News highlights on health security threats and countermeasures curated by Global Biodefense
This week’s selections include a framework for safer pathogen research, revised infection prevention guidelines for Ebola and Marburg, and developing animal models for radiation medical countermeasures.
POLICY + GOVERNMENT
International Experts Create Framework for Safer Pathogen Research
A new report was released by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Independent Task Force on Research with Pandemic Risks that studied the benefits and risks of a subset of research that could plausibly source a large outbreak, or even a pandemic. Formed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the task force is composed of experts with backgrounds in biosafety, biosecurity, epidemiology, ethics, governance, virology and other areas who endorse the report. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Science
2 Scientists in Canada Passed on Secrets to China, Investigations Find
Two scientists who worked at Canada’s top microbiology lab passed on secret scientific information to China, and one of them was a “realistic and credible threat to Canada’s economic security,” documents from the national intelligence agency and a security investigation show. The release of the documents was the subject of a prolonged debate in Parliament that began before the last federal election, in September 2021. New York Times, The Guardian
Biomedical Research: Actions HHS Needs to Adopt to Address Research Duplication
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, includes a provision for GAO to issue a series of reports on potential duplication in HHS’s biomedical research and development portfolio. This first report focuses on ARPA-H, BARDA, FDA, and NIH. It describes practices used by the selected HHS agencies to identify and avoid unnecessary research duplication and examines ARPA-H’s (the newest agency) collaboration and efforts to establish an interagency advisory committee as a potential means to prevent unnecessary research duplication. GAO
Addressing Laboratory Biocontainment Safety: A Tool for Science Diplomacy
An international coordinated effort is needed to provide practical training for biocontainment laboratory personnel to reduce both the risk of laboratory accidents and the potential for future pandemics. Previous international collaborations on biosafety and biosecurity training have proven effective and can serve as a model. Such training not only addresses the urgent need for enhanced laboratory safety to reduce the risk of future pandemics, but also provides a foundation for collaborative studies that can help build trust between partner facilities and establish bilateral research transparency. The United States is poised to be a leader in this endeavor. However, the U.S. government is not currently allocating enough resources toward this effort. AAAS Science & Diplomacy
The WTO Failed the World in Covid
This month the World Trade Organization threw in the towel on COVID-19. Medicines like Paxlovid have been plentiful in the U.S. and Europe, but because of insufficient supplies and high prices, hardly anyone in Africa, Asia, and Latin America has had access. After more than three years of debate, the WTO declared on Feb. 13 that it was unable to reach agreement on waiving global patent rules for COVID-19 treatment to ease the way for expanded production. If the WTO cannot act in a pandemic to remove patents barriers and promote sharing of technology so the world can produce enough medicines and vaccines, then the WHO must be empowered to do so. Foreign Policy
Sounding the Alarm on AI-Enhanced Bioweapons
The convergence of artificial intelligence and biotechnology is producing novel threats which pose an existential risk both to specific demographic groups and the population at large. Alongside this, the Biological Weapons Convention Implementation Support Unit, which has a role in coordinating mitigation measures, is severely under-resourced. This demands urgent rectification. European Leadership Network
MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES
FDA Approves a New Indication for Ziextenzo for H-ARS
FDA approved a new indication for Ziextenzo (pegfilgrastim-bmez) to increase survival of patients acutely exposed to myelosuppressive doses of radiation (Hematopoietic Syndrome of Acute Radiation Syndrome, or H-ARS) as could occur after a radiological or nuclear event. Ziextenzo is the seventh FDA-approved medical countermeasure and third biosimilar that is indicated to increase survival in patients exposed to myelosuppressive doses of radiation. FDA
BARDA Award to UMSOM Aims to Advance Radiation Medical Countermeasures
UMSOM’s Division of Translational Radiation Sciences (DTRS) will develop Acute Radiation Syndrome Animal Models, led by Erika Davies, PhD, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology. The BARDA contract is for an initial $3.5 million award with $16 million if options are exercised. Global Biodefense
NOAEL Assessment as an Optimized Dose of Cholinesterase Reactivators for the Treatment of Nerve Agent Exposures
Organophosphorus-nerve agents inhibit cholinesterases (ChE) causing cholinergic syndrome. The reactivation of these enzymes is therefore essential to protect victims of chemical weapons exposure. However, these reactivating molecules, mainly named oximes, have major drawbacks with limited efficacy against some OPs and a non-negligible ChE inhibitor potential if administered at an inadequate dose, an effect that they are precisely supposed to mitigate. This project focused on assessing therapeutic efficacy, in mice, up to the NOAEL dose, the maximum dose of oxime that does not induce any observable toxic effect. Chemico-Biological Interactions
Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus mRNA Vaccine Development
Researchers designed three nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccines. Studies in mice demonstrated the adverse effects that the inclusion of non-structural protein (NSm) linker may have on the development of immunogenic CCHFV vaccines, while providing knowledge for the design of improved antigens in the future. Viruses
Effects of Shock and Vibration on Product Quality during Last-Mile Transportation of Ebola Vaccine under Refrigerated Conditions
Analyzing vaccine stability under different storage and transportation conditions is critical to ensure that effectiveness and safety are not affected by distribution. In a simulation of the last mile in the supply chain, research found that shock and vibration had no effect on Ad26.ZEBOV/MVA-BN-Filo Ebola vaccine regimen quality under refrigerated conditions. Emerging Infectious Diseases
BIOSECURITY + BIOPREPAREDNESS
Testing the Functionality of Joint Zoonotic Disease Electronic Surveillance and Reporting Systems
The Jordanian One Health platform seeks to connect the Ministries of Health and Agriculture’s electronic surveillance systems for zoonotic disease surveillance in a way that ensures the sharing of information between the ministries in a timely manner, allowing a rapid joint response. To evaluate the linkage between their electronic surveillance and response systems, a 10-day full-scale pandemic influenza simulation exercise was conducted in Amman, Jordan. Gaps were identified. Recommendations were issued and used to develop an action plan agreed to by the stakeholder organizations. Zoonotic Diseases
Containment Leakage From Airborne Infection Isolation Room During Medical Staff Entry
The results of this study indicated significant differences in airflow patterns and contaminant distribution when realistic walking motion was implemented in the human model, as opposed to simplified movement models. The contaminant leakage from the Air Infection Isolation (AII) room ranged from 20.6 % to 28.6 %, suggesting that prior studies may underestimate infection risks due to oversimplified human models and motions. Journal of Building Engineering
Pandemic Volunteers: The Imperative for Regulations and Training
Volunteer management has always been an issue in disaster management, especially among spontaneous or “emergent” volunteers. To establish clear and constructive guidance that could help volunteer management amid pandemics like COVID-19, one of the key steps that society needs to undertake is to define and differentiate pandemic volunteers from a legal and regulatory perspective. Volunteers must have access to sufficient training to effectively navigate through their tasks amid a pandemic. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
Nursing Home Staffing Shortages and Other Problems Persist, U.S. Report Says
A new report by the inspector general’s office at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that the flawed infection-control procedures that contributed to the 170,000 deaths at nursing homes during the pandemic were still inadequate at many facilities. Investigators also found that vaccination booster rates among staff workers and residents have been badly lagging. New York Times
SELECT AGENTS + PRIORITY PATHOGENS
Smallpox is Still a Threat to America, 40 Years After its Eradication
“The experts we have spoken to worry that the current contents of the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile to combat smallpox are depleted, with not nearly enough vaccine and other medical countermeasures to deal with the consequences of the disease being weaponized. In the event of an outbreak, we would be dangerously unprepared: should a smallpox attack occur, vaccines would need to be administered within seven days. There would not be time to procure sufficient smallpox vaccines, antivirals and diagnostic tests to protect our nation. Given smallpox’s 30 percent mortality rate, the consequences would be devastating. As a result, we urge the federal government to reassess the contents of the national stockpile and ensure that they are commensurate with the threat.” The Hill
New Ebola and Marburg Guideline Addresses ‘Inappropriate Practices’
Examples include the notion that more personal protective equipment (PPE) is always better than less personal PPE, as well as the routine spraying of chlorine for disinfection despite previous WHO recommendations against this practice. One example of confusion surrounding PPE use is that some facilities rely on double gloving with variable approaches to changing gloves between patients and glove disinfection, Willet and colleagues pointed out. The new guidelines, which were published last August, clarify when double or single gloving should be used, how to disinfect gloves, and when to change gloves between patients. Spraying workers and the environment with chlorine during Ebola and Marburg virus outbreaks remains a common practice, but causes adverse ocular, respiratory, and skin reactions. Instead, the WHO recommends wiping potentially contaminated surfaces with disinfectant. MedPage Today, The BMJ
WHO Shares Details of 2 Fatal Nipah Cases in Bangladesh
