News highlights on health security threats and countermeasures curated by Global Biodefense
This week’s selections include easing H5N1 sample requirements for laboratories, development of Nipah virus diagnostics, MERS-CoV vaccine candidates, and preparing for a summer resurgence of mpox Clade II.
POLICY + GOVERNMENT
US Relaxes Regulations for Labs Handling Bird Flu Samples to Ease Virus Response
The guidance changes, which took effect on May 3, modify requirements for handling H5N1 under federal select agent and toxin regulations for a period of 180 days. They apply to state and local government-run public health labs as well as labs that handle wastewater specimens, which are being used to help track the virus. The revised guidance came at the request of the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL). “This is one of those lessons learned from COVID,” said Scott Becker, APHL Executive Director. “It’s getting into the psyche of the federal government that you need to really work through and think about reducing barriers.” Reuters
House’s Updated Biosecurity Bill Sets 2032 Decoupling Deadline for Industry’s Work with Chinese CDMOs
Right after an industry survey suggested that switching away from Chinese contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) could take biopharma companies up to eight years, lawmakers have adjusted the BIOSECURE Act. The new draft lays out a 2032 deadline for the separation mandate. Fierce Pharma, Endpoints News
North Carolina House Bill Would Make Wearing Masks in Public Illegal
House Bill 237 Unmasking Mobs and Criminals would remove exceptions to no mask laws for “the purpose of ensuring the physical health or safety of the wearer or others”. Also included in the legislation is stricter penalties for protesters who block traffic, along with tougher penalties for those who commit a crime while “wearing a mask or other clothing or device to conceal or attempt to conceal the defendant’s identity.” One likely impetus for revamping HB237 is civil disobedience protests occurring in NC, particularly on college campuses such as Wake Forest University and UNC Chapel Hill. “We believe this policy change would compromise the safety of people with disabilities and would unreasonably restrict their ability to attend school and get and education, work in public sector jobs, or simply walk from their home to the bus stop, among many other examples,” wrote Tara Muller, a policy attorney for Disability Rights N.C. WUNC, Winston-Salem Journal, The Carolina Journal
NIH Estimates of FY 2023 Categorical Spending Data are Now Available
NIH recently updated its annual categorical information with fiscal year (FY) 2023 actual spending data and estimates for FY 2024 and 2025. Biodefense and Medical Countermeasures categories were added in FY 2023. National Institutes of Health
USDA, FDA Turf Battles Hamper Responses to Outbreaks Like H5N1 Bird Flu
Because H5N1 is currently an animal disease, it’s clearly the USDA’s responsibility to test cattle and get a handle on the outbreak. But already, public health experts are concerned that the scope of that agency’s testing regime is too limited. The department is requiring farmers test only lactating cows before moving them across state lines. The FDA, meanwhile, tested pasteurized milk in grocery stores and confirmed the absence of live H5N1 virus. But if the agency wanted to enter farms to test livestock products and better understand how the disease might spread into human foods, it couldn’t. Neither could the CDC. It’s a glaring gap in the U.S. food regulatory system: No federal agency has the authority to go on farms to test for human diseases. STAT
Airborne Pathogens: Controlling Words Won’t Control Transmission
WHO has proposed new terminology for “pathogens that transmit through the air”. To have these new terms be taken up by various institutions and scholars will be complex and unrealistic, requiring extensive retraining and vast rewriting of guidance documents. Pragmatically, a new set of terms will add confusion, not reduce it. Strong and consistent evidence for a predominantly airborne mode of transmission emerged early in the pandemic but was denied or downplayed by WHO and national public health bodies. Our efforts would be better spent proceeding with long-established terms (e.g., airborne and aerosol) that are well understood across the natural sciences to advance understanding of airborne transmission among clinicians and the public. The Lancet
HHS Suspends Federal Funding for EcoHealth Alliance
