News highlights on health security threats and countermeasures curated by Global Biodefense
This week’s selections include Lassa fever research priorities, securing commercial nucleic acid synthesis, plague in Colorado, and characterization of avian influenza virus in retail dairy products in the U.S.
POLICY + GOVERNMENT
How the Supreme Court Has Roiled U.S. Health-Care Agencies
Recent Supreme Court decisions curbing the power of federal agencies will hobble government efforts to protect public health, legal experts warn. An onslaught of litigation is now expected that will complicate the regulation of drugs and cutting-edge medical technologies. The administration of government health insurance programs could be further mired in lawsuits. And decades-old agency decisions may be newly vulnerable to challenges. Washington Post
Plans for U.S. Bat Lab Spark Outbreak Fears
Colorado State University (CSU) is building an unprecedented resource for scientists: a facility housing two bat species that are natural reservoirs of coronaviruses and other viruses that could trip off a pandemic. Funded by the CSU and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nascent vivarium, slated to open in February 2025, will provide live bats and their tissue to high–biosafety-level (BSL) labs at CSU and around the country. But in the wake of the pandemic, the political environment around bat research is tense. The facility has faced opposition and road blocks. Science
House Committee Passes HHS Appropriations Bill For FY 2025
The bill would provide $107 billion for HHS, 7% less than the FY 2024 enacted level. Specific funding levels above/below FY 2024 include: $48.6 billion for the National Institutes of Health, level funding from FY 2024; $185 million for the Hospital Preparedness Program, a $120 million cut; $7.4 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a cut of $1.8 billion including level funding for public health workforce initiatives; and $7.6 billion for the Health Resources and Services Administration, a cut of $1.5 billion including a cut of $18 million for nursing workforce development. American Hospital Association
The COVID Pandemic Spurred a Revision of US Pathogen Research Rules. Will It Help?
The US government issued a long-awaited policy update in May intended to better manage the hazards associated with risky biological research. While the policy is commendable in addressing transparency and emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, as well as for expanding the scope of oversight, it falls short in several other areas. These include ambiguous terminology, vague training and communication guidelines, and nebulous compliance mechanisms for international collaboration. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Opinion: America’s International Public Health Plan is Too Focused on Americans
The US government has approached global health security with too much of a traditional national security approach, focusing more on keeping foreign threats out of the US than quelling all threats globally. As such, US government agencies continually fail to understand or address local needs or to develop true partnerships with foreign governments, instead dictating how “partners” in foreign countries should build health security capacity with little to no local buy-in. Vox
MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES
Lassa Fever Research Priorities: Towards Effective Medical Countermeasures by the End of the Decade
This review provides current research priorities based on recent research and consensus opinion of 20 subject matter experts with broad experience in public health or the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines for Lassa fever. These priorities provide an important framework to ensure that Lassa fever medical countermeasures are developed and readily available for use in endemic and at-risk areas by the end of the decade. The Lancet Infectious Diseases
The US Will Pay Moderna $176 Million to Develop an mRNA Pandemic Flu Vaccine
Moderna already has a bird flu vaccine in very early-stage testing that uses the same mRNA technology that allowed rapid development and rollout of vaccines to protect against COVID-19. The new funds from BARDA include continued development of the vaccine, including a late-stage trial next year if those early study results are positive. But the project can be quicky redirected to target another form of influenza if a different threat than the H5N1 form of bird flu emerges. AP, BBC
Cedar Virus Biology and Its Applications as a Surrogate for Highly Pathogenic Henipaviruses
Both Nipah Virus (NiV) and Hendra Virus (HeV) are classified as BSL-4 restricted pathogens and remain the only henipaviruses within the genus known to cause systemic, severe respiratory and encephalitic henipaviral disease, and represent substantial transboundary threats. The discovery of Cedar virus (CedV), the only recognized non-pathogenic henipavirus, has provided a number of unique opportunities to study henipavirus and host interactions and also facilitate countermeasure development research at lower BSL-2 containment. Cell Insight
Allucent Selected For New BARDA Decentralized Trial Initiative For Pandemic Preparedness
Contract research organization Allucent has been chosen as a partner for the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority’s new five-year program that aims to scale up the capacity for decentralized clinical trials in preparation for future pandemics. The Decentralized Clinical Operations for Healthcare and Research initiative (D-COHRe) aims to address some of the obstacles to conducting clinical trials during an on-going public health emergency. Recruiting, enrolling and retaining patients outside the hospital was difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new initiative will take advantage of the move toward remote care and decentralized models to close those gaps in preparation for the next crisis. Fierce Biotech
BIOSECURITY + BIOPREPAREDNESS
Engaging Communities in Emerging Infectious Disease Mitigation to Improve Public Health and Safety
Understanding underlying perceptions of social and health-related behaviors of community members is vital for mitigating disease spread during a pandemic, especially before vaccine availability and as variants emerge. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many communities over time exhibited reduced tolerance and growing resentment toward external controls and enforcement of behavioral guidelines by authorities (35). Given the diminishing returns of such formal enforcements over time, enlisting local communities and their leaders to create climates that encourage residents to voluntarily take health-safety actions is critical. Emerging Infectious Diseases
