News highlights on health security threats and countermeasures curated by Global Biodefense
This week’s selections include National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program funding, the current state of nerve agent countermeasures, Lassa virus vaccine development, and bovine H5N1 studies.
POLICY + GOVERNMENT
New Biotech Platforms Offer Better Paths to Biosecurity
The U.S. government expects biotechnology to have “outsized importance over the coming decade” in the context of geopolitical competition. The growing interest in leveraging biotechnologies has stimulated an increasing focus on mitigating risks associated with intentional or accidental misuse of more powerful biotech tools. Conventional wisdom suggests that, as the tools of biotechnology become more powerful, mechanisms to mitigate risk could become increasingly limited. But it does not have to be that way. Technology can become both more powerful and more secure. ThinkGlobalHealth
USDA Awards $22.2 Million in Farm Bill Funding to Protect Animal Health
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is awarding more than $22.2 million to enhance prevention, preparedness, early detection, and rapid response to the most damaging diseases that threaten U.S. livestock. $16.2m will be distributed to 74 projects under the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP), which will help states develop and practice plans to quickly control disease outbreaks, train responders and producers to perform critical animal disease outbreak response activities, increase producer use of effective and practical biosecurity measures. U.S. Department of Agriculture
Shifting Patterns and Competing Explanations for Infectious Disease Priority in Global Health Agenda Setting Arenas
Priority levels set for high-burden infectious diseases are consistently misaligned with the disease burden or international development goals. The untracked status of hepatitis and to some degree NTDs (dengue) and waterborne diseases runs counter to international norms. Non-industry-funded clinical trials on HIV/AIDS show substantial priority over the other diseases—ratios range from 2.8 to 1 over second place hepatitis to much higher multiples for those at the bottom (28.6 to 64.3 over meningitis, dengue and measles). Health Policy and Planning
Pandemic Treaty Talks in Geneva Get One Final Push
Significant sticking points remain, among them Articles 11 and 12. Article 11 is on arrangements to transfer technology so that, during pandemics, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) can make necessary health products, such as vaccines, drugs and testing kits, without delay. Article 12 is a proposal for a system in which countries would promptly share samples and genomic sequences of pathogens with pandemic potential — setting in stone the way in which scientific knowledge was shared during the COVID-19 pandemic. In exchange for sharing such information during emergencies, LMICs would receive some pandemic-related products at no cost or at affordable prices when a pandemic is declared. The Telegraph, Nature
US Public Health Preparedness and Response to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Viruses
Challenges reported in monitoring exposed persons and differences in antiviral recommendations highlight the need to strengthen and standardize public health preparedness and response to HPAI A(H5N1) viruses in the US, particularly if additional animal-to-human A(H5N1) virus transmission events are reported. JAMA
Newsom Boosted California’s Public Health Budget During Covid. Now He Wants To Cut It.
The state’s chronically underfunded public health system lobbied Newsom hard in 2020 and 2021 to get more resources, and secured additional annual funding of $100 million for the state Department of Public Health and $200 million for the 61 local health departments that form the backbone of California’s public health system. Two years after the money started to flow, and facing a $45 billion statewide deficit, the second-term Democratic governor proposes to slash the funding entirely. “This is a huge step backwards,” said Kat DeBurgh, executive director of the Health Officers Association of California. “We can’t go back to where we were before the pandemic. That future looks very scary.” California Healthline
MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES
Third-Generation Smallpox Vaccines Induce Low-Level Cross-Protecting Neutralizing Antibodies Against Monkeypox Virus
Results indicate low-level cross-protecting neutralizing antibodies of people immunized with third-generation vaccines against MPXV and VACV over several years. In contrast, recipients of first-generation smallpox vaccines developed a higher concentration of neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) against these viruses but not higher concentrations of VACV-specific IgGs compared to immunization with third-generation vaccine. Heliyon
Organophosphorus Nerve Agents: Current Medical Countermeasures and Perspectives