The New York-based nonprofit has been the target of investigations since the earliest days of the pandemic, and central to prominent “lab-leak theory” arguments. HHS dispatched its decision in a letter Tuesday, two weeks after House lawmakers grilled EcoHealth President Peter Daszak on the nonprofit’s research, oversight, and safety measures, particularly its work with the Wuhan Institute of Virology. HHS ultimately cited EcoHealth’s perceived lack of oversight of its grant recipients; its failure to submit progress reports on time; failure to notify NIH when viruses studied at WIV went beyond permitted thresholds; and both EcoHealth and WIV’s inability to disprove that they violated the terms of the grant. EcoHealth said it will contest the funding cutoff. Washington Post, STAT, The Hill
ASM Proposes Increased Support for Research at USDA
ASM urges Congress to increase funding for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) at USDA to at least $500 million in fiscal year (FY) 2025. The statement further supports the President’s FY25 Budget Requests for $126 million for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) and $1.386 billion for the Animal and Plant Health and Inspection Service (APHIS). American Society for Microbiology
PREP Act Immunity and its Silent Treatment of Intellectual Property Rights
The Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act provides immunity for claims related to manufacturing, distributing, administering, or using medical countermeasures during a public health emergency. PREP Act does not explicitly mention patent law issues or intellectual property rights. The Act’s definition of the “loss” being immunized against are primarily focused on personal health issues such as death, illness, or physical injury. However, the definitions also include “loss of or damage to property, including business interruption loss.” Lawyers have argued that encompasses patent infringement, but the Federal Circuit has not yet opined on the issue. Patently-O
MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES
Updates to Disaster Management Strategies for CDC Category A Bioterrorism Agents
The goal of this paper is to provide current suggestions for a system-based response to a bioterrorism attack and discuss treatment options for CDC category A bioterrorism agents. Vaccine distribution methodology for the recent mpox outbreak was used that the smallpox vaccine could utilize. Two antibody therapies and one vaccine are available for Ebola but not for other viral hemorrhagic fever diseases. Recent health system stressors encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to impact health systems similarly during a bioterrorism attack. Current Emergency and Hospital Medicine Reports
rVSV-ZEBOV Vaccination in People with Pre-Existing Immunity to Ebolavirus
In this prospective cohort study, 2,115 consenting close contacts of EVD survivors were recruited and vaccinated with rVSV-ZEBOV and followed up for 28 days for safety and immunogenicity. Vaccinees with baseline IgG antibodies against Zaire Ebolavirus had similar safety profiles to those without detectable antibodies. These data add further evidence of rVSV-ZEBOV safety and immunogenicity, including in people with pre-existing antibodies from suspected natural ZEBOV infection, which do not blunt rVSV-ZEBOV immune response – indicating pre-vaccination serological screening is not required. SSRN
Acetohydroxamic Acid Salts: Mild, Simple and Effective Degradation Reagents to Counter Novichok Nerve Agents
These highly lethal persistent agents, which exert their toxicity mainly through dermal exposure, pose new major challenges in mitigating their effect, mainly in respect to decontamination and medical countermeasures. These experiments build on past work showing AHA salts as a potential “catch-up therapy” against dermal intoxication by VX in live pigs, demonstrating effectiveness as nucleophilic scavengers for rapid Novichok degradation. RCS Advances
Nucleic Acid Vaccine Candidates Encapsulated with Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Against MERS-CoV
This work outlines development of pDNA and mRNA vaccine candidates expressing S.FL gene of MERS-CoV and testing in mouse models. Results enhance further optimization of nanosilica as potential carrier for mRNA vaccines. Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics
A Glucan-Particle Based Tularemia Subunit Vaccine
There are currently no licensed tularemia vaccines. In this study we report on the continued assessment of a tularemia subunit vaccine utilising β-glucan particles (GPs) as a vaccine delivery platform for immunogenic F. tularensis antigens, inducing T-cell immunity and affording partial protection in an inhalation rat infection model. PLOS One
A Broadly Applicable Protein-Polymer Adjuvant System for Antiviral Vaccines
