News highlights on health security threats and countermeasures curated by Global Biodefense
This week’s selections include progress on PAHPA extension; intranasal COVID-19 vaccines; the unprecedented impact of avian influenza; and PPE product standards for supply chain resilience.
POLICY + GOVERNMENT
HELP Committee Strikes Deal on PAHPA Extension
The Senate HELP Committee has agreed to a clean 5-year extension of priority review vouchers and a study on alternative incentives to biomedical research that delink research costs from the price of drugs. The new proposals are part of a manager’s amendments to the committee’s original Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) draft. The amendment also includes a section on policies to prevent drug shortages, which continues to divide lawmakers in the House of Representatives. Axios
Funding for Antimicrobial Incentives Unlikely in Any PAHPA Version
Over 200 industry groups and nonprofit organizations have urged Congress to include the Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions to End Up Surging Resistance, or PASTEUR Act, in the PAHPA reauthorization. The bill, which has been introduced three years in a row, proposes a subscription-based funding model for antibiotics that would require the government to pay drug companies a flat annual rate for novel antibiotics based on their value to public health. The measure is intended to spur development of the needed but often unprofitable medications. To the distress of antibiotics developers, PASTEUR will likely need to find another way. The act is not included in either the House or the Senate’s current versions of the bill, and lawmakers don’t appear keen to tack on the additional $6 billion needed to fund the program. PharmaVoice
Africa CDC, WHO and RKI Launch Health Security Partnership to Strengthen Disease Surveillance in Africa
The partnership aims to strengthen Africa’s health security capabilities in the areas of biosecurity, integrated disease surveillance, event-based surveillance, genomic surveillance, and epidemic intelligence. The first phase will be implemented in six African Union Member States including The Gambia, Mali, Morocco, Namibia, Tunisia, and South Africa and will later be expanded to additional countries. WHO
Biden Administration Moves to Ban Funding for Wuhan Lab
HHS is taking steps to impose a 10-year ban on funding for the Wuhan Institute of Virology, according to a memo made public by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. The memo said the institute had failed to comply with repeated requests from the National Institutes of Health for laboratory notebooks and other documents necessary to establish its safety practices. The NIH’s conclusion that the Wuhan institute “likely violated protocols of the NIH regarding biosafety is undisputed.” The institute, which has not received any federal money since 2020, was afforded 30 days to respond to the notice. New York Times
National Security Memorandum on Strengthening the Security and Resilience of United States Food and Agriculture
This week the FDA, USDA and Department of Homeland Security made available the 120 Day Food and Agriculture Interim Risk Review, which provides a review of critical and emergent risks to the U.S. Food and Agriculture sector, as well as ways to mitigate those risks. This review will help inform the Federal Risk Mitigation Strategy. FDA
Biden’s NIH Nominee is Languishing in Congress — Alarming Public Health Advocates
Sen. Bernie Sanders’ rare move to delay President Biden’s health care nominees has put the drug pricing firebrand and the White House in a standoff — and public health advocates worry the feud could squeeze out an otherwise uncontroversial pick to lead the country’s top science agency. STAT
S. 1798, Offices of Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction and Health Security Act of 2023
S. 1798 would permanently reauthorize the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). CWMD leads DHS’s efforts to prevent the use of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear weapons, and promotes readiness against such attacks by coordinating with federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, as well as the private sector. Under current law, CWMD’s authorization expires on December 21, 2023. S. 1798 also would create an Office of Health Security (OHS) within DHS. That office would assume responsibility for all the department’s medical and public health activities that are currently handled by other offices, including food, agriculture, and veterinary defense, as well as workforce health and safety. CBO estimates that implementing S. 1798 would cost $1.6 billion over the 2024-2028 period. Congressional Budget Office
White House Planning to Tap Retired General to Lead New Pandemic Office
Maj. Gen. Paul Friedrichs, who retired from the military this summer and joined the National Security Council to work on biodefense and global health security, is reportedly the planned selection to lead the White House’s Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy. The office was created by congressional legislation last year but has been beset by staffing delays and persistent questions about its leadership. Friedrichs, who served as joint staff surgeon at the Pentagon and helped coordinate the military’s pandemic response, worked closely with the White House on rolling out coronavirus vaccines and ramping up global efforts to fight the virus. Washington Post