The main problem faced to this day is the lack of efficiency of the current oxime-based antidotes on the market. They present weak BBB penetration, and none can satisfyingly treat a large spectrum of nerve agents. These limitations represent the starting point of the last decades’ research, and still, the more common antidote used by armed forces remains 2-PAM, an old treatment synthesized for the first time in 1955. Recent strategies to improve reactivation, BBB crossing or affinity for the inhibited enzyme have been explored with some success. The PSL strategy appears one of the most fruitful, at least in the early stages of development. But with the ultimate goal of providing an efficient, non-toxic and universal antidote for NA poisoning, a consensus of both the in vitro and in vivo evaluation methods of the novel reactivators is advisable to compare reactivators between research teams. The future of oximes could lie in AI predictions, provided that enough reactivation data is available to feed algorithms. Chemico-Biological Interactions
A Replicating RNA Vaccine Confers Protection in a Rhesus Macaque Model of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever
To date, only a DNA-based vaccine has been evaluated in non-human primates for CCHFV. CCHFV-specific immune responses after prime-only vaccination with the DNA vaccine were undetectable, suggesting multiple immunizations will be required for protection. Here CCHFV-specific humoral immunity after a single immunization was observed, suggesting this repRNA platform may provide protection after a single immunization. Boosting may still be warranted to confer optimal immunity with this repRNA vaccine. NPJ Vaccines
Novel BSL-2 Lassa Virus Reverse Genetics System Modeling the Complete Viral Life Cycle
Lassa virus (LASV), a risk-group 4 pathogen. Here researchers developed a novel LASV reverse genetics system to study the complete LASV life cycle under BSL-2 conditions. Emerging Microbes and Infections
An mRNA-LNP-Based Lassa Virus Vaccine Induces Protective Immunity in Mice
Two doses of mRNA-lipid nanoparticle-based vaccines expressing the LASV glycoprotein precursor (LASgpc) or nucleoprotein (LCMnp) of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), a mammarenavirus genetically closely related to LASV, conferred protection to recombinant LCMV-based surrogate mouse models of lethal LASV infection. Journal of Virology
Structural Basis of Human Mpox Viral DNA Replication Inhibition by Brincidofovir and Cidofovir
Brincidofovir and cidofovir are reported to have broad-spectrum antiviral activity against poxviruses, including mpox virus in animal models. This work provides the structural basis of DNA synthesis inhibition, providing a rational strategy for new therapeutical development for mpox virus and other pox viruses. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
BIOSECURITY + BIOPREPAREDNESS
EFFO-CoE to Improve the Clinical Management of High Consequence Infectious Diseases in Rwanda
The project EFFO-CoE is building Rwanda’s first high-level isolation unit (HLIU) to improve care for patients with high consequence infectious diseases like Ebola virus disease and Lassa fever. Once completed, the HLIU will have ten beds and be the first of its kind in East Africa. Following an initial in-person training course for staff, participants are attending several months of additional online training, culminating in a final in-person training unit in November 2024. To put training for HLIU staff on a sustainable footing, it is to be offered as an accredited short course at the University of Rwanda in the future. Global Health Protection Programme
Organoids, Biocybersecurity, and Cyberbiosecurity
Explores the potential of use of organoids for biocomputing and harnessing organoid intelligence, how these miniaturized organ-like structures promise to create novel computational models and processing platforms allowing for innovative approaches in drug discovery, personalized medicine, and disease prediction. In this rapidly evolving field, collaboration between cybersecurity experts and biologists across governments, industries, and community labs is essential in developing and implementing effective cyberbiosecurity strategies. Organioids
Kenya: MoH Receives Mobile Lab to Ease Healthcare Access in Rural Areas
The mobile laboratory, mounted on an all-terrain lorry, provides capacity to conduct a wide range of diagnostic tests, including those vital for outbreak investigations. The custom vehicle and equipment was donated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in partnership with the European Union (EU-IGAD). The Star
Today’s Threats, Tomorrow’s Health: A Discussion with CDC Leaders
Transcript from a 13 May discussion. “Today we wanted to talk a little bit about sort of a unifying strategy, unifying framework for CDC’s global health work and it really fits into the CDC director’s 2024 priorities of readiness and response, to really look at data infrastructure and modernization, lab quality and safety, and overall risk-based pathogen prioritization.” CSIS
SELECT AGENTS + PRIORITY PATHOGENS
Will Smallpox Virus Get Another Stay Of Execution? Does It Matter?