Using the recombinant protein antigens from influenza A and rabies virus, the micelle adjuvant system elicited robust antiviral responses and protected mice from lethal challenge. In addition, this system could be combined with other antigens to induce high titers of neutralizing antibodies in models of three highly pathogenic viral pathogens: Ebola virus, Marburg virus, and Nipah virus. EMBO Molecular Medicine
BIOSECURITY + BIOPREPAREDNESS
As Bird Flu Looms, the Lessons of Past Pandemics Take On New Urgency
John Barry, a scholar at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and the author of “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History,” discusses dangerous assumptions and cost-benefit analysis in preparing for a bird flu pandemic. New York Times
South Asia’s Strategic Readiness Amidst Worsening Nipah Virus Threats
Despite NiV’s substantial case fatality rates and designation as a priority disease on the WHO’s R&D blueprint, the current treatment options remain confined to supportive care. This limitation highlights the challenge that South Asia faces if confronted with a more severe and large-scale outbreaks in the future. Multiple vaccines, including an mRNA-based vaccine, one derived from a protein found in the closely-linked Hendra virus, and another using a benign vesicular stomatitis virus to transport an NiV protein are undergoing clinical trials. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health
Respiratory Fit Testing Resource
Even though the page says it is for the use of healthcare facilities like nursing homes, the respiratory protection principles described are the same for any setting, including veterinary clinics and even farms. This page can teach anyone how to set up, maintain, and even fit test employees, with a section for agricultural workers recently added. AASV
Essential Components for Combating Viral Threats Like H5N1
Rural areas of the country home to many poultry and cattle farms are now under increased study and analysis. It is key to consider specific aspects of these communities and the rural workers who would be at greater risk if the H5N1 virus were it to begin spreading to humans at a greater level. In some cases, these workers may lack the economic means or insurance to afford healthcare. The CDC has issued updates and guidance for protecting people working with animals. Healthcare Ready
SELECT AGENTS + PRIORITY PATHOGENS
Cases of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Cases Linked to Tick Bites Reported in Europe
According to ECDC’s latest report on the topic, in 2022, the EU/EEA saw 4 cases of CCHF and 2 deaths as a result. While no cases were reported in 2023, in 2024, Spain has recorded one fatal case of CCHF. The changing climate could lead the tick species which spreads the disease to inhabit areas further into the continent. There is no vaccine against CCHF approved for use across Europe. ECDC
Molecular Epidemiology of Mayaro Virus among Febrile Patients
Mayaro virus (MAYV) is an endemic and neglected mosquito-borne alphavirus that causes acute and chronic debilitating arthritogenic disease in Latin America and the Caribbean. MAYV infection can cause fever, rash, and arthralgia that can persist for over a year in some patients. This study reports the active MAYV circulation in humans during the concurrent chikungunya and dengue epidemic in Roraima State, Brazil. Emerging Infectious Diseases
C.D.C. Warns of a Resurgence of Mpox
A deadlier version of the infectious disease is ravaging the Democratic Republic of Congo, while the type that caused a 2022 outbreak among gay and bisexual men is regaining strength. The C.D.C. is focusing on encouraging Americans at highest risk to become vaccinated before the virus resurges. The agency’s outreach efforts include engaging with advocacy groups and social media influencers who have broad appeal among the L.G.B.T.Q. community. In December, the agency urged clinicians to remain alert for possible cases in travelers from Congo. New York Times
Ebola Virus Disease Outbreaks: Lessons Learned From Past and Facing Future Challenges
Given the substantial role that the U.S. Government and the U.S. DoD have played in the 2014 to 2016 West African Ebola outbreak, the role of the DoD and the U.S. African Command in controlling EVD is described. Military Medicine
Serological Evidence of Zoonotic Filovirus Exposure Among Bushmeat Hunters in Guinea
This study further illustrates the need to combine serological, genomic and ecological evidence in development of risk-based approaches to identify areas most likely to give rise to outbreaks. It is not practical to keep a constant watch over the entire globe but focusing on high risk locations is certainly feasible. Nature Communications
AVIAN INFLUENZA
Why Aren’t We Vaccinating Birds Against Bird Flu?
