News highlights on health security threats and countermeasures curated by Global Biodefense
This week’s selections include advancing scalable just-in-time medical countermeasures infrastructure; opening of the new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility; cooling pond at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant at risk after dam collapse; and a worldwide mpox genomic surveillance dashboard.
POLICY + GOVERNMENT
Center for Health Security applauds bipartisan introduction of the Disease X Act of 2023
“The Disease X Act of 2023 is a critical piece of legislation that aims to ensure our country is prepared to respond to emerging diseases with the potential to cause global pandemics. Viral pathogens with pandemic potential can dramatically affect the United States’s population, military readiness, and economic and national security. Whether a future pandemic threat is naturally occurring, accidentally released, or deliberately caused, our best defense will be safe and effective medical countermeasures including therapies, vaccines, and diagnostics. The development of such countermeasures aids in pandemic response preparedness and serves as a deterrent against the development of biological weapons by adversaries and bad actors. The bipartisan introduction of this bill highlights the urgent need to accelerate the development of medical countermeasures for previously unidentified infectious disease threats, referred to as Disease X.” Center for Health Security
Zoonotic Diseases: Federal Actions Needed to Improve Surveillance and Better Assess Human Health Risks Posed by Wildlife
There are more than 200 known zoonotic diseases—those caused by pathogens that spread between animals and humans. Domestically, zoonotic disease risks can come from U.S. wildlife and animals imported from abroad. While federal agencies are developing a surveillance system to detect zoonotic diseases in U.S. wildlife, they could also do more to improve collaboration—including sharing information on emerging diseases. Government Accountability Office
Ashish Jha to Leave Covid Czar Position as White House Winds Down Response
White House coronavirus coordinator Ashish Jha will step June 15 as the Biden administration formally ends the role, and he will return to his position as dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health. More than 1.1 million Americans have died of covid since early 2020, although severe coronavirus cases and deaths have plunged in recent months. The Biden administration formally ended its public health emergency for the coronavirus pandemic on May 11. Jha and other officials have acknowledged that the virus continues to circulate and remains a threat, mostly among the elderly and immunocompromised. More than 30,000 Americans have died of Covid-19 so far this year. Washington Post
BWC Scientific Experts Group to Combat Biological Threats
This Policy Brief proposes to institutionalize a Scientific Expert Group (SEG) within the ambit of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), similar to the Scientific Advisory Board of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. This board will assess the biosecurity risks of new technologies, monitor the emergence and evolution of biological threats, both natural and man-made, and recommend countermeasures. Observer Research Foundation
Anti-Mandate Texas Attorney General Launches Investigation Into COVID-19 Vaccine Makers
Long an opponent of COVID-19 safety mandates, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said this week he will investigate three major pharmaceutical companies for deceptive practices, arguing that they may have misrepresented the effectiveness of vaccines and the likelihood of becoming infected after receiving a vaccine. The investigation will also look into the potential manipulation of trial data by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, said Paxton. In the aftermath of the vaccine’s production and widespread distribution, Paxton fought local and federal policies aimed at controlling the COVID-19 virus’ spread in public. He sued the Biden administration for requiring large businesses to mandate vaccines for their employees and also filed suit against multiple Texas school districts for attempting to require masks in school. Texas Tribune
Russia and Partners Block Condemnation of Chemical Weapons Treaty Violations
The Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) held its fifth review conference in May to assess implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and set priorities for the CWC’s next five years. The conference issued no final document because Russia and a small minority of member states prevented OPCW member states from including language that candidly addressed Russian and Syrian use of chemical weapons. Moscow and its bloc in the OPCW — which includes China, Iran, Syria, Cuba, and a handful of others — rejected language in the draft document underscoring Russia’s and Syria’s CWC violations as well as other disputed issues. Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Toxin and Bioregulator Weapons: Preventing the Misuse of the Chemical and Life Sciences
The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) were designed, with the inclusion of a General Purpose Criterion (GPC), to be comprehensive in the substances encompassed and responsive to technological change. Both are intended inter alia to cover and prevent weaponization of naturally occurring and synthetic toxins and bioregulators; the threat from which continues to grow with advances in, and convergence of, the chemical and life sciences and associated technologies. However, through longstanding textual ambiguities, exacerbated by inconsistencies and failures in State Party implementation, the envisioned BTWC and CWC overlapping protection in reality masks a dangerous regulatory gap, which risks both regimes failing to effectively prevent or address development of toxin or bioregulator weapons. OPCW
NBAF is Open, But Livestock Disease Research Won’t Start for a Year