The two cases were confirmed before February 9, and both patients died from their infections. Both are from Dhaka division but are from separate districts and aren’t epidemiologically linked to each other. Both case histories included consumption of raw date palm sap. CIDRAP
Anthrax Vaccine Blunts Seasonal Outbreak in Zimbabwe
Strategic immunization can protect lives and livelihoods, but climate change may raise the threat level from the soil-dwelling, zoonotic bacterium. The risk that climate change could increase anthrax cases cannot be ignored. Floods, like the ones that hit the capital and other Zimbabwean towns in December, can be a major catalyst for anthrax spreading. After a deluge, bacteria from an infected area can be deposited in shallow pools, from which domestic animals might drink and contract disease. Gavi
The Future of Preventing and Treating Nipah Virus Infection
Little progress has been made in terms of preventing and treating human infections. This should be the focus of NiV research in the coming decade with three areas of synergizing emphasis: prevention through vaccination; prevention through modifying risk factors; and the development of therapeutics and techniques capable of treating patients currently infected to reduce morbidity and mortality. Prevention through vaccination certainly includes human vaccination in endemic areas but also includes vaccinating livestock animals, particularly pigs and perhaps horses in certain endemic areas. While livestock vaccination would not prevent outbreaks of NiV in areas where it is primarily spread through date palm sap contamination, there are regions where this method could be quite effective, if it could be made cost effective. Future Science OA
Marburg Virus is Nature’s Wake-Up Call
Over the past five decades, more than 15 MVD outbreaks have been reported in the African countries, including in Equatorial Guinea in February 2023. The disease carries an extremely high mortality and morbidity rate. Developing and implementing rapid, accurate, affordable, and efficient diagnostic and therapeutic measures is essential to address the substantial threat MARV poses. Increased focus on health education, enhancement of laboratory services and facilities, adherence to patient safety protocols, and robust surveillance systems are urgently needed to combat this fatal disease. Medicine in Microecology
CHEMICAL + RADIOLOGICAL THREATS
Russia Beefs Up Disinformation About U.S. Chemical Weapons in Ukraine
On February 19, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, commander of the Russian army’s radiation, chemical and biological protection force, accused the United States of violating its international obligations by keeping its chemical weapons and transferring them to Ukraine. Kirillov claimed, without evidence, that Kyiv used U.S. chemical weapons against the Russian troops. VOA
Framework to Evaluate Risks of Large Language Models for Assisting CBRN Production Processes
Paper examines how Large LLMs could contribute to the proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons. This framework identifies five areas of possible contribution, including brainstorming production processes, providing technical assistance, generating scripts or code for process simulation, aiding in designing relevant parts, and potentially linking to manufacturing services. It also outlines mitigation measures, distinguishing between built-in limitations of current LLMs and proactive strategies to prevent misuse. Center for Nonproliferation Studies
Adsorption and Detoxification of Chemical Warfare Agent Simulants by Core-Shell Composite
Physically adsorbed porous materials (e.g., activated carbon , metal oxides, and zeolites have been extensively employed to remove CWAs in the past. However, these materials exhibit numerous defects (e.g., small adsorption capacity, easy desorption, and low activity). Investigation of new materials that are highly active, broad-spectrum, environmentally friendly, and capable of catalyzing the degradation of CWAs is of great significance. This study employs Zr-MOFs immobilized ionic liquids, which displayed high recovery and good bio-compatibility. Separation and Purification Technology
Chemical Weapons Production and Toxicity Overview : Chlorine, Phosgene, Mustard, Hydrogen Cyanide and Sarin Gas
Chemical weapons are cheap, can cause mass casualties, and are relatively easy to produce, even by developing nations. The psychological impact of chemical weapons on society makes them ideal for terrorism, in this review focuses on some of the common agents that pose the greatest threat, including the production and toxicity of these gases. Sana’a University
Recent Advances in Sensing Toxic Nerve Agents Through DMMP Model Simulant
DMMP is a less toxic simulant compound that can mimic properties of several nerve agents. This paper reviews the evolution of several chemical sensors and role used to detect DMMP (frequently used by R&D labs in place of CWAs) in recent years, including field-effect transistors, chemicapacitors, chemiresistors, and mass-sensitive sensors. Diverse nanomaterials have also been attracting researchers in the development of chemical sensors in the detection of various nerve agents, including carbon nanotubes, graphene, MOFs, polymer hybrids, macrocyclic rings. Each nanomaterial is discussed in detail in the context of DMMP sensing. Talanta
SURVEILLANCE + DETECTION
MOBILISE: Novel, Mobile One-Health Laboratory for (Re-)Emerging Disease Outbreaks