The World Health Assembly will consider on May 27, 2024, whether it is finally time to throw the switch and eliminate the remaining stocks (in the U.S. and Russia) of variola (smallpox) virus for good. The World Health Assembly in 1996 set a date for virus destruction, but in subsequent resolutions has given the virus repeated stays of execution to provide opportunities for research on the deadly virus to develop new countermeasures. There has been a decades-long debate on whether to eliminate the virus. Forbes
Serological Evidence of Zoonotic Filovirus Exposure Among Bushmeat Hunters in Guinea
To characterize filovirus zoonotic exposure, researchers collected cross-sectional serum samples from bushmeat hunters in an area of Guinea adjacent to the index site of the 2013 EBOV-Makona spillover event. Nature Communications
Development of a Měnglà Virus Minigenome and Comparison of its Polymerase Complexes Those of Other Filoviruses
This study utilized the optimized Měnglà virus (MLAV) minigenome system to assess the in vitro efficacy of remdesivir. Results showed that remdesivir has a similar inhibitory effect on MLAV and EBOV. This study demonstrates the usefulness of the MLAV minigenome system for future studies of MLAV transcription and replication mechanisms, as well as for antiviral drug screening. Virologica Sinica
Bioterrorism and Q Fever: The Threat
As part of its recent website overhaul, CDC has updated a number of select agent backgrounders. C. burnetii is highly infectious, in some cases it requires less than 10 bacteria to make you sick. Itis also extremely resistant to heat, drying, and many common disinfectants. Q fever was made a nationally notifiable disease in the United States in 1999. The number of Q fever cases reported to CDC increased, from 19 cases reported in 2000, to 173 cases reported in 2007. During 2008–2013 the number of reported cases decreased slightly, relative to 2007, returning to high levels in 2014. In 2019, 178 acute Q fever cases were reported, as well as 34 chronic Q fever cases. CDC
Notice of Withdrawal of Select Agent Regulatory Exclusion for Specified Strain of African Swine Fever Virus
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has withdrawn the select agent regulatory exclusion for African swine fever virus (ASFV) strain, ASFV-G-ΔI177L. Possession, use, and transfer of this strain must now comply with the select agent and toxin regulations. APHIS evaluated new information and determined that this strain, when adapted to cell lines other than that used for virus development, has the potential to pose a severe threat to animal health or animal products. APHIS
Epidemiology of Tularemia in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region
Tularemia is an endemic but neglected disease in the WHO-EMRO region, but most studies are limited to a few countries in this region. In this meta-analysis, the human seroprevalence of tularemia in WHO-EMRO countries was 6.2%. The pooled prevalence in environmental samples (water and soil) from the WHO-EMRO countries was 5.8%. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
AVIAN INFLUENZA
The Bird-Flu Host We Should Worry About: Pigs
As unnerving as H5N1’s current spread in cows might be, swine airways are evolutionary playgrounds where bird-loving flu viruses can convert—and have converted—into ones that prefer to infect us. Right now flu surveillance among swine needs to be dialed up. The Atlantic
To Probe Outbreak, BSL-3 Labs Plan to Infect Cows with Flu Virus
One goal of the research is to investigate how the virus spreads from cow to cow. The working theory is that infected lactating cows are spreading the virus to other cows during the milking process (as scientists have established the virus thrives in cow udders), but that’s based on circumstantial evidence. “The big question right now is whether the virus is mechanically transmitted or can be transmitted from cow to cow via aerosol as well.” Science, IDSA
RNA Extraction from Milk for HPAI Surveillance
This is an RNA extraction method that isolates HPAI RNA segments from commercially-available milk samples. The protocol involves processing with a MagMax RNA extraction kit on a Kingfisher instrument. Protocols.io
How Annual Bird Migration Could Spread Avian Flu
Interesting visualizations of migration patterns in North America in relation to the spread of avian influenza. Vast swaths of wetlands were converted for agricultural use in the early 1900s, reducing places migratory waterfowl can congregate. Drawn to the remaining wetlands, waterfowl can venture to nearby farms where they risk spreading avian flu via their contaminated saliva and feces. Reuters
Who is at Risk Amid the H5N1 Influenza Outbreak? Characteristics and Health Coverage of Animal Production Workers