After well over a decade of politics, applications, funding debates and construction, the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility is officially open. But the federal government’s newest biosecurity laboratories in Manhattan are still likely more than a year away from performing the animal health research they were designed for. Staff are doing various compliance and regulatory work, inspections, developing and testing protocols and standard operating procedures, preparing equipment and training before working with any pathogens. Topeka Capital-Journal
After Years of Controversy, National Bio-Defense Lab Opens in Kansas
The northeastern Kansas facility will be the nation’s only large-animal biosafety Level 4 lab. Initially estimated to cost $451 million, the price tag more than doubled after the National Research Council published a report in 2010 that questioned putting the facility in the heart of cattle country with a history of large, destructive tornadoes. DHS officials said the increased cost came in part because the lab’s design was changed to reduce the possibility of releasing deadly pathogens. The laboratory replaces an aging facility in Plum Island, NY. Officials there fought hard to keep the lab and several other states made bids to become home to the lab before Kansas was chosen in 2009.Originally expected to open in 2016, construction of the laboratory was delayed several times by economic problems, safety concerns and resistance from politicians who wanted the project in their states. AP
FDA Takes Additional Steps to Advance Decentralized Clinical Trials
This week the agency released new draft guidance on decentralized elements including obtaining laboratory tests at a local facility rather than a research medical center or conducting a clinical follow-up visit in the trial participant’s home using telemedicine. “Decentralizing clinical trials will allow some or all trial-related activities to take place at trial participants’ homes or other convenient locations, instead of having them visit research sites. By reducing barriers to participation, we expect that DCTs will increase the breadth and diversity of participants in clinical trials and improve accessibility for those with rare diseases or mobility challenges.” FDA
Biological Weapons Convention: In the Crosshairs of Geopolitical Tensions
The Biological Weapons Convention has become an outlet for geopolitical tensions heightened by the war in Ukraine. This two-part article charts how the diplomatic battle between Moscow and Washington for control of the narrative on treaty compliance and verification is at a precarious point. Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES
Resolving Lipid Structures for Threat-Agnostic Signatures
Development of threat-agnostic biosignatures is critical for the detection of and response to biological threats that go beyond the historical list-based approach. Structural analysis of complex lipids remains stymied due to spectral complexity and the inability to resolve low abundance lipids. To address these challenges, researchers integrated ozonolysis with ion mobility mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) analysis to determine the structural information for complex lipid species and reduced lipid sample complexity prior to introduction into the IMS-MS using normal phase high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) to enable the ozonolysis of low abundance lipids. These new capabilities were applied to define the lipid structures in antimicrobial resistant and antimicrobial susceptible biothreat organism Yersinia pestis and cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 variants. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
A Pan-ebolavirus Monoclonal Antibody Cocktail Provides Protection against Ebola and Sudan Viruses
Two distinct cross-reactive monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were isolated from mice immunized with recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus-based filovirus vaccines. Both mAbs recognized the glycoproteins of multiple different ebolaviruses and exhibited broad but differential in vitro neutralization activities against these viruses. The Journal of Infectious Diseases
The rVSV-EBOV Vaccine Provides Limited Cross-Protection Against Sudan Virus in Guinea Pigs
The results from this small animal study indicate that it is possible, in principle, to achieve cross-protection against challenge with SUDV following rVSV-EBOV immunization—at least in guinea pigs. Nearly 60% of the guinea pigs that were immunized with rVSV-EBOV survived challenge with SUDV 28 days later. NPJ Vaccines
Policy Requirements for a Just-in-Time, Capability-Based, Scalable Medical Countermeasure R&D Enterprise
Although the proposed investment in pandemic preparedness and reducing the threat of GCBRs by the Biden administration is welcome, the MCM enterprise has an opportunity to fundamentally realign its research, development, manufacturing, and procurement strategy to better prepare the world to respond to GCBRs. In a world of diverse threats, the predominantly product-based focus targeting disparate disease indications employed by the PHEMCE must be reevaluated. Although developing MCM products against known threats is important, embracing a capability-based approach will facilitate the development of an MCM enterprise prepared to respond to diverse GCBRs, particularly viral threats. Health Security
Research Monkey Shortage Undermines US Readiness, Panel Says
Studies using nonhuman primates have been critical to lifesaving medical advances. China, once a leading supplier, ended exports of research monkeys in 2020, as scientists everywhere needed more for coronavirus studies. The U.S. experienced a 20% drop in imports of cynomolgus macaques when China suddenly stopped shipping. And last fall, the U.S. filed charges to stop a Cambodian smuggling ring accused of shipping endangered wild monkeys in place of those bred for research, further constraining supplies. “If the U.S. is to produce high-impact biomedical research and have a research infrastructure capable of responding to the next public health crisis, now is the time to strengthen the systems we need for nonhuman primate research,” said the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine committee chairman Dr. Kenneth Ramos of Texas A&M University. Seattle Times