The EU-funded MOBILISE project is developing an innovative mobile One Health laboratory solution up to Technological Readiness Level 7 (TRL-7). The laboratory will receive human, animal and environmental samples and host a whole genome sequencing platform for pathogen discovery and epidemiological analysis. Pilots will be conducted in Europe (Austria, Greece and Romania) and Africa. Mobilise
Monitoring Avian Influenza in Mammals with Real-Time Data
A comprehensive surveillance strategy is critical to efficiently monitor and respond to outbreaks in mammalian populations, i.e. a wide range of animal species, both wild and domestic, as both play a critical role in the epidemiological landscape. This is evidenced by outbreaks in mink farms, domestic cats in Poland, and cases of human infections. Rather than attempting comprehensive, all-encompassing monitoring of all species, It is useful to focus on specific subpopulations or geographic areas at high risk. Pathogens and Global Health
ONE HEALTH
Leaders Call for Scale-Up in Implementing One Health Approach
“We need sustained political will to ensure One Health principles are embedded in national and international policies. Implementation in countries; resource mobilization; science and evidence; and political will. These are the four priorities that we must pursue together in the year ahead.” The newly launched One Health Joint Plan of Action Implementation Guide is a cornerstone of the global efforts, providing practical guidance for translating One Health theory into action. World Health Organization
One Health Approach to Nipah Virus Prevention
Bats are important hosts for zoonotic viruses such as the NiV, SARS-CoV-2, Ebola virus, and others; nevertheless, relatively little is known about the ecological determinants and dynamics of these viruses’ propagation in their reservoir hosts. This review assessed early detection, data integration, community awareness, and resource limitations. Prospective endeavors ought to give precedence to expedited investigations associated with vaccines and antivirals, enhance genetic monitoring methodologies, and carry out comprehensive case analyses. Vacunas
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
RSV Vaccines May Be Linked to Small Increased Risk of Developing Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Data Suggest
At a meeting Thursday of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, vaccine safety experts from the two agencies presented data that showed what appears to be an elevated rate of GBS, as the condition is called, among people who got the Pfizer vaccine, although there were also cases detected among people who got the GSK product. But the experts cautioned that it is too early to determine if there is a true increased risk of developing GBS after RSV vaccination, or to quantify the size of that risk, if it exists. STAT
CDC Braces for Shortage After Tetanus Shot Discontinued, Issues New Guidance
The CDC urging doctors to switch from using the so-called Td vaccine – the immunization that protects against both tetanus and diphtheria infections – to giving the broader Tdap vaccine instead whenever possible as the agency braces for a potential shortage of those shots this year. Use of the Td vaccine has declined in recent decades, as more doctors have switched to stocking the newer but often pricier Tdap vaccines now on the market. This year’s shortage risk stems from a decision by nonprofit vaccine maker MassBiologics to discontinue production of its Td vaccine, branded as TdVax. CBS
Japanese Encephalitis: An Arbovirus New to Australia
The first-ever outbreak of Japanese encephalitis in temperate Australia is connected to the creation of extensive wetlands following excessively high rainfall. BugBitten
Ongoing Measles Outbreak, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, December 2023 to February 2024
With 30,000 measles cases notified in 40 of its 53 member countries, the WHO has noted an alarming increase in measles cases in the WHO European Region in 2023. In the 2014-2015 measles outbreak in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), 5,103 cases were notified, with preschool and school children and adolescents of 5–19 years as the most affected age groups. In the 2019 outbreak in FBiH, 1,332 cases were notified, most among 0–5-year-olds. A third and still ongoing major measles outbreak in FBiH began in the northern region of the country, in December 2023. As of 12 February 2024, 141 cases have been notified. Even though childhood immunization is mandatory in FBiH, it is clearly not being implemented, meaning healthcare workers and primary healthcare centers do not routinely report refusals. Eurosurveillance
ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE CRISIS
CARB-X Funds GlyProVac to Develop a Novel Vaccine to Prevent Sepsis In Newborns
GlyProVac was awarded $467K USD to develop its maternal vaccine (GPV02) that targets Escherichia coli, a bacterial species that causes a large portion of neonatal sepsis infections. GPV02, which uses a selected bacterial protein, naturally decorated with small sugar molecules, to trigger an immune response for protection. This approach differs from previous attempts to develop protein-based bacterial vaccines since it involves specific natural sugar modifications previously undiscovered. GlyProVac uses BEMAP technology to ensure that GPV02 correctly imitates E. coli, thus preparing the immune system to recognize the bacterium when an infection occurs. CARB-X
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Why Are We Still Flu-ifying COVID?