In the past two years, more than 90 million poultry birds from 48 US states have died from the virus or were killed in an attempt to slow the spread of the disease. Given the record-shattering infection rates among poultry and the unprecedented recent spillover to a wide range of other species, some bird flu experts and wildlife researchers are calling for renewed efforts to develop, test, and deploy a vaccine for poultry and potentially other species. Short of triggering a human pandemic, continued spread of bird flu among livestock could further threaten national and global food security. Vox
Wastewater Testing Finds H5N1 Avian Flu in 9 Texas Cities
Researchers who sequenced viruses from wastewater samples from 10 Texas cities found H5N1 avian flu virus in 9 of them, sometimes at levels that rivaled seasonal flu. CIDRAP
Safeguarding American Agriculture and Ecosystems Against Biological Threats
“We saw fewer cases of HPAI in 2023 than we did in 2022. In fact, we saw 146 cases of HPAI in commercial poultry facilities in 2023, versus 306 in commercial facilities in 2022. We credit the decrease in cases in 2023 to a combination of factors. Detections of HPAI in wild birds have decreased, suggesting there is less virus in the environment. Improved biosecurity measures by the commercial industry have reduced the number of detections in the commercial sector.” APHIS
CHEMICAL + RADIOLOGICAL THREATS
Putin Cannot Be Allowed to Use Chemical Weapons in Ukraine with Impunity
After years of Ukrainians sounding the alarm over Russia’s alleged use of chemical weapons, the US Department of State has now substantiated these claims and has announced new sanctions on Russian actors for their role in enabling the country’s chemical and biological weapons programs. In the early phases of Russia’s full-scale invasion, US President Joe Biden pledged that “Russia will pay a severe price if they use chemical weapons.” Do sanctions alone constitute a severe response? Atlantic Council
Oxidative Stress: An Intersection Between Radiation and Sulfur Mustard Lung Injury
The discovery of therapeutic uses of radiation and sulfur mustard was largely due to observations by clinicians treating victims of radiation and sulfur mustard gas exposures. Clinicians identified vulnerability of leukocytes to these agents and repurposed their use in the treatment of leukemias and lymphomas. This paper highlights oxidative stress as a common mechanism shared by both radiation and sulfur mustard gas exposures and discusses potential therapies targeting oxidative stress as medical countermeasures against the devastating lung diseases wrought by these agents. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
Chloropicrin Induced Ocular Injury: Biomarkers, Potential Mechanisms, and Treatments
Exposure to CP results in immediate ocular, respiratory, and dermal injury; however, we lack knowledge on its mechanism of toxicity as well as of its breakdown products like chlorine and phosgene. This review discusses potential countermeasures, overall hallmarks and challenges involved in studying ocular injuries from chemical threat agent exposures. Toxicology Letters
Radiological Terrorism: Emergency Services Clinicians Toolkit
The latest toolkit on acute radiation syndrome, cutaneous radiation injuries, medical response to mass casualties, and patient treatment algorithms. CDC
SURVEILLANCE + DETECTION
Connecting Computational and Systems Biology for Biodefense
Historically, the biodefense community relies on lists of known agents—pathogens and biotoxins like anthrax and ricin—that have been identified and prioritized as threats. In Health Security, a team of researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the University of Texas at El Paso discuss the computational challenges of thinking beyond the list and developing bioagent-agnostic signatures to assess threats. PNNL
Multi-Target Droplet Digital PCR Assay for Highly Sensitive and Specific Detection of Yersinia pestis
Nucleic acid tests are crucial for plague surveillance and the rapid detection of Y. pestis. However, inhibitors in complex samples such as soil and animal tissues often hamper nucleic acid detection, leading to a reduced rate of identifying low concentrations of Y. pestis. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Can Global Genomic Surveillance Forecast the Next Pandemic?