Diluting the Role of USDA Veterinarians is a Mistake According to Those on the Job at FSIS
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service plans to dilute the role of veterinarians in animal slaughter. It is a change made during a persistent and severe national DVM shortage. But those Doctors of Veterinary Medicine (DVMs) at USDA believe fewer veterinarians put both food safety and consumer protection at risk. The forecasts for the shortage of DMVs are expected to continue for the rest of the decade when there will still be an unmet need for 15,000 veterinarians. Food Safety News
US Congressional Hearing Produces Heat But No Light on COVID-Origins Debate
The polarization of US politics was on full display at Tuesday’s hearing. While Republican members of the committee hammered Andersen and Garry with allegations of conflicts of interest and collusion with government scientists, Democratic members praised the scientists’ work and accused the Republicans of making it more difficult to uncover the true origin of the pandemic. Nature
Scientists, Under Fire From Republicans, Defend Fauci and Covid Origins Study
Two world-renowned virologists appeared on Capitol Hill on Tuesday and delivered a pointed defense of their findings that the coronavirus pandemic was natural in origin, and told skeptical Republicans that Dr. Anthony S. Fauci did not exert influence over a scientific paper they wrote to that effect. Republican members of the panel tried in vain to lecture the virologists, sometimes making outright incorrect claims. New York Times
UK Covid Inquiry Hears Call for More Cash for Public Health
The Government Office for Science told the closing of the Covid-19 public inquiry investigation into the UK’s preparedness that the government should follow South Korea with a “better developed and funded public health system” that would improve public health in peacetime and pivot to test and trace in a pandemic. The intervention came after the inquiry heard of sweeping cuts to public health systems before the pandemic and that health officials based in town halls were “ignored by central government in the planning for a pandemic”. The Guardian
MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES
Ebola Vaccine Candidate Protects Mice Against Lethal Surrogate Ebola and Yellow Fever Virus Challenge
Yellow Fever Virus (YFV) and Ebola Virus (EBOV) share their endemicity, a single vaccine that could simultaneously contribute to the elimination of yellow fever epidemics and combat surges of EVD would be of great benefit in routine immunization programs in endemic regions. Here researchers present data on the development of such a dual-target YF17D-vectored Ebola vaccine candidate (YF-EBO) expressing EBOV GP from a replication-competent full-length YF17D backbone. A single shot of YF-EBO induces both EBOV- and YFV-specific humoral and cellular immune responses in mice. NPJ Vaccines
Advancements in Marburg (MARV) Virus Vaccine Research with its Recent Reemergence in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania
This scoping review provides MARV pathology and pathogenesis, related morbidities, existing therapies, established outbreak protocols as well as areas of opportunities. Efforts to continue ongoing vaccine research have been reignited since the recent outbreak in 2023 concerning which the CDC issued a travel alert against traveling to Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania. The recent outbreaks, albeit with fewer reported mortalities than historical outbreaks, have spurred on WHO as well as other experts in the field to refocus their efforts on MARV vaccine research. Cureus
Immunogenicity of Poxvirus-Based Vaccines Against Nipah Virus
Nipah virus (NiV), an emerging zoonotic pathogen in Southeast Asia, has killed millions of animals and caused highly fatal human outbreaks. This study characterized the immunogenicity and safety of poxvirus-based Nipah vaccines that can be used in humans and species responsible for NiV transmission. Mice were vaccinated with modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) and raccoon pox (RCN) viral vectors expressing the NiV fusion and glycoprotein proteins subcutaneously and intranasally. Scientific Reports
Art of the Kill: Designing and Testing Viral Inactivation Procedures for Highly Pathogenic Negative Sense RNA Viruses
The study of highly pathogenic viruses handled under BSL-4 conditions and classified as Select Agents frequently involves the transfer of inactivated materials to lower containment levels for downstream analyses. This paper provide a workflow for various inactivation methods of Ebola, Nipah, and Lassa viruses, highlighting the challenges of each method and provide possible solutions. Pathogens
Intranasal Influenza-Vectored COVID-19 Vaccine Restrains the SARS-Cov-2 Inflammatory Response in Hamsters
Researchers investigate immune responses induced by an NS1-deleted influenza virus vectored intranasal COVID-19 vaccine (dNS1-RBD) which provides broad-spectrum protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants in hamsters. Intranasal delivery of dNS1-RBD induces innate immunity, trained immunity and tissue-resident memory T cells covering the upper and lower respiratory tract. It restrains the inflammatory response by suppressing early phase viral load post SARS-CoV-2 challenge and attenuating pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. Nature Communications
