in each country, and the variants circulating over time. Our dashboard enables near real-time exploration of public data that can inform policymakers, healthcare professionals and the public about the ongoing pandemic. Nature Microbiology
FDA Issues Emergency Ibuprofen Compounding Guidance to Meet Shortages of Pediatric Products
In an effort to improve the supply of pediatric fever-reducing medications amid record high demand, FDA has issued immediately-in-effect guidance on compounding certain ibuprofen oral suspension products. This action comes after months of shortages nationwide in hospitals and health systems during the winter surge of flu, RSV and COVID-19. FDA additionally stated it is “not addressing acetaminophen oral suspensions at this time due to additional considerations.” FDA
Protective Effectiveness of Previous SARS-Cov-2 Infection and Hybrid Immunity Against the Omicron Variant
Here researchers aimed to systematically review the evidence for the magnitude and duration of the effectiveness of previous infection and hybrid immunity against multiple clinical outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection caused by the omicron variant; and to examine the comparative protection of hybrid immunity relative to previous infection only, vaccination only, and hybrid immunity with fewer vaccine doses. All estimates of protection waned within months against reinfection but remained high and sustained for hospital admission or severe disease. Individuals with hybrid immunity had the highest magnitude and durability of protection, and as a result might be able to extend the period before booster vaccinations are needed compared to individuals who have never been infected. The Lancet Infectious Diseases
SPECIAL INTEREST
Vector Control Collaborative Mentorship Program
Managed by NACCHO with CDC support, the Vector Control Collaborative (VCC) mentorship program has matched many local vector control programs with demonstrated expertise in the ten capabilities with vector control programs currently looking for guidance, tools and resources, and recommendations to build program capability. This year, selected programs to the VCC will be awarded up to $10,000 in grant funding. Application deadline is 27 February 2023. National Association of County and City Health Officials
The NIEHS is Recruiting New Program Officers and Scientific Review Officers
One position for Program Officer is within the Worker Education and Training Branch. The Program Officer will develop and oversee programs that supports health and safety training for workers who may be involved in handling hazardous waste or in responding to emergency releases of hazardous materials. The incumbent should be a recognized subject matter expert in the field of public health with a focus on occupational health and safety and associated environmental and human health disparities and its impacts. NIEHS, USAJobs
ALSO READING
The case for including microbial sequences in the electronic health record. Nature Medicine
Comprehensive Review of Emergence and Virology of Tickborne Bourbon Virus in the United States. Emerging Infectious Diseases
Bivalent Omicron BA.1–Adapted BNT162b2 Booster in Adults Older Than 55 Years. NEJM
Antiviral Approaches against Influenza Virus. Clinical Microbiology Reviews
The next giant step for microbes. Nature Biotechnology
Plagued by a Cryptic Clock: Insight and Issues from the Global Phylogeny of Yersinia Pestis. Communications Biology
Armed with air samplers, rope tricks, and—yes—ants, virus hunters spot threats in new ways. Science
A new and efficient enrichment method for metagenomic sequencing of Monkeypox virus. BMC Genomics
Risk of within-hotel transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during on-arrival quarantine in Hong Kong: an epidemiological and phylogenomic investigation. The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific
Novel phenotypic, impedance-based fast antibiotic susceptibility test (AST) can distinguish between MRSA and MSSA in 2 hours. JAC Antimicrobial Resistance
Insect-Specific Chimeric Viruses Potentiated Antiviral Responses and Inhibited Pathogenic Alphavirus Growth in Mosquito Cells. Microbiology Spectrum
Predicting the combined effects of case isolation, safe funeral practices, and contact tracing during Ebola virus disease outbreaks. PLOS One
Global high consequence infectious disease events summary. Gov.UK
Vaxxing to elimination: smallpox vaccines as tools to fight mpox. Journal of Clinical Investigation