Accelerated genome sequencing technologies, expanded laboratory capabilities, and interacting infrastructure on a global level are converging to enable both identification of novel infectious diseases as well as microbial resistance, write a team from the European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Frontiers in Science. PLOS DNA Science
Label-Free Detection of African Swine Fever and Classical Swine Fever in the Point-of-Care Setting
A device incorporating microfluidics, photonics, and communication technologies was created under the European Union’s H2020 Swine Diseases Field Diagnostics Toolbox (SWINOSTICS) project. The device is designed for detecting six major swine viral pathogens: porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), swine influenza A virus (SIV), porcine parvovirus (PPV), porcine circovirus 2 (PCV-2), classical swine fever virus (CSFV), and African swine fever virus (ASFV). The detection of viral antigens is facilitated by photonic integrated circuits (PICs) functionalized with polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies as molecular recognition elements (MREs). Pathogens
Advancing Spore Detection: Sers-Based Detection of the Biomarker Dipicolinic Acid Using Gold Nanorods
Detecting bacterial spores plays a critical role in safeguarding public health, preventing bioterrorism threats, and ensuring food safety. This study employs surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to detect Bacillus thuringiensis spores by targeting the biomarker calcium chelate dipicolinic acid (CaDPA). This approach involves the disruption of spores to release CaDPA through sonication, followed by detection via SERS, facilitated by gold nanorods. SSRN
Optical Biosensing of Monkeypox Virus Using Novel Recombinant Silica-Binding Proteins for Site-Directed Antibody Immobilization
Comprises a peptide with a silica-binding tag designed to adhere to silica surfaces and tandem protein G fragments for effective antibody capture. This innovation facilitates precise site-directed immobilization of antibodies onto silica surfaces. This paper further describes leveraging a fiber-optic biolayer interferometer (FO-BLI) biosensor as a platform to demonstrate the utility of the construct for the rapid and sensitive detection of MPVX in clinical settings. Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis
FDA’s Proposed Rule and its Regulatory Impact on Emerging and Reemerging Neglected Tropical Diseases in the United States
this viewpoint manuscript spotlights the existing diagnostic landscape and unmet clinical needs for 4 emerging NTDs increasingly prevalent in the United States, additionally, it delves into the possible adverse effects of the FDA’s Proposed Rule on Laboratory-Developed Tests for these clinical conditions and the broader spectrum of NTDs. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Luciferase Immunosorbent Assay for Rapid and Easy Detection of Nipah Virus IgG Antibodies
In this study, a new antigen–antibody-binding method, luciferase immunosorbent assay (LISA), was established to detect NiV infection. This novel technique utilizes nanoluciferase, which generates a highly intense and bright luminescent signal and is 150 times more active than the firefly or Renilla luciferases, thus amplifying the antigen–antibody-binding signal and improving the sensitivity of the assay. Cross-species serological testing is advantageous for monitoring and preventing the spread of zoonotic diseases. Traditional ELISA relies on species-specific enzyme-linked secondary antibodies, limiting the range of their application. Obtaining specific antibodies from certain hosts, including mites and bats, is also a challenge). In contrast, the LISA does not require species-specific labeled secondary antibodies for detection. Microorganisms
ONE HEALTH
National Workshops on One Health Zoonotic Diseases Prioritization and Joint Risk Assessment under Pandemic Fund in Bhutan
The One Health Secretariat organized workshops on Zoonotic Diseases Prioritization (OHZDP) and Joint Risk Assessment (JRA) earlier this month in in Bhutan. The workshops were aimed at prioritizing the zoonotic diseases using the US CDC tool based on multicriteria decision tree analysis and building Bhutan’s capacity for conducting JRA. WHO
Perspective: Developing Countries Under Pressure to Accept One Health Approach Ahead of World Health Assembly
According to developing country negotiators, developed countries have threatened that if One Health is not endorsed, they (developed countries) would block the proposal to establish the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system meant to facilitate equitable sharing of benefits emerging from R&D on pandemic-related pathogens. The Hindu
Ethiopia’s Multi-Sectoral National Action Plan for Health Security
In a recent workshop held in Ethiopia, key stakeholders convened to develop the country’s Multi-Sectoral National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) 2024-2028 with the support of the Pandemic Fund. NAPHS, a country-owned, multi-year planning process, embraces the One Health approach, emphasizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. WHO
Guidance for One Health Field Epidemiology Workforce Development
The first-ever Competencies for One Health Field Epidemiology (COHFE) Framework establishes a standardized approach to training frontline responders in the interconnected fields of human, animal, and environmental health “The new guidance provide a roadmap for building a global network of skilled professionals who can effectively collaborate to prevent and respond to endemic and emerging diseases with zoonotic potential.” World Health Organization