In general, there is limited information available about the number of dairy farm workers and the working conditions, demographics and insurance status of those workers, especially at the state level. Estimates suggest that as of 2018, there were roughly 130,000 employees on U.S. dairy farms, a subset of whom come into direct contact with cattle and would be at risk for exposure. Previous studies indicate dairy farm workers typically receive poor health and safety training and often lack personal protective equipment. A USDA study found that, in 2015, over 40% of dairy farmer household members were uninsured, the highest rate among farm households nationwide. KFF
Updated Worker Protection and PPE Recommendations to Reduce Exposure to Novel Influenza A Viruses
This updated guidance identifies select occupational groups (farm workers, slaughterhouse workers, veterinary staff, backyard bird flock owners) that may be at increased risk of exposure to novel influenza A viruses. Recommendations for these groups may be updated as CDC learns more during this evolving situation. CDC
S. Africa’s Top Poultry Producer Flags Bird Flu Risk Amid Vaccine Delays
South Africa remains at risk of bird flu due to delays in the roll-out of a broad vaccination program. Last year, South Africa lost 9.5 million chickens, about a third of its national flock, during its worst outbreak of HPAI. The government has published guidelines for HPAI vaccination, but the poultry industry says the stringent biosecurity standards and monitoring protocols required are hindering vaccination efforts. The South African Poultry Association says no company has met the requirements, despite eagerness to comply. Reuters
Move Over, Wastewater. Store-Bought Milk Could Be Another Way to Track the Bird Flu Outbreak in Cows
Scientists from the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center have managed to generate a full genetic sequence of H5N1 virus from milk, a development they suggest means commercially purchased milk products could be used to monitor the progress of the bird flu outbreak in dairy cattle and to check for important changes in the virus over time. With dairy farmers still reluctant to allow testing of their cattle, analyzing store-bought milk could provide a work-around. STAT
CHEMICAL + RADIOLOGICAL THREATS
Internal Contamination Rapid Screening Methods for Radiation Emergency
This study developed methodologies for rapid screening and analysis of numerous biological samples following a radiation accident. Smear screening, gross alpha screening, and gross beta screening methodologies are expected to be effective methods for screening internal contamination quickly, but unsuitable for precise analysis. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry
Nitrogen Mustard Exposure Induces Persistent Fibrosis, Inflammation, and Psoriatic-Lesions
Exposure to mustard vesicating, or blister, agents can lead to severe and acute long-term injuries such as blistering, systemic toxicity, secondary infections, and chronic inflammation. Sulfur mustard exposure has caused long-lasting cutaneous and respiratory complications in Iranian veterans of the Iran-Iraq War and may be a contributing factor in the development of Gulf War Illness in veterans of the Gulf War. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
SURVEILLANCE + DETECTION
Indoor Air Sampling for Detection of Viral Nucleic Acids
Challenges remain in optimizing sampling efficiency, particularly for submicrometer particles, and in recovering sufficient viral nucleic acids for analysis. Potential strategies for pathogen biosurveillance include active air sampling in high-traffic settings such as airports, public transit systems, and healthcare facilities, as well as passive collection of settled dust from surfaces. The use of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems for viral bioaerosol monitoring is also promising, but further research is needed to establish its effectiveness. SSRN
Visual Detection of Nerve and Blood Agents Using a Dual-Site Fluorescent Probe
Here researchers developed three fluorescent probes, SR-Pip, SR-Ohp and SR-Dea, for nerve and blood agents. All of these probes are capable of discriminative detection of real nerve and blood agents using different emission channels with one excitation wavelength. Among these probes, SR-Pip exhibited a rapid response (within 10 s for nerve agents and 1 min for blood agents) and high sensitivity [limit of detection (LOD) of 5.5 μM and 9.6 nM, respectively]. The probe was also used to visualise nerve and blood agents in living cells and mice. Journal of Hazardous Materials
Isolation, Serological and Molecular Methods in Screening of Burkholderia Mallei
Given the prevalence of glanders in Iran and the possibility and risks of transmission of B. mallei between solipeds and humans, the use of serological complement methods for rapid and accurate diagnosis of diseases in animals, particularly horses, is especially important. This study was aimed at serological and molecular identification and isolation of B. mallei in East Azerbaijan province, Iran. Veterinary Research Forum
Terbium Phenanthroline Complex as a Luminescent Probe for the Detection of Anthrax Biomarker: Dipicolinic Acid