Vaccine Adjuvants: Mechanisms and Platforms
Despite advances in the development of adjuvants, there is little systematic generalization and summary of the action mechanisms of adjuvants due to their broad definitions and complex mechanisms. Moreover, due to the lack of systematic and in-depth understanding of the mechanisms, characteristics, immune effectiveness, and application scenarios of the current adjuvant platforms, it is difficult to match and design appropriate adjuvants for specific vaccines. This has led current vaccines gradually showing shortcomings in their use, such as the inability to provide long-term protective immunity, weak immunity in elderly populations, and the inability to provide effective cellular immunity. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy
Mannich Phenols as Reactivators of Human Acetylcholinesterase Inhibited by A-Series Nerve Agents
The A-series (novichoks) are the most recent generation of chemical warfare nerve agents (CWA) which act directly on the inhibition of the human acetylcholinesterase (HssAChE) enzyme. These compounds lack accurate experimental data on their physicochemical properties, and there is no evidence that traditional antidotes effectively reactivate HssAChE inhibited by them. In the search for potential antidotes, here researchers employed virtual screening, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations for the assessment of Mannich phenols as potential reactivators of HssAChE inhibited by the Novichok agents in comparison with the commercial oximes pralidoxime, asoxime, trimedoxime, and obidoxime. Chemico-Biological Interactions
Using AI to Speed Up Vaccine Development Against Disease X
CEPI to provide up to $4.98 USD million to research consortium to use artificial intelligence for design of vaccines to fight diseases with pandemic potential. These AI approaches will be used to identify target pieces of protein in the virus that stimulate the immune system, known as epitopes. The consortium will initially focus their efforts on paramyxoviruses and arenaviruses, viral families which include the likes of Nipah virus and Lassa virus, respectively. CEPI
Single-Dose VSV-Based Vaccine Protects Cynomolgus Macaques from Disease After Taï Forest Virus Infection
Taï Forest virus (TAFV) is a lesser-known ebolavirus that causes lethal infections in chimpanzees and is responsible for a single human case. Limited research has been done on this human pathogen; however, with the recent emergence of filoviruses in West Africa, further investigation and countermeasure development against this virus is warranted. Following a single high-dose vaccination, NHPs developed antigen-specific binding and neutralizing antibodies as well as modest T cell responses. Importantly, all vaccinated NHPs were uniformly protected from disease. Emerging Microbes & Infections
Vir Antibody Drug Aimed at Influenza A Fails in Clinical Trial
The results are a setback in broader efforts to develop better protective measures against both seasonal and potential pandemic influenza strains. In the short term, Vir and outside experts hoped the drug could provide additional protection for at-risk groups like older adults, as flu vaccines are often only modestly effective. STAT, Vir
BIOSECURITY + BIOPREPAREDNESS
Bat Research Facility Coming to Fort Collins Has CSU Scientists Fighting Misinformation
A one-of-a-kind bat research facility is coming to Colorado State University with the potential for groundbreaking discoveries as scientists study how bats respond to viruses — and what that could mean for treating sickness in humans. The NIH awarded CSU $6.7 million toward the 14,000-square-foot facility, slated for completion in 2025. But as scientists buzz about future pioneering bat research — including vaccine development, drug testing and how to guard against future pandemic threats — plans for the lab have generated controversy in a way that wouldn’t have been seen before the pandemic. Conservative pundits and politicos in Colorado have seized on the bat research facility, with some spreading misinformation and trying to draw parallels to the virology lab in Wuhan, China, at the center of the debate over COVID-19’s origins. Greeley Tribune
PPE and Personal Protective Technology Product Standardization for a Resilient Public Health Supply Chain
There is no single place, regulatory body, official guidance, or mandating authority in the United States for conformity assessment of all PPE or to find PPE requirements to meet all scenarios to which a public health department might need to respond. A globalized set of standards would reduce confusion among end users and allow them to make clear comparisons of technologies and products to make the best decision for them and their application. NACCHO
Hospital Incident Command System for Special Pathogen Preparedness
Discussion on the importance of building foundations and solid structures for emergency management and provide information on available HICS resources and tools. NETEC
Correcting Inaccuracies in the BMJ Article “Did COVID-19 come from a lab leak in China?”