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
CWD: Deadly Brain Disease Found in Two California Deer
State officials reported the presence of deadly chronic wasting disease in two wild California deer. This is the first time the disease, which has plagued other areas of the nation for years, has appeared in the state’s deer or elk population. The positive samples came from a deer that died of unknown causes near Yosemite Lakes in Madera Counry, and another killed by a vehicle strike near Bishop in Inyo County. “The disparate locations of these two detections indicate that CWD has probably been present in California for some time. LA Times
WHO Prequalifies New Dengue Vaccine
A new vaccine for dengue received prequalification from the World Health Organization (WHO) on 10 May 2024. TAK-003 is the second dengue vaccine to be prequalified by WHO. The live-attenuated vaccine contains weakened versions of the four serotypes of the virus that cause dengue. WHO’s approval now means that donors and other U.N. agencies can purchase the vaccine for poorer countries. Studies have shown Takeda’s vaccine is about 84% effective in preventing people from being hospitalized with dengue and about 61% effective in stopping symptoms. World Health Organization, AP News
Surveillance of Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers, Rift Valley Fever and Yellow Fever in Humans, South Africa, 2019-2023
A total of 232 cases (not the number of tests conducted) was investigated during the reporting period. The endemic diseases, CCHF and RVF, were most frequently investigated, i.e. 77 and 90 cases, respectively. A single case of Lassa fever (LF) was reported in 2022, and ten cases of CCHF were confirmed in South Africa during the reporting period. No cases of other VHF, RVF, YF or haemorrhagic fever associated with newly identified viruses were detected during the reporting period. Public Health Bulletin South Africa
Destruction of Documents, Insufficient Data Lead FDA to Reject Hep B Vaccine Update
Dynavax’s hepatitis B vaccine was rejected for a label expansion in the US after patient data was destroyed by a third-party clinical trial site operator, the company announced Tuesday. Endpoints News, Dynavax
Cameroon Hits Back at Yellow Fever
Recent years have brought a yellow fever resurgence to Cameroon. Last month, a targeted vaccination campaign pummeled the chain of transmission in seven especially vulnerable health districts. Gavi
ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE CRISIS
Lowering the Acquisition of Multi-Drug Resistant Organism (MDROs) with Pulsed-Xenon
This study, conducted in 2 hospitals, failed to demonstrate an effect of the addition of UV light disinfection following terminal cleaning on reductions in rates of environmentally-implicated HAIs (eiHAIs). Clinical Infectious Diseases
Rise of Drug-Resistant Superbugs Could Make Covid Pandemic Look ‘Minor’, Expert Warns
The UK’s new special envoy on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) lost her goddaughter two years ago to an infection that could not be treated. She paints a bleak picture of what could happen if the world fails to tackle the problem within the next decade, warning that the issue is “more acute” than climate change. Drug-resistant infections already kill at least 1.2 million people a year. “It looks like a lot of people with untreatable infections, and we would have to move to isolating people who were untreatable in order not to infect their families and communities. So it’s a really disastrous picture.” The Guardian
Report Calls for ‘Urgent Action’ to Boost Antibiotic Pipeline
A new report from the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) indicates that without additional investments in antibiotic research and development (R&D) from governments and other stakeholders, the pipeline for new antibiotics could become considerably weaker over the next decade, with only a few candidates in the late stages of development. CIDRAP
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Uninsured Americans Won’t Be Able to Get Free COVID Shots from CDC This Fall
The CDC’s Bridge Access Program, which provides free updated Covid vaccines to uninsured adults, will end in August, according to the agency. The program was slated to end in December. The earlier termination results from Congressional cuts to Covid funds in the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024, which passed Congress in March, the CDC said. Politico
Novavax Gets a Lifeline with Sanofi Vaccine Pact
Sanofi will ally with the under-pressure biotech, paying $500 million upfront to gain rights to co-commercialize Novavax’s COVID shot and to develop combination influenza vaccines. BioPharma Drive
Nursing Homes Wield Pandemic Immunity Laws to Duck Wrongful Death Suits
In scores of lawsuits, family members allege that nursing homes failed to secure enough protective gear or tests for staffers or residents, haphazardly mixed covid-positive patients with other residents, failed to follow infection control protocols, and brazenly misled frightened families about the severity of covid outbreaks among patients and staff. Nursing homes defendants cite the federal Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act, which Congress passed in December 2005. The law grants liability protection from claims for deaths or injuries tied to vaccines or “medical countermeasures” taken to prevent or treat a disease during national emergencies. KFF Health News