Pediatric Medical Countermeasures
Recently updated resource page highlighting FDA activities to help foster development of pediatric MCMs to respond to CBRN threats and emerging infectious diseases in pediatric populations. FDA
CpG Dinucleotide Enrichment in the Influenza A Virus Genome as a Live Attenuated Vaccine Development Strategy
CpG enrichment is increasingly being proposed as a strategy for live attenuated vaccine development. Here researchers have shown that in a vaccine strain of IAV, CpG enrichment does not impair viral growth in embryonated hens’ eggs or cultured MDCK cells–the main systems used for propagation of live attenuated IAV vaccines. Any live attenuated vaccines generated using a reverse genetics system and propagated in mammalian cells can be CpG-enriched and grown in ZAP-/- cells; therefore, large scale recoding is extrapolatable to other vaccine virus systems. PLOS Pathogens
‘Remarkable’ AI Tool Designs More Potent and Stable mRNA Vaccines
An artificial intelligence tool that optimizes the gene sequences found in mRNA vaccines could help to create jabs with greater potency and stability. The software borrows techniques from computational linguistics to design mRNA sequences with more-intricate shapes and structures than those used in current vaccines. The new methodology is “remarkable”, says Dave Mauger, a computational RNA biologist who previously worked at Moderna in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a maker of mRNA vaccines. “The computational efficiency is really impressive and more sophisticated than anything that has come before.” Nature
EPIPOX: A Resource Facilitating Epitope-Vaccine Design Against Human Pathogenic Orthopoxviruses
EPIPOX is a specialized online resource intended to facilitate the design of epitope-based vaccines against orthopoxviruses. EPIPOX is built upon a collection of T cell epitopes that are shared by eight pathogenic orthopoxviruses, including variola minor and major strains, monkeypox, cowpox, and vaccinia viruses. Users can select T cell epitopes attending to the predicted binding to distinct major histocompatibility molecules (MHC) and according to various features that may have an impact on epitope immunogenicity. Computational Vaccine Design
TLR4 Agonist MPLA Ameliorates Heavy-Ion Radiation Damage
This study aimed to investigate the role of MPLA on radiation damage. Data showed that MPLA treatment alleviated the heavy-ion-induced damage to microstructure and the spleen and testis indexes. Radiation Research
Combining Antidotal Treatment with Dermal Application of AHA Following Percutaneous VX Poisoning
Low volatility organophosphorus chemical warfare agents are cholinesterase inhibitors which rapidly absorb into the skin, leading to the formation of a dermal depot from which they slowly enter the bloodstream. This leads to sustained cholinergic hyperstimulation, which if untreated may lead to death. Current available countermeasures are not adequate to neutralize the agent residing in the dermal depot. In this paper, researchers evaluated the efficacy of the potassium salt of acetohydroxamic acid (AHAK), as a potential “catch-up” therapy lotion intended to neutralize the dermal depot by penetrating the skin and decomposing it before it reaches the bloodstream. Authorea
Neurotoxin Decontamination
Organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) is a bacterial enzyme that can detoxify a wide range of organophosphorus (OP) agents. The advantage of OPH over oxime-based treatment is rapid hydrolysis of these agents in the circulatory system. Our work resulted in a suite of OPH variants that incorporated selected unnatural amino acids into OPH, with mutations targeted for the first time to both active and allosteric binding sites. Kinetic studies of those mutants show significantly improved OPH substrate binding affinity. Acetylcholine – Recent Advances and New Perspectives
BIOSECURITY + BIOPREPAREDNESS
The Launch of the EU Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA): Improving Global Pandemic Preparedness?
The crowded global health landscape has been joined by the European Union Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA). HERA will assume four broad areas of responsibility: horizon scanning for major health threats; research and development; support for capacity to manufacture drugs, vaccines, and equipment; and procuring and stockpiling key medical countermeasures. Health Policy
Understanding Biorisk for Research Involving Microbial Modification
With heightened scientific and public attention focused on biosafety and biosecurity, and an ongoing review by US authorities of dual-use research oversight, this article proposes the incorporation of sequences of concern (SoCs) into the biorisk management regime governing genetic engineering of pathogens. The authors have delineated bioengineering situations that could be ‘reasonably anticipated’ to improve the disease-causing capacity of pathogens and believe that incorporation of SoC guidelines have the potential to reduce the risk of accidentally generating an ‘improved’ pathogen while promoting awareness of the phenotype effects of potentially concerning genotypic changes. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
Pandemic Lessons: More Health Workers, Less Faxing
While the marvels of modern medicine and biotechnology wowed, the US struggled with the basics. Health departments were chronically underfunded and understaffed. Behind slick COVID-19 dashboards, health workers shared data in basic spreadsheets via email—and even fax machines. Long-standing weaknesses in primary care deepened health inequities. “There’s a lot of manual data entry. There’s a lot of faxing. There’s a lot of emailing spreadsheets. And if we could claw back some of that manpower and put it towards public health practice, put it towards actually keeping people healthier, that’s going to be a huge win.” ARS Technica
Rural Emergency Preparedness and Response Toolkit