“EHA reported the results of the mouse experiment in question to the NIH in April 2018 in our Year 4 report. Furthermore, EHA conducted no further experiments on these viruses, which, it is important to note, were based on a bat CoV backbone (WIV-1) and dealt with a SARS-related bat CoV, not SARS-CoV (i.e., the work was with a bat CoV spike in a bat CoV backbone, neither of which had ever been shown to infect people). Analysis of published genomic data and other documents from the grantee demonstrate that the naturally occurring bat coronaviruses studied under the NIH grant are genetically far distant from SARS-CoV-2 and could not possibly have caused the COVID-19 pandemic.” EcoHealth Alliance
Bat One Health: Science Solutions to Stop Spillover
Collaboration brings expertise from multiple disciplines to understand pathogen emergence. Bat One Health studies the transmission of zoonotic pathogens—including transmission among reservoir hosts, transmission between host species (spillover), and transmission among humans —to learn the causes of emergence and find sustainable solutions that protect people and the environment. Bat One Health
State Vet Lab Conducts First Animal Disease Investigation in New Necropsy Facility
The Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory’s BSL-3 necropsy facility was recently used to conduct a disease investigation for the first time. In addition to the large animal necropsy facility, the BSL-3 certified space includes three laboratory spaces used for research. Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Judging How U.S. States Performed in the COVID-19 Pandemic Depends on the Metric
With little political appetite to bolster federal public health authorities, states are likely to retain that central role in future U.S. public health emergencies. Accordingly, efforts to improve U.S. performance ahead of the next pandemic should start with examining why some states did so much better than others, even according to the various metrics governors set for themselves. Council on Foreign Relations
The Impact of Chronic Underfunding on America’s Public Health System: Trends, Risks, and Recommendations
This annual report tracks federal and state investment in public health and concludes that under-investment in public health programs leaves the nation less prepared for current and future health risks. One-time COVID-19 emergency funding helped control the pandemic but did not address structural weaknesses in the nation’s public health system. Trust for America’s Health
Damages from Tornado at Pfizer Plant Could Compound Challenges of Drug Shortages
Among the damaged buildings was a Pfizer plant in Rocky Mount, N.C., that produces nearly 30% of all sterile injectable medicines that the company sells to U.S. hospitals. “There are already 300 drugs that were in shortage before today. And many of those were sterile injectable drugs and like the ones manufactured at this facility. So, we are already in a state of crisis with drug shortages and this, obviously, has the potential to contribute to that.” STAT, Reuters
SELECT AGENTS + PRIORITY PATHOGENS
Rio Negro Virus Infection, Bolivia, 2021
Rio Negro virus (RNV), a Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) antigenic subtype VI virus, was first reported in 1987 after being isolated from mosquitoes collected in Chaco, Argentina. In May 2021, an agricultural worker originally from Trementinal, Argentina, sought treatment for febrile illness in Tarija, Bolivia, where he resided at the time of illness onset. The patient tested negative for hantavirus RNA, but next-generation sequencing of a serum sample yielded a complete genome for Rio Negro virus. Emerging Infectious Diseases
Isolation and Genome Characterization of Lloviu Virus from Italian Schreibers’s Bats
The most important achievement of this study is the isolation of an additional infectious LLOV isolate from a bat sample collected in Italy using the SuBK12-08 cells, demonstrating that this cell line is highly susceptible to LLOV infection19. This is consistent with a previous report which found these cells to be highly susceptible to Vesicular Stomatitis Virus pseudotyped with LLOV GP. Notably, there is still no evidence for actual spillover of LLOV from bats to humans, but the repeated isolation of infectious LLOV from Schreibers’s bats highlight the need for additional studies to better understand potential spillover mechanisms. Scientific Reports
Available Evidence For Mosquito-Borne Francisella Tularensis Transmission is Inconclusive
Very little is known about the potential of mosquitoes to transmit pathogenic bacteria. Nevertheless, especially among Swedish and Finnish experts the consensus is that mosquitoes are responsible for transmission of F. tularensis (the causal agent of tularemia) to humans. Evidence is limited and not all criteria of vector incrimination are shown to be met yet. Frontiers in Tropical Diseases
Anti-Ricin Toxin Human Neutralizing Antibodies and DMAbs Protection Against Ricin Toxin Poisoning
The ability to combine human mAbs with DNA-encoded monoclonal antibodies (DMAbs) to generate optimal in vivo kinetics and functionality against ricin toxin poisoning would represent a significant advance. Toxicology Letters