COVID Still Deadlier Than the Flu — But the Gap is Narrowing
Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 were more likely to die than those hospitalized with influenza during the fall and winter of 2023-2024, according to an analysis of Veterans Affairs data. Among over 11,000 patients hospitalized for either illness during this past fall and winter, the risk of death in people hospitalized for COVID-19 was 35% higher. In the prior year’s study using the same database and methods, COVID was about 60% more deadly than the flu in patients hospitalized for the illnesses. MedPage Today
Recent Updates on Paxlovid’s Transition to Market & Why Access Matters
Even in settings like long-term care or skilled nursing facilities, which had a rate of COVID-19–related hospitalizations higher than any other population, only 18% of cases of COVID-19 in residents received treatment with an oral antiviral or monoclonal antibody. Bizarre patterns of clinical use have been observed in Medicare claims data, wherein the highest risk individuals receive the fewest prescriptions. The top reasons cited for Paxlovid underuse by Medicare patients are perceived or real cost barriers, poor reimbursement from commercial insurers that makes community pharmacies hesitant to stock medications, and concerns from patients and providers about drug-drug interactions and viral rebound phenomenon. IDSA
CDC Launching Wastewater Dashboard to Track Bird Flu Virus Spread
The CDC on Tuesday released data on influenza A found in wastewater in a public dashboard that could assist in tracking the outbreak of H5N1 bird flu that has infected cattle herds. Current wastewater monitoring methods detect influenza A viruses but do not determine the subtype. Wastewater testing cannot determine the source of the influenza A virus. It could come from a human or from an animal (like a bird) or an animal product. Reuters, CDC
Interventional Study of Nonpharmaceutical Measures to Prevent COVID-19 Aboard Cruise Ships
Cruise ships carrying COVID-19–vaccinated populations applied near-identical nonpharmaceutical measures during July–November 2021; passenger masking was not applied on 2 ships. Infection risk for masked passengers was 14.58 times lower than for unmasked passengers and 19.61 times lower than in the community. Emerging Infectious Diseases
HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS
Secrets, Soviets, and Sverdlovsk: Critiques of the BWC and Biosecurity in the 1970s and 1980s
The Biological Weapons Convention, initially ratified in 1975, banned the production and stockpiling of biological weapons; however, it has faced considerable modern criticism for being unenforceable and not strong enough to ensure states’ compliance. These modern critiques are based on the knowledge that the Soviet Union was in violation of the Convention, which was not confirmed until 1989. University of Mary Washington
SPECIAL INTEREST
Michael Koeris Tapped to Lead Biology Investments for this $4B Government Agency
Michael Koeris has been a key figure in the synthetic biology industry for a long time. He’s founded more than a handful of companies, exiting several, served as a portfolio executive for the RADx initiative of the NIH during the COVID pandemic, held an appointment as an Associate Professor of Bioprocessing at the Keck Graduate Institute and in venture capital as Senior Bio Advisor & Venture Partner to The Venture Collective. Now he embarks on perhaps the most exciting chapter in his storied career: the United States Defense Advanced Research Agency (DARPA) has announced Koeris’ appointment as the next Office Director of the Biotechnologies Office (BTO). SynBioBeta
New Web-Based Courses on Pandemic Planning, Mass Care
Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) has launched several new web-based courses on pandemic preparedness and response and mass care community sheltering and relocation assistance. NACCHO
Consortium of Universities for Global Health Call for New Committee Members
Individuals from CUGH member institutions are invited to apply to join one of several CUGH committees and subcommittees (Research, Global Health Operations, Advocacy & Communications, Academic Partnership Program Initiatives, Master’s and Undergraduate Degrees in Global Health, etc.) that are seeking new members to serve two-year terms. CUGH
ALSO READING
An updated framework for SARS-CoV-2 variants reflects the unpredictability of viral evolution. Nature Medicine
Global distribution and molecular evolution of bat coronaviruses. Zoonotic Diseases
Evaluating seasonal variations in human contact patterns and their impact on the transmission of respiratory infectious diseases. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses
The promise of new vaccines against respiratory viruses. American Academy of Pediatrics
Risk mapping of respiratory viral transmission and disease severity using individual and environmental health parameters. One Health
Potential for vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 within high-rise apartments: an epidemiologic investigation and airflow modelling study. SSRN
Dissecting pandemic-prone viral families: the Pneumoviridae. Center for Health Security
Split fluorescent protein-mediated multimerization of cell wall binding domain for highly sensitive and selective bacterial detection. New Biotechnology
A 70-year-old system could help us prepare a bird flu vaccine for humans. BBC