The Rural Health Information Hub has just developed a new toolkit for rural communities in handling Emergency Preparedness and Response. The toolkit compiles evidence-based and promising models and resources to support organizations implementing emergency planning, response, and recovery efforts in rural communities across the United States. NACCHO
Biosafety Needs to Redefine Itself as a Science
Biosafety professionals oversee compliance with regulations, but they also address problems that demand empirical research. Biosafety should be recognized as a hard science of risk management and innovation that requires formal training. Such a change will make for more efficient, improved safety processes as well as encourage better training and greater interest in biosafety as a career. Without this definition, the progress of life sciences research will be hampered by a lack of safety officers and outdated, inflexible practices. Issues in Science and Technology
New Digital Report Warns that World is Not Prepared for the Next Pandemic and Urges Bold Action
The world is not prepared for the next pandemic, and bold action is urgently needed to prevent the next biological catastrophe, according to a new report from NTI | bio released last week. Despite some improvements following the global response to COVID-19, the international system of pandemic prevention, detection, and response is woefully inadequate to address current and future biological threats. Key findings include: The current system for assessing biological events of unknown origin is inadequate; Failure to coordinate national and global responses leads to devastating human and economic losses, especially among vulnerable populations; Cybersecurity risks within bioscience research infrastructure and outbreak response systems are increasing; and Biothreat intelligence collection and analysis capabilities are dangerously neglected. NTI
Creation of the First Regional Medical Resource Map for Use in a Disaster
After a disaster occurs, many patients tend to rush to large-sized hospitals in a short period of time. To prevent such congestion, information about the availability of local medical resources is required so that mild cases can be sent to small-sized clinics. Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy
CDC Establishing Ten Centers for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response
In the pre-solicitation phase, the CDC Office of Readiness and Response will call for proposals to establish ten regional coordinating bodies of health departments and officials, health care facilities, health care coalitions, and academic, public, and private partners. The solicitation will be limited to institutions of higher education, including accredited schools of public health, or other nonprofit private entities with at least 10 years of experience working with the public health emergency preparedness and response evidence base and coordinating at the regional level. SAM.gov
The Pivotal Role of Health Literacy in Pandemic Preparedness
In addition to addressing data limitations, there is a need to strengthen public health’s expertise ability, particularly in the context of acute-onset crises. Historically, public health experts have focused on controlling chronic and infectious diseases, often lacking related specialists on their staff. To address this gap, training programs and resources to equip professionals with the skills, experience, and authority needed to manage acute crises should be developed to enable data-driven decisions over political pressures. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine
SELECT AGENTS + PRIORITY PATHOGENS
The Search for Evidence to Support Practices in the Laboratory—Bacillus anthracis and Brucella melitensis
There is a lack of information on the appropriate effective concentration for many chemical disinfectants for this agent. Controversies related to B. anthracis include infectious dose for skin and gastrointestinal infections, proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the slaughter of infected animals, and handling of contaminated materials. B. melitensis is reported to have the highest number of laboratory-acquired infections (LAIs) to date in laboratory workers. Applied Biosafety
Equatorial Guinea’s Marburg Virus Outbreak Declared Over
The WHO announced on 8 June the end of Equatorial Guinea’s first Marburg virus disease outbreak, after two incubation periods passed with no new cases since the last patient was discharged from treatment. The outbreak involved 50 cases with 45 deaths. The development follows last week’s announcement of the end of a Marburg virus outbreak in Tanzania, another African country that battled the virus for the first time. CIDRAP
US Will Vaccinate Endangered Birds Against Avian Flu For First Time
Some countries already vaccinate birds, including commercial flocks, against avian flu. The severity of the outbreak is driving some nations that have been hesitant, including the United States, to follow suit. The high mortality rate of the current strain of H5N1 in the California condor, which is the largest bird in North America, has forced health officials to re-evaluate this approach. Although the US Department of Agriculture is testing four vaccine candidates against H5N1 for use in poultry, it has not signalled that it plans to deploy a wider vaccination campaign for commercially farmed birds. Nature
Risk for Infection in Humans after Exposure to Birds Infected with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus, United States, 2022
To assess the risk for asymptomatic human infection, alongside state and local health departments in Nebraska and Minnesota, CDC collected serum and respiratory specimens to detect influenza A(H5) virus infection among persons exposed to H5N1-infected poultry in commercial farms, backyard flocks, and wildlife rehabilitation centers experiencing animal outbreaks. All exposed persons were invited to participate in collection of acute respiratory specimens for rRT-PCR diagnostic testing and paired acute and convalescent serum specimens collected 3–4 weeks apart. More than 4,000 persons exposed to HPAI H5N1–infected birds were monitored for symptomatic illness across the U.S., and only 1 rRT-PCR–confirmed influenza A(H5) case was detected in a person. Emerging Infectious Diseases