Bacillus anthracis bacterial endospores is composed of Dipicolinic acid (DPA) as the significant component. The developed probe shows good sensitivity towards the detection of DPA with other coexisting biomolecules and ions with a low Limit of Detection (LOD) of 5.029 µM. Journal of Fluorescence
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Detection of Encephalitis-Causing Viruses Reveals Predominance of Chikungunya Virus in the State of Bahia, Brazil
Encephalitis is a severe neurological syndrome for which herpesvirus and enteroviruses are the most common etiological agents. Arboviruses, a wildly diverse group of pathogens, are also a critical epidemiological agents associated with encephalitis. This study reinforces previous evidence that chikungunya represents a significant cause of encephalitis during CHIKV outbreaks and epidemics, and add to existing information on the epidemiology of encephalitis in Brazil. International Journal of Infectious Diseases
NIH Study Shows Chronic Wasting Disease Unlikely to Move From Animals to People
A new study of prion diseases, using a human cerebral organoid model, suggests there is a substantial species barrier preventing transmission of chronic wasting disease (CWD) from cervids—deer, elk and moose—to people. The findings are consistent with decades of similar research in animal models at the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). National Institutes of Health
Measles in Afghanistan: Situation Report
Since the beginning of 2024, a total of 23,447 suspected measles cases and 105 deaths (CFR=0.4%) were reported in Afghanistan. Among suspected measles cases, 18,884 (80.5%) were under-five children, and 10,613 (45.3%) were females. The 5 deaths were reported from 4 different provinces: all deaths were under-five children. WHO
Leveraging Peptide-Based Immunogens and Advanced Nanoparticles for Next-Gen Dengue Vaccines
Chemical modification strategies of peptides have revolutionized their design, allowing for the incorporation of multi-epitope presentation, self-adjuvanting features, and self-assembling properties. These modifications enhance the antigenicity of the peptides, leading to improved vaccine efficacy. This review outlines advancements in peptide-based dengue vaccine development, leveraging nanoparticles as antigen-displaying platforms. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Measles Outbreak Associated with a Migrant Shelter — Chicago, Illinois, February–May 2024
Fifty-seven measles cases were associated with residence in or contact with persons in a migrant shelter in Chicago, Illinois. Most cases occurred in unvaccinated persons. A prompt and coordinated response with a high-coverage mass vaccination campaign reduced the size and duration of the outbreak. Emerging Infectious Diseases
UK Inquiry Finds Cover-Up of NHS Infected Blood Scandal
An infected blood scandal in Britain was no accident but the fault of doctors and a succession of governments that led to 3,000 deaths and thousands more contracting hepatitis or HIV, a public inquiry reported on Monday. Patients were knowingly exposed to unacceptable risks of infection, and deliberate attempts were made to conceal the disaster, including by Whitehall officials destroying documents. France 24, The Guardian
ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE CRISIS
Candida auris Outbreaks: Current Status and Future Perspectives
C. auris infections are reported in the bloodstream and less commonly in the cerebrospinal fluid and abdomen, with mortality rates that range between 30% and 72%. Diagnosis can be challenging, impeding the early detection of outbreaks and the implementation of appropriate control measures. The number of reported cases in the US increased from 476 in 2019 to 1471 in 2021. Microorganisms
Humans vs. Fungi: An Overview of Fungal Pathogens Against Humans
Over recent decades, the reported cases of invasive fungal infections have increased substantially. This review provides a comprehensive list of human fungal pathogens extracted from over 850 recent case reports, and a summary of the relevant disease conditions and their origins. Despite the many antifungal drugs available to date, new therapeutic approaches are urgently needed due to emerging fungal pathogens and increasing antifungal drug resistance. Pathogens
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
A High-Throughput Response to the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic
A summary of how the development of high-throughput screening methods in a BSL-3 environment at Southern Research Institute contributed to pandemic response efforts. HTS in an biocontainment lab with highly experienced staff still brings numerous challenges: much of the automation equipment in common use for screening cannot be used in the BSL-3 due to space constraints; any equipment that creates an aerosol needs to be located in a biosafety cabinet or Bio-Bubble; and most equipment needs to be decontaminated and taken out of the BSL-3 for service or maintenance. SLAS Discovery
Evaluating the Public Health Utility of Wastewater-Based Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Scotland