The Genetic Diversity of Nipah Virus Across Spatial Scales
We have a poor understanding of NiV diversity, including how many lineages circulate within a roost and the spread of NiV over increasing spatial scales. Here we develop phylogenetic approaches applied to the most comprehensive collection of genomes to date (N=257, 175 from bats, 73 from humans) from six countries over 22 years (1999-2020). In Bangladesh, where most human infections occur, we find evidence of increased spillover risk from one of the two co-circulating sublineages. MedRxiv
AVIAN INFLUENZA
Statement: Scientific Task Force on Avian Influenza and Wild Birds
The last two years have seen unprecedented impacts of H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) on poultry and wild birds on a global scale. H5N1 has now in effect replaced the H5N8 subtype in Asia, Africa and Europe in both poultry and wild birds. The nature of the epizootic is particularly notable for the shift in seasonality of wild bird involvement, changes in epicentre of outbreaks and the changes in settings in which outbreaks have occurred. In addition to aggregations of wintering waterbirds being the typical focus of outbreaks, the virus has been increasingly maintained throughout northern summers since 2020.
The virus has also spilled over and in some cases spread into relatively new avian hosts in novel settings, namely, seabirds in their breeding colonies. The nature of this ‘fitter’, better-adapted virus coupled with the density and gregarious behavioral nature of susceptible individuals in these situations has resulted in extremely high mortality seen in multiple locations particularly in the seabird breeding colonies of North-west Europe and beyond. FAO
H5N1 Avian Flu Strikes More Finnish Fur Farms, Second Fox Species
Increasing numbers of H5N1 detections in mammal species have raised concerns about whether the virus is changing to more easily infect humans. Finland is for the first time experiencing outbreaks of H5N1 infections in multiple fox species. The initial outbreaks at the fur farms were first reported last week, marking the country’s first such events in the facilities and the world’s second involving fox fur farms. CIDRAP
Bird Flu: Two More Poultry Workers in England Test Positive
Two new cases of bird flu have been detected in poultry workers after they came into contact with infected birds, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said. It follows the confirmation of two positive cases in May, in different locations, under the same testing program. The UKHSA said it has not detected evidence of human-to-human transmission. Sky News, UKHSA
Influenza A(H5N1) in Cats – Poland
On 27 June 2023, the IHR National Focal Point of Poland notified WHO of unusual deaths in cats across the country. As of 11 July, 47 samples have been tested from 46 cats and one captive caracal, of which 29 were found to be positive for influenza A (H5N1). Fourteen cats are reported to have been euthanized, and a further 11 died from severe symptoms (difficulty breathing, GI and neurological symptoms), with the last death reported on 30 June. The source of the exposure WHOis currently unknown and epizootic investigations are ongoing. Sporadic infection of cats with A(H5N1) has previously been reported, but this is the first report of a high numbers of infected cats over a wide geographical area within a country. Thus far, no human contacts of A(H5N1) positive cats have reported symptoms, and the surveillance period for all contacts is now complete. World Health Organization
CDC Raises Risk Slightly for Recent H5N1 Avian Flu Viruses
The CDC this week published a new risk assessment for the H5N1 avian flu viruses that continues to circulate in wild birds and poultry, using a sample from a 2022 outbreak at a Spanish mink farm. Though the virus scored higher on some risk measures for potential emergence, the overall threat is moderate and similar to the earlier version of the virus. CIDRAP
A Novel Triple Reassortment H3N8 Avian Influenza Virus: Characteristics, Pathogenicity, and Transmissibility
An increasing number of new subtypes of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) are reported to be infecting humans, including H3N2, H5N1, H7N9, H10N8, and the recently emerged H3N8 virus in China in 2022. However, the genetic and biological properties of the currently prevalent H3N8 AIVs are not yet fully understood. This study reports the isolation of a novel triple reassortment H3N8 virus (GD-H3N8) from chicken flocks in Guangdong province, China, in 2022. In vivo, the GD-H3N8 isolate can replicate efficiently in mice without preadaptation, in addition to establishing systemic infection and transmission by direct contact in chickens. These findings underscore the need for continued surveillance of H3N8 viruses to identify circulating strains that may potentially threaten human health. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases
CHEMICAL + RADIOLOGICAL THREATS
Exposure to Organophosphorus Compounds: Best Practice in Managing Timely, Effective Emergency Responses