MERS-CoV‒Specific T-Cell Responses in Camels after Single MVA-MERS-S Vaccination
Here researchers developed an ELISPOT assay for evaluating Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)‒specific T-cell responses in dromedary camels. After single modified vaccinia virus Ankara-MERS-S vaccination, seropositive camels showed increased levels of MERS-CoV‒specific T cells and antibodies, indicating suitability of camel vaccinations in disease-endemic areas as a promising approach to control infection. Emerging Infectious Diseases
Genetic Mixing Buoyed Bird Flu Spread
A paper published in Nature Communications shows that the rapid spread of the H5N1 avian influenza A virus — otherwise known as bird flu — was facilitated by the genetic mixing of H5N1 with other viruses circulating in wild birds. Moreover, the authors showed that the rapidly spreading H5N1 lineage caused brain disease in experimental animals, but there was little evidence of transmission to humans. Front Line Genomics
Canada Reports First H5N5 Avian Flu in a Mammal; US Reports More H5N1 in Animals
Following sporadic detections of a Eurasian H5N5 avian influenza in Canadian wild birds, officials reported the virus for the first time in mammals—raccoons found dead on Prince Edward Island. In an earlier risk assessment on intensifying spread of avian flu outbreaks in wild birds and poultry, WOAH warned that unprecedented genetic variability of avian flu subtypes in birds is creating an epidemiologically challenging landscape. CIDRAP
Replication of Novel Zoonotic-Like Influenza A(H3N8) Virus in Ex Vivo Human Bronchus and Lung
Human infection with avian influenza A(H3N8) virus is uncommon but can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome. In explant cultures of the human bronchus and lung, novel H3N8 virus showed limited replication efficiency in bronchial and lung tissue but had a higher replication than avian H3N8 virus in lung tissue. Emerging Infectious Diseases
New Genotype of Coxiella burnetii Causing Epizootic Q Fever Outbreak in Rodents
In Senegal, Coxiella burnetii, which causes Q fever, has often been identified in ticks and humans near livestock, which are considered to be reservoirs and main sources of infection. This paper describes the emergence of C. burnetii in rodents, not previously known to carry this pathogen, and describe 2 new genotypes. Emerging Infectious Diseases
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in Pakistan
Given that Eid-ul-Adha is when the majority of CCHF cases are known to appear, the approaching season will pose no less of a threat to Pakistan from this terrible virus due to the dry, warm environment and direct contact with cattle that serve as a breeding ground for it. Precautionary measures, such as early and thorough disease screening and stringent hygiene protocol compliance, are essential to avert the threat of a hazardous outbreak. Disaster and Public Health Preparedness
Anthrax: It’s Not Old News
CDC scientists collaborated with the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and Battelle’s Biomedical Research Center in Ohio to learn new information about toxin levels during anthrax progression. Their joint study on “Comprehensive characterization of toxins during progression of inhalation anthrax in a non-human primate model” was recently published in PLoS Pathogens. “This study provides new details of anthrax progression that have the potential to improve treatment and save lives,” says lead author Anne Boyer, PhD, a research chemist with CDC’s Division of Laboratory Sciences. CDC
CHEMICAL + RADIOLOGICAL THREATS
IAEA to Provide Assistance in Ukraine as Cooling Reservoir Water Levels Drop at Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant
The International Atomic Energy Agency will provide assistance to Ukraine in coping with the devastating consequences of this week’s dam disaster, as the level of the reservoir that supplies cooling water to the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) continued to fall. Director General Grossi, responding to a call for international assistance from President Volodymyr Zelensky, said he would present details of the Agency’s new assistance package at their meeting in Kyiv next week, when the IAEA chief will also travel to the ZNPP in the country’s south. The IAEA experts present at the ZNPP said the height of the reservoir is continuing to drop at a rate of around five centimetres per hour and had reached 11.62 metres as of 9 July, down from nearly 17 metres before the dam was damaged. Following a review, the ZNPP reported to the IAEA team that it has estimated it can pump water from the reservoir to the plant, for cooling of its six reactors and spent fuel, until the level falls to 11 metres or possibly lower. It remains unclear at what height the Kakhovka reservoir will stabilize and whether it will do so before it reaches a level where the pumps can no longer be operated. IAEA
Ukraine: Cooling Pond At Zaporizhzhia Plant At Risk After Dam Collapse – Report
Without the reservoir on the other side to counteract it, the internal pressure of the water in the cooling pool could breach the dyke around it, a report by the Paris-based Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) said. The loss of the pool would not necessarily be catastrophic as other sources of water could be brought in, such as pumping trucks, to prevent a meltdown of the plant’s nuclear fuel, but a loss of the cooling pool would dramatically increase safety concerns at the plant. The Guardian
Chemical Weapons Convention (2018-2023)
In support of the Fifth Chemical Weapons Convention Review Conference, the Global Partnership prepared this compendium of chemical weapons threat reduction projects implemented or funded by GP members in the past five years. The working paper includes a total of 103 projects valued at more than €271 million (US$282 million) and were implemented in dozens of countries in every region of the world. Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction
The World’s Top Chemical-Weapons Detectives Just Opened a Brand-New Lab
On 12 May, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) officially inaugurated its new Centre for Chemistry and Technology near The Hague, where the international body will bring together its existing laboratories and add new monitoring and training programs. Although the OPCW’s monitoring work had been going on for more than a decade, the Syrian civil war catapulted it onto the global stage. “That began the whole process of realizing that we needed [the OPCW to have] much more expansive and expensive labs.” Nature
Nearly 90 Afghan Schoolgirls Were Poisoned, Officials Suspect
Eighty-nine schoolgirls and their teachers in northern Afghanistan were hospitalized with respiratory and neurological symptoms over the weekend in what officials believe were deliberate poisonings at two girls’ schools, officials said. Girls are prohibited from attending school above sixth grade in Afghanistan, but they are permitted to attend elementary schools, so most of the girls who fell sick were 6 to 12 years old. New York Times
Severity Scoring Systems for Radiation-Induced GI Injury – Prioritization for Use of GI-ARS Medical Countermeasures
A worksheet tool was developed to prioritize individuals with severe life-threatening gastrointestinal acute radiation syndrome, based on the design of the Exposure and Symptom Tool addressing hematopoietic acute radiation syndrome, to rescue individuals from potential gastrointestinal acute radiation syndrome injury. This tool provides a triage diagnostic approach to assist first responders to assess individuals suspected of showing gastrointestinal acute radiation syndrome severity to guide medical management, hence enhancing medical readiness for managing radiological casualties. International Journal of Radiation Biology
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau Announces $15M in Funding for WMD Threat Reduction
To address threats posed by North Korea’s WMD programs, Prime Minister Trudeau announced a total of $15 million for five projects that will help ensure that the international community is better able to identify, investigate, and respond to North Korea’s WMD activities, including sanctions evasion. These projects will provide credible, publicly available information about North Korea’s capabilities to produce weapons and materials of mass destruction. Trudeau also highlighted Canada’s recent contribution of $2 million for the IAEA’s efforts to support the safety, security, and safeguards of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and other nuclear facilities in Ukraine. Government of Canada
International Activities of Global Partnership Member Countries related to the CBRN Response Capabilities and Identified Gaps
Overall, while federal funding has diminished, some national programs are still available to fill gaps. Since all disasters begin and end locally, it is vital that local responders meet CBRN challenges by accessing these programs. Domestic Preparedness
Molybdenum Carbide MXenes as Efficient Nanosensors Toward Selected Chemical Warfare Agents
This team explored molybdenum carbide MXenes as efficient sensors toward selected CWAs, such as arsine, mustard gas, cyanogen chloride, and phosgene. These findings may pave the way to an innovative class of low-cost reusable sensors for the sensitive and selective detection of highly toxic CWAs in air as well as in aqueous media. ACS Applied Nano Materials
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Preparedness of Public Hospitals in Riyadh
A cross-sectional study across government hospitals in Riyadh showed 70% of participating hospitals had CBRN events considered in hospital preparedness checklists. Drills had been conducted in collaboration with local agencies in only 2 hospitals. The staff had been trained to recognize the signs and symptoms of exposure to class (A) biological agents in less than half of the hospitals. Eight of the hospitals had antidotes and prophylactics to manage chemical incidents, but only half of them had radiation detection instruments. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
SURVEILLANCE + DETECTION
Is the UK Losing Its World Leading Covid Surveillance Network Just When it Needs it Most?
The winding down of the UK’s covid-19 genomic surveillance network has experts worried about the loss of an effective tool sharpened in the pandemic. COG-UK is the undisputed leader of large scale novel coronavirus genomic sequencing. Its funding was wrapping up just as the UK government, like much of the world, wants to move on from Covid-19. Exactly how the decision to close down COG-UK was made will be part of the current Covid-19 inquiry. For the moment, the question remains: what happens to routine sequencing when one emergency is coming to an end and the threat of the next one is unknown but ever present? The BMJ
Faster and More Accurate Tracking of Virus Evolution
Researchers from the European Bioinformatics Institute and collaborators have developed a tool that allows phylogenetic trees to be rapidly constructed from large genomic datasets. The new method is a key step for better understanding the evolution and epidemiology of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2. Front Line Genomics
Shape Discrimination of Individual Aerosol Particles Using Light Scattering
This paper proposed a new method for rapidly identifying and classifying the shape of aerosol particles. Combining the polarized light-scattering and angle-resolved light-scattering measurement technology of individual aerosol particles and based on the multivariate analysis method of particle size, polarized light scattering, and angle-resolved light scattering, a good discrimination effect was obtained for spherical, rod-shaped, and other irregular aerosol particles. Sensors
MpoxRadar: A Worldwide MPXV Genomic Surveillance Dashboard
A practical open-source tool for the genomic surveillance of MPXV, supporting users with limited computational resources. The user can filter for specific mutations, genes, countries, genome types, sequencing protocols and download the filtered data. Nucleic Acids Research