SARS-CoV-2 still spikes in non-winter seasons and simmers throughout the rest of the year. In 2023, COVID hospitalized more than 900,000 Americans and killed 75,000. A recent CDC survey reported that more than 5 percent of American adults are currently experiencing long COVID, which cannot be fully prevented by vaccination or treatment, and for which there is no cure. And yet, the CDC and White House continue to fold COVID in with other long-standing seasonal respiratory infections. When the nation’s authorities start to match the precautions taken against COVID with those for flu, RSV, or common colds, it implies “that the risks are the same.” Those infected with SARS-CoV-2 can shed the virus after their symptoms begin to resolve and are “definitely shedding longer than what you would usually see for flu.” At the very least, all respiratory illnesses should tell freshly de-isolated people to mask for several days when they’re around others indoors. The Atlantic
Tech Transfer Opp: SARS-CoV-2 Pseudotyping Plasmids for Cutting-Edge Studies
NIAID scientists have developed plasmids that allow for production of pseudoviruses expressing SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. As SARS-CoV-2 is a lethal airborne virus, it must be handled in high-containment BSL-3 laboratories. The pseudotyping plasmids of this invention provide a secure platform for exploring SARS-CoV-2 dynamics without the need for high-risk handling of live virus and ensure a controlled environment for scientists to study SARS-CoV-2 more expeditiously in standard Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) laboratories. The plasmids can be used for diverse SARS-CoV-2 research applications, including the study of newly emerging or potential future variants of interest. This technology is available for licensing for commercial development. Federal Register
U.S. COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Strategies, Systems, Performance, and Lessons Learned, December 2020 – May 2023
This article describes the infrastructure supporting the distribution of U.S. government-purchased COVID-19 vaccines that was in place pre-pandemic, and the infrastructure, processes, and communications efforts developed to support the heightened demands of the COVID-19 vaccination program, and describes lessons learned. Vaccine
SPECIAL INTEREST
A Doctor’s Lifelong Quest to Solve One of Pediatric Medicine’s Greatest Mysteries
For 40 years, Dr. Jane Burns has been working to find the cause of Kawasaki disease, an illness that can lead to aneurysms and heart attacks. The condition, which usually occurs in children under 5, is easy to miss: There is no diagnostic test, and its symptoms — a high fever, rash, red cracked lips and a “strawberry tongue” — look to many doctors like scarlet fever, measles or a tick-borne illness, despite its signature distinction of bloodshot eyes. Dr. Burns and other scientists believe that children inherit some level of susceptibility to it from their parents and that the condition is then brought on by something they breathe in, whether a virus, a bacteria or a toxin. New York Times
ALSO READING
Chemical and Biological Threats: Guidance for Breastfeeding Women, Infants, and Young Children. Health Security
MHC-I alleles mediate clearance and antibody response to the zoonotic Lassa virus in Mastomys rodent reservoirs. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Infection risk assessment due to contaminant leakage in biological laboratories in different scenarios. Architectural Intelligence
Structure-guided mutagenesis of Henipavirus receptor-binding proteins reveals molecular determinants of receptor usage and antibody-binding epitopes. Journal of Virology
Broad cross-neutralizing antibodies against animal-associated sarbecoviruses generated by SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination in humans. NPJ Vaccines
Mpox’s surge was stopped by behaviour change — before vaccine rollout. Nature
Biphasic MERS-CoV Incidence in Nomadic Dromedaries with Putative Transmission to Humans, Kenya, 2022-2023. Europe PMC
Japanese encephalitis virus inhibits superinfection of Zika virus in cells by the NS2B protein. Journal of Virology