An overview of the issues impacting on a timely critical response to the accidental or deliberate release of Organophosphorus Nerve Agents to improve first responder knowledge through a discussion of available evidence and best practices for rapid skin decontamination. A key aspect to achieving adequate preparedness is to ensure that generic medical countermeasures are forward-deployed and available, preferably within minutes of a contamination and that first responders know how to use them. European Journal of Emergency Medicine
Open-Source Intelligence for Detection of Radiological Events and Syndromes Following the Invasion of Ukraine in 2022
On February 25, 2022, Russian forces took control of the Chernobyl power plant after continuous fighting within the Chernobyl exclusion zone. The disruption of war has caused interruptions to normal preventive activities, and radiation monitoring sensors have been nonfunctional. This paper aims to demonstrate the value of open-source intelligence in Ukraine to identify signals of potential radiological events of health significance during the Ukrainian conflict. JMIR Infodemiology
Creating Realistic Nerve Agent Victim Profiles for Computer Simulation of Medical CBRN Disaster Response
As CBRN scenarios are very difficult and expensive to recreate in real life, computer simulation is particularly suited for assessing the effectiveness of contingency plans and identifying areas of improvement. This paper we present a set of civilian nerve agent injury profiles consisting of clinical parameters and their evolution, as well as the methodology used to create them. These injury profiles are based on military injury profiles and adapted to the civilian population, using sarin for the purpose of illustration. Frontiers in Public Health
Radiation-Induced Gene Expression Changes Used for Biodosimetry and Clinical Outcome Prediction
Acute radiation syndrome (ARS), in particular after the deployment of a nuclear weapon or an attack on a nuclear power station, must be considered realistic particularly in light of the current war in Ukraine. Radiation-induced gene expression (GE) changes occur early after exposure and can be quickly quantified. GE can be used for biodosimetry purposes. Can GE be used to predict later developing ARS severity degrees and allocate individuals to the three clinically relevant groups as well? Cytogenetic and Genome Research
Preventing and Reporting Chemical Releases During Extreme Weather Events
The most important part of preventing releases of hazardous chemicals during a natural disaster is to be prepared and have a plan in place. The amount of time available to respond to extreme weather incidents may vary. Hurricanes are typically predictable and allow for adequate preparation, but flooding caused by severe rainfall may occur with much less warning. So having a plan of action for such events can save valuable time. EHS Daily Advisor
PrC-210 Protects Against Radiation-Induced Hematopoietic and Intestinal Injury
PrC-210 is a synthetic small molecule member of a new family of aminothiols designed to reduce toxicity while scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS). The results of this study demonstrated that PrC-210 has multiple protective effects to significantly suppress radiation-induced hematopoietic and intestinal injury when administered pre-radiation. Our data indicate that the protective effects of PrC-210 may have been achieved by accelerating hematopoietic regeneration, decreasing oxidative and nitrosative stress by enhancing the antioxidant defense regulated genes, protecting surviving jejunal crypts, and reducing circulatory inflammation markers. These findings indicate that PrC-210 is an effective prophylactic agent that should be developed using the FDA animal rule. Antioxidants
SURVEILLANCE + DETECTION
Use of Mpox Multiplex Serology in the Identification of Cases and Outbreak Investigations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Evaluated whether antibody testing can be complementary to confirm cases and to identify human transmission chains during outbreak investigations. Pathogens
Predicting Kyasanur Forest Disease Using Event-Based Surveillance and Transfer Learning
In recent years, the reports of Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) breaking endemic barriers by spreading to new regions and crossing state boundaries is alarming. KFD is a tick-borne hemorrhagic fever caused by a virus belonging to the family Flaviviridae. Humans are the incidental hosts for the disease with an estimated yearly incidence of 400–500 cases; case fatality rates range between 2 and 10%9,18. However, larger outbreaks with more than 2500 annual cases have been reported in the past signifying its public health importance. Despite its zoonotic and public health importance, the disease has been historically understudied and the reasons for its emergence have been largely unknown. Scientific Reports
Rapid On-Site Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Using RT-LAMP Assay with a Portable Low-Cost Device
SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be successfully amplified within 15 min in a thermos, and the detection result is read rapidly in a portable low-cost device with high sensitivity. The portable low-cost device consists of a black box, a laser or LED and a filter, costing only a few cents. The rapid on-site detection method can provide strong support for the control of biological threats such as infectious diseases. It is also an emergency detection method for low-resource settings, relieving the huge pressure on health care. Biosensors