Strain-Level Discrimination of Bacteria by Liquid Chromatography and Paper Spray Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry
Determining bacterial identity at the strain level is critical for public health to enable proper medical treatments and reduce antibiotic resistance. Here researchers used liquid chromatography, ion mobility, and tandem MS (LC-IM-MS/MS) to distinguish Escherichia coli strains. The tandem MS and LC separation proved effective in discriminating diagnostic lipid isomers in the negative mode, while IM separation was more effective in resolving lipid conformational biomarkers in the positive ion mode. Because of the clinical importance of early detection for rapid medical intervention, a faster technique, paper spray (PS)-IM-MS/MS, was used to discriminate the E. coli strains. Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry
Rapid Detection of Nipah Virus Using One-Pot RPA-CRISPR/Cas13a
In recent Nipah Virus outbreaks, qRT-PCR was used to confirm the presence of NiV in the plasma, cerebrospinal fluid and serum samples of patients, as well as ELISA to confirm the presence of IgM antibodies in the serum samples. However, qRT-PCR requires a thermocycler with a fluorescence reader, and serological detection methods, such as ELISA, are temperature-dependent with a high false-positive rate, labor-intensive, and only provide indirect evidence of NiV infection. NiV infections often occur in areas with poor health and laboratory infrastructure. It is necessary to develop a convenient, cost-effective and rapid detection method for early on-site detection of NiV infections. Virus Research
ViPal: A Framework for Virulence Prediction of Influenza Viruses
This paper proposes a general framework named ViPal for virulence prediction in mice that incorporates discrete prior viral mutation and reassortment information based on all eight influenza segments to facilitate flu surveillance. Journal of Biomedical Informatics
The Swiss Pathogen Surveillance Platform: Towards a One Health Data Exchange Platform for Bacterial, Viral and Fungal Genomics
SPSP represents a crucial platform for the molecular monitoring of microorganisms occurring in humans, animals and the environment, enabling a One Health approach at a national level. After passing the maturity test during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now time to expand the platform to other pathogens to monitor multi-drug-resistant and hypervirulent bacteria. Microbial Genomics
Point-of-Care Testing for Norovirus Typing Using CRISPR/Cas12a Combined with RT-RPA
The detection method established in this study enables the diagnosis and screening of suspected patients and close contacts by POC testing, which is important for the timely identification and control of norovirus outbreaks. Bioconjugate Chemistry
Looking Into Sewage: How Far Can Metagenomics Help to Detect Human Enteric Viruses?
Metagenomic developments, allowing the description of all the different genomes present in a sample, are very promising tools for virome analysis. However, looking for human enteric viruses with short RNA genomes which are present at low concentrations is challenging. This study demonstrates the benefits of performing technical replicates to improve viral identification by increasing contig length, and the set-up of quality criteria to increase confidence in results. Frontiers in Microbiology
Early Warning of Emerging Infectious Diseases Based on Multimodal Data
This review summarized the databases of known emerging infectious viruses and techniques focusing on virus variant forecasting and early warning. It includes multi-dimensional information integration and database construction of emerging infectious viruses, virus mutation spectrum construction and variant forecast model, analysis of the affinity between mutation antigen and the receptor, propagation model of virus dynamic evolution, monitoring, and early warning for variants. Biosafety and Health
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Paxlovid Gets Full FDA Approval After More Than a Year of Emergency Use
Pfizer received full approval on Thursday for its COVID-19 pill Paxlovid. More than 11 million prescriptions for Paxlovid have been dispensed since the FDA allowed emergency use in late 2021. The emergency status was based on early studies and was intended to be temporary pending follow-up research. The FDA granted full approval for adults with COVID-19 who face high risks of severe disease, which can lead to hospitalization or death. The pill is still available for children ages 12 to 17 under a separate emergency authorization. Seattle Times
Our Covid Data Project is Over, but the Need for Timely Data Is Not
We spent the last three years immersed in collecting and reporting data on Covid-19 from every corner of the world, building one of the most trusted sources of information on cases and deaths available anywhere. But we stopped in March, not because the pandemic is over (it isn’t), but because much of the vital public health information we need is no longer available. This is a dangerous turn for public health. The data on cases and deaths is critical for tracking and fighting the coronavirus. Unfortunately, nearly all states have stopped frequent public reporting of new cases and deaths, making it difficult to enable us to see how the virus is trending. New York Times
New Technology Improves SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine-Induced Immune Responses
Fifty-six days after injecting their eVLP-forming mRNA into immunized mice, the researchers observed a five-fold increase in antibody titers against SARS-CoV-2 strain WA.1 and a 10-fold increase against the Omicron BA.1 variant compared to spike mRNA used in conventional vaccines. The Scientist
Comparative Aerosol and Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern
SARS-CoV-2 transmits principally by air; contact and fomite transmission may also occur. Variants of concern are more transmissible than ancestral SARS-CoV-2. Here researchers found indications of possible increased aerosol and surface stability for early variants of concern, but not for the Delta and Omicron variants. Stability changes are unlikely to explain increased transmissibility. Emerging Infectious Diseases
Missing Science: A Scoping Study of COVID-19 Epidemiological Data in the United States
This scoping review aimed to assess the completeness of authoritative estimates of key epidemiologic data in the United States during the first two years of COVID-19 and the responsiveness of published U.S. governmental public health agency epidemiological research to pandemic knowledge needs. Most reported on descriptive studies. Published analytic studies did not appear to fully respond to knowledge gaps or to provide systematic evidence to support, evaluate or tailor community mitigation strategies. The existence of epidemiological data gaps 18 months after the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic underscores the need for more timely standardization of data collection practices and for anticipatory research priorities and protocols for emerging infectious disease epidemics. PLOS One
As Federal Emergency Declaration Expires, the Picture of the Pandemic Grows Fuzzier
There have been improvements in recent years, such as major investments in public health infrastructure and updated data reporting requirements in some states. But concerns remain that the overall shambolic state of U.S. public health data infrastructure could hobble the response to any future threats. “We’re all less safe when there’s not the national amassing of this information in a timely and coherent way,” said Anne Schuchat, former principal deputy director of the CDC. Seattle Times
Toward a Pan-SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Targeting Conserved Epitopes on Spike and Non-Spike Proteins for Potent, Broad and Durable Immune Responses
The current Spike-only vaccines bear an intrinsic shortfall for promotion of a fuller T cell immunity. Vaccines designed to target conserved epitopes could elicit strong cellular immune responses that would synergize with B cell responses and lead to long-term vaccine success. By targeting conserved epitopes on viral S2, M and N proteins, candidate vaccine UB-612 could provide potent, broad and long-lasting B-cell and T-cell memory immunity and offers the potential as a universal vaccine to fend off Omicrons and new variants of concern without resorting to Omicron-specific immunogens. PLOS Pathogens
HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS
Did the Black Death Break Feudalism and Make Capitalism? Maybe, Maybe Not
Coverage of events in prehistoric or medieval events is as detailed as the evidence allows. But speculation abounds because the quality of historical records is so poor. Did the Black Death sweep away 60% of the European population in 1348–49, as some historians contend? It is difficult to say. In England, the only census conducted before this time was for the Domesday Book in 1086, and this record tells us almost nothing about the number of peasants, the majority of the population. Nearly all estimates of the plague’s effects come from church archives; medieval records, in general, are characterized by hyperbole and a love of round numbers. Nature
Cosmic Luck: NASA’s Apollo 11 Moon Quarantine Broke Down
For years before Apollo 11, officials had been concerned that the moon might harbor microorganisms. What if moon microbes survived the return trip and caused lunar fever on Earth? A review of archives suggests that efforts to protect Earth from contamination by any organism brought back from the lunar surface were mostly for show. In a paper published this month, Dagomar Degroot, an environmental historian at Georgetown University, demonstrates that these “planetary protection” efforts were inadequate, to a degree not widely known before. New York Times
SPECIAL INTEREST
Biodefense Representation at the 2022 NACCHO Preparedness Summit
In examining the COVID-19 pandemic from a biodefense and biosecurity viewpoint, shortcomings are most obvious in the inadequate amount of funding appropriations, e.g. the decrease in public health emergency preparedness grants from $939 million in 2003 to $675 million in 2020. Pandora Report
For These Bird Flu Researchers, Work is a Day at the Very ‘Icky’ Beach
For the next two hours, Dr. McKenzie and her colleagues crept along the shore, scooping up avian excrement. Their goal: to stay a step ahead of bird flu, a group of avian-adapted viruses that experts have long worried could evolve to spread easily among humans and potentially set off the next pandemic. New York Times
ALSO READING
Fatal Case of Heartland Virus Disease Acquired in the Mid-Atlantic Region, United States. Emerging Infectious Diseases
Case Report and Literature Review of Occupational Transmission of Monkeypox Virus to Healthcare Workers, South Korea. Emerging Infectious Diseases
Non-contact bacterial identification and decontamination based on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology
Avian Influenza: Strategies to Manage an Outbreak. Pathogens
First vaccine targeting RSV wins FDA approval. More are coming. New York Times
Susceptibility of Syrian Hamsters to Nipah Virus Infection. International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Five reasons why the next pandemic could come from bats. GAVI
What’s what in a pandemic? Virus, disease, and societal disaster must be differentiated. PLOS Biology
Bringing Network Science to Clustering for Molecular Epidemiology. Virus Evolution
Bivalent COVID Vaccine Shows Good Omicron Protection While Older Version Wanes. CIDRAP
Masks Work. Distorting Science to Dispute the Evidence Doesn’t. Scientific American
COVID-19 Surveillance After Expiration of the Public Health Emergency Declaration ― United States, May 11, 2023. MMWR
iPHoP: An integrated machine learning framework to maximize host prediction for metagenome-derived viruses of archaea and bacteria. PLOS Biology
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (H5N1) Clade 2.3.4.4b Introduced by Wild Birds, China, 2021. Emerging Infectious Diseases