The system has flexibility in the sampling design and may be adaptable with evolving epidemiological needs. Challenges remain, however, in establishing an optimal sampling design, with sufficient statistical power to deliver the objectives of the programme whilst maintaining cost-effectiveness, particularly with respect to monitoring SARS-CoV-2 variants. Public Health Scotland
Development of a Long Noncoding RNA-Based Machine Learning Model to Predict COVID-19 In-Hospital Mortality
Tools for predicting COVID-19 outcomes enable personalized healthcare, potentially easing the disease burden. This collaborative study by 15 institutions across Europe aimed to develop a machine learning model for predicting the risk of in-hospital mortality post-SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nature Communications
HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS
Instances of Biowarfare in World War I (1914–1918)
During World War I, Germany implemented a pioneering biowarfare program as part of a broader military strategy to undermine Allied forces by targeting their logistical and supply capabilities. This initiative, unprecedented in its systematic and strategic application, utilized a variety of pathogens, primarily targeting animal populations, to disrupt support systems without contravening international laws, specifically the 1907 Hague Convention. Cureus
SPECIAL INTEREST
Conversation Starters: Careers in Cyberbiosecurity
Today’s agricultural industry is becoming ever more reliant on Internet of Things (IoT) technologies leading to potential vulnerabilities through agritech devices. Cyberbiosecurity is an emerging field. The wide network of connected sensors that characterizes IoT systems are ideal for farming as they can alleviate the time-heavy monitoring aspect of the industry through devices that can measure weather, water levels, and soil properties. But the new tech devices come with the challenge of defending against cyber-based attacks. NIST
King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin to Retire This Year
Duchin, who grew up on the Jersey Shore, arrived at King County’s public health department in 1994 as a medical epidemiologist for the CDC, set to focus on the county’s tuberculosis program. From there, he later studied HIV/AIDS before moving into a role as the department’s chief of communicable disease epidemiology and immunization, where he stayed for 17 years. In 2015, he became King County’s health officer. Seattle Times
Meghan Donaldson Selected for the CEEZAD BSL-3 Summer Program
First-year graduate student, Meghan Donaldson, has been selected for the Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases (CEEZAD) BSL-3 Summer Training Program at Kansas State University, sponsored by the USDA. PSU Jose Laboratory
The Disease Detectives Trying to Keep the World Safe From Bird Flu
The effectiveness of Cambodia’s surveillance system can be credited in part to one man, Dr. Ly Sovann, a kinetic, apparently unsleeping tropical medicine specialist who runs the Cambodian Center for Disease Control. “I have two phones, four SIM cards, so I never lose the network anywhere in the country, and people can always reach me. I tell everyone: Text me! Don’t call me! Too many calls! But text me. You see something, you see an unusual respiratory disease, you see a cluster of diarrhea cases — you text me. Because one, two hours, one day, it can make a big difference.” New York Times
IFBA Launches “Biorisk Adventure” – An Online Risk Assessment Game
Through real-life scenarios set in several geographical locations, players use their judgement in selecting available risk mitigation measures depending on the nature of the pathogen and laboratory activities, local geographic conditions, and available resources. International Federation of Biosafety Associations
ALSO READING
How Canada plans to enhance efforts to keep African Swine Fever out. Pork Business
Role of miRNAs in the Chikungunya virus replication and pathogenesis. Frontiers in Virology
Harmonising the measurement of neutralising antibodies against chikungunya virus: a path forward for licensing of new vaccines? The Lancet Microbe
Comparing social responses to Ebola and Covid-19 in Sierra Leone: an institutional analysis. Journal of Biosocial Science
Investigation of three different UV-C irradiation schemes for bacterial decontamination of FFP2 masks to make them reusable. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
Importance of investing time and money in integrating large language model-based agents into outbreak analytics pipelines. The Lancet Microbe
Implementation of a biosafety software pop-up after two Brucella laboratory exposures. Microbial Risk Analysis
Risk assessment of a highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus from mink. Nature Communications
US halts funding to controversial virus-hunting group: what researchers think. Nature
Antibodies to Influenza A(H5N1) Virus in Hunting Dogs Retrieving Wild Fowl, Washington, USA. Emerging Infectious Diseases