High-Resolution Profiling of Bacterial and Fungal Communities
High-throughput sequencing technologies have greatly advanced our understanding of microbiomes, but resolving microbial communities at species and strain levels remains challenging. This study presents a pipeline for designing, multiplexing, and sequencing highly polymorphic taxon-specific amplicons using PacBio circular consensus sequencing. BioRxiv (pre-print)
Horses as Sentinels of Emerging Infectious Disease
Horses with illness consistent with Hendra virus (HeV) are routinely sampled and submitted with case descriptions, to government laboratories for timely testing. Extensive investigations for further infectious agents are rare, yet <1% of around 1000 horses test HeV positive annually. Most that test negative feature infectious-like signs such as acute, severe neurological or respiratory illness and pyrexia, yet do not receive causative diagnosis HeV in horses and testing of suspect cases have highlighted challenges/ gaps in significant zoonotic disease investigation. Horses investigated for HeV-like disease present unique opportunities for improvements of broad profound biosecurity benefit. Horses are maintained in close association with other animals and humans, monitored thoroughly for disease and susceptible to agents transmitted by insects and wildlife such as bats. University of Sydney
ENVIRONMENTAL FLUX
El Niño Increases Global Health Threats That Require a One Health Response
As the world enters an El Niño cycle made more extreme by climate change, effective responses must be grounded in a “One Health” approach that deals with the interconnections of humans, other animals, and plants and incorporates scientific understanding, technological advancements, and effective public policy. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
As the Planet Warms, Scientists Worry That Cases of Infectious Diseases Could Spike
Climate-driven impacts are taking a serious toll on human health. Cases of disease linked to mosquitos, ticks, and fleas tripled in the U.S. between 2004 and 2016. The threat extends beyond commonly recognized vector-borne diseases. Research shows more than half of all the pathogens known to cause disease in humans can be made worse by climate change. Seattle Times
OUTBREAK NEWS
Echovirus 11 Infections in Neonates
Enteroviruses (EV) are a group of viruses that usually cause self-limited to mild illness. In certain populations, such as neonates, infection by specific serotypes of EV can cause severe illness. The most relevant EV subspecies in neonatal infections include Coxsackievirus B and Echovirus, including multiple distinct serotypes. Authorities in France informed EU/EEA Member States on 4 June 2023 of an increase in severe neonatal Echovirus 11 (E11) infection in neonates from July 2022 and in 2023. Several other Member States responded and together report 19 neonatal infections with severe E11 infection, of which nine cases have died. The UK also reported two fatal E11 neonatal cases during this period. The viruses isolated from cases in Italy belong to the same genetic cluster of those isolated in France in 2023 and are part of a new divergent lineage. ECDC
Dengue in the Americas
More outbreaks of dengue have been recorded so far in 2023 than all of last year in the WHO Region of the Americas, with close to three million suspected and confirmed cases. Brazil, Peru, Bolivia report the highest cases. 1302 deaths were reported in the Region with a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 0.04%, in the same period. WHO has assessed the risk of dengue as high at the regional level due to the wide spread distribution of the Aedes spp. mosquitoes (especially Aedes aegypti), the continued risk of severe disease and death, and the expansion out of historical areas of transmission, where all the population, including risk groups and healthcare workers, may not be aware of warning signs. WHO
ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE CRISIS
Senate Hearing Highlights Superbug Threats, Solutions
At a hearing held by a subcommittee of the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, the experts spoke about the rising threat AMR poses to public health and modern medicine and the role that infection prevention, antibiotic stewardship, diagnostics, and a bolstered infectious disease workforce can play in addressing the problem. “The most important thing this subcommittee can do is to advance a policy to establish a pull incentive, such as a subscription model, to spur the discovery and development of novel antimicrobials.” CIDRAP
Multidrug-Resistant Infections in War Victims in Ukraine
Gram-negative, multidrug-resistant organisms—including those resistant to colistin, cefiderocol, and new β-lactam–β-lactamase inhibitor combinations—present considerable difficulties in the treatment of combat injury-related infections in patients in Ukraine and those repatriated elsewhere. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Emerging Infectious Diseases
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer in the US
This study demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 has been detected as enzootic in free-ranging white-tailed deer across nearly half of the states in the US. Sequenced viruses from Alpha, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron lineages were identified, although only Delta and Omicron predominantly circulated in the human population during this sampling period. The SARS-CoV-2 lineages were still present in white-tailed deer, months after the decline of those lineages in the human population. Nature Communications
2 Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Prevented COVID Deaths
Two anti-inflammatory drugs didn’t shorten recovery time for patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19, but did reduce the likelihood of death, a new study shows. The researchers compared patients who received the drugs (infliximab, abatacept, and cenicriviroc), commonly prescribed to treat inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, with patients who received standard care alone. Futurity
Estimating Long-Term Vaccine Effectiveness Against SARS-CoV-2 Variants
These results suggest that the value of the ancestral vaccines, whilst providing initial high levels of protection, has gradually been diminished through both waning of protection following the 3rd and subsequent doses and the substantial immune escape presented by the Omicron variant. In combination, these two effects combine to generate a substantial additional estimated benefit of switching 4th and subsequent doses to variant-adapted vaccines—which we estimate to prevent nearly double the number of episodes of severe disease over a 1-year period compared to delivering the 4th dose with the ancestral vaccine. Nature Communications
Bring Back Mandatory Mask Wearing in Health Settings, Say Scottish Workers
The Scottish Healthcare Workers Coalition described policies to withdraw mandatory mask wearing this past May as flawed and dangerous and akin to playing “Russian roulette” with people’s lives. “Any decision that removes protection from the spread of SARS-CoV-2 puts those who are most vulnerable at greatest risk.” It adds that healthcare workers are three to four times more likely to contract covid than the general population and that the NHS is failing in its duty to provide a safe working environment. The BMJ
Gene Linked to Long COVID Found in Analysis of Thousands of Patients
The first genome-wide hunt to find genetic risk factors for long COVID has yielded a hit: a DNA sequence near a gene called FOXP4, which is active in the lungs and in some immune cells. Researchers hope that this analysis will be just the beginning: a vast amount of data are required to unpick a disorder as complex as long COVID. Previous research has linked the same gene to an increased risk of severe COVID-19, and Zeberg and his colleagues found that it is also associated with lung cancer. Nature
Humoral Immune Responses Associated with Control of SARS-Cov-2 Breakthrough Infections in a Vaccinated US Military Population
The Vaccine Effectiveness and Immune Response of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines in Active Military Personnel (VIRAMP) study is an observational study that started enrolling active-duty military service members in May 2021. Clinical data and prospective longitudinal sampling of serum and saliva were used to characterize the humoral immune responses to vaccination and to assess protection from confirmed clinical and subclinical infections. Additionally, virologic outcomes of breakthrough infections including viral load and infection duration were captured. This study design allowed for comprehensive characterization of humoral immune responses prior to breakthrough infections. eBioMedicine
What’s New with Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies?
In the ongoing cat-and-mouse game between monoclonal antibody therapeutics and viral evolution, triumphs are sporadic and short-lived. After strong initial successes, almost all the available monoclonal antibody therapeutics now appear to have lost efficacy against the majority of circulating Omicron subvariants in the U.S., and their FDA EUAs have been revoked. No monoclonal antibody is currently approved in the U.S. for COVID-19 treatment, post-exposure prophylaxis or pre-exposure prophylaxis. Efforts are underway both to develop new antibody therapies targeting epitopes that may be less changeable with variant evolution (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05675943, NCT05648110) and to better understand the role of the non-neutralizing Fc effector function of existing monoclonal antibodies against evolving Omicron sublineages. IDSA
HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS
Epidemic Podcast: The Goddess of Smallpox
What Shitala Mata, the goddess of smallpox, represents in Indian culture is complex. And defeating smallpox required appreciating and respecting that complexity. It also took medical advances, fresh ideas about epidemiology, unlikely partnerships, and the unwavering dedication of hundreds of thousands of health care workers. We have firsthand accounts from health leaders who were there, some who have never been heard outside of India and Bangladesh. KFF Health News
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