Local Health Departments Work to Improve Data Readiness
A data modernization project involving two pilot sites—City of Long Beach Health and Human Services and Northern Kentucky Independent District Health Department. This initiative is designed to facilitate rapid access to actionable data concerning medical countermeasures and other critical public health supplies during emergencies. NACCHO
Securing Commercial Nucleic Acid Synthesis
This report describes the current state of commercial gene synthesis screening and outlines recommendations to determine whether an order is suspicious, identify suspicious orders split across providers, and relay flagged information to law enforcement. RAND
The US Primary-Care System Can’t Withstand the Next Pandemic, Some Believe
Once-reliable sources of funding have lapsed amid partisan theatrics. The health-care workforce, after four years of intermittent crisis, appears depleted and demoralized. To its credit, Congress managed to pass pandemic preparedness legislation in 2022. But absent adequate appropriations, many of its far-reaching ambitions—from strengthening the pharmaceutical supply chain to modernizing data collection—will remain unrealized. Medical Xpress
SELECT AGENTS + PRIORITY PATHOGENS
What to Know About the Plague After a Suspected Human Case in Colorado
A rare case of plague is being investigated in Pueblo County by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment after preliminary test results. An average of seven human plague cases are reported each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with most cases occurring in the West, especially in northern New Mexico and in Arizona. Washington Post, Pueblo Department of Public Health & Environment
Biosecurity Risk Assessment for the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Synthetic Biology
AI’s role in enhancing research capabilities—from gene editing to protein design—is significant, expediting scientific discovery and optimizing solutions. However, this technological leap also brings substantial biosecurity risks, such as the potential misuse of AI to engineer harmful biological agents or infringe upon data security. This article proposes a specialized biosecurity risk assessment process designed to evaluate the incorporation of AI in synthetic biology. Applied Biosafety
Aerosol Risk Assessment and Optimization of Biosafety Level 4 Laboratory Based on Aerosol Infection Risk Zoning Analysis
Through an in-depth investigation of aerosol dispersion within BSL-4 laboratories, the impact of different airflow organization patterns on aerosol infection risk is explored. The research findings indicate that employing an upper supply and lower discharge on opposite sides can quickly remove 82.4% of aerosol particles, effectively protecting laboratory personnel from infection compared to other methods. SSRN
How Does Total Tau Contribute to Diagnosis of Prion Diseases?
Meta-analysis of biomarker t-tau towards diagnosis, classification and prognosis of prion strains. The results showed that t-tau has a mean sensitivity of 83.5% and mean specificity of 86.1%; the subgroups range around similar values with t-tau performing best in the non-CJD subgroup. T-tau generally showed high sensitivity and specificity in differentiating sCJD from other neurodegenerative diseases, but an increased accuracy can be achieved by combining biomarkers. Further research addressing the classification and prognosis of prion strains with t-tau is needed. University of Skövde
AVIAN INFLUENZA
Characterization of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus in Retail Dairy Products in the US
Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) infections in US dairy cattle were first confirmed in March 2024. Because the virus could be detected in raw milk, a study was conducted to determine whether it had entered the retail food supply. Pasteurized dairy products were collected from 17 states in April 2024. Viral RNA was detected in one in five samples, but infectious virus was not detected. This provides a snapshot of HPAIV in milk products early in the event and reinforces that with current safety measures, infectious viruses in milk are unlikely to enter the food supply. Journal of Virology
H5N1 Passes from Cattle to Cats Fed Infected Raw Milk
Dairy cattle are susceptible to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus and can shed virus in milk, according to findings from a study conducted at the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. The study also found that the unpasteurized milk from these cows may potentially allow for transmission to other animals, such as cats who drink the milk). Approximately 50% of the domestic cats that lived on the farm premises and were fed raw colostrum and milk from affected cows died. IDSE
As Bird Flu Spreads on Dairy Farms, an ‘Abysmal’ Few Workers are Tested
Immigrants make up 51% of daily labor at dairy farms, and farms that employ immigrants produce 79% of the nation’s milk supply. “Dairies are in rural areas, very isolated geographically. You’re not going to get all these workers in one place to be able to do any kind of surveying or testing. It is a matter of really trying to go to where the workers are.” Stateline
CEPI Steps Up H5N1 Preparedness as Outbreak in Cattle Persists
The organization is coordinating with pandemic preparedness partners and exploring potential H5N1 vaccine development using computer-assisted design of H5N1 immunogens—substances that trigger an immune response—and looking at the potential role of mRNA. Each of these approaches has the potential to produce a vaccine that is better or can be manufactured faster than the traditional approach of making flu shots by growing virus in eggs and cells. If human case numbers remain low and the work of CEPI partners engage in isn’t necessarily needed right now, “the data and knowledge generated will still be incredibly important to help improve understanding of H5N1 and other highly pathogenic flu viruses.” CEPI
Animal Experiments Shed More Light on Behavior of H5N1 From Dairy Cows
In scientific experiments designed to assess the threat from H5N1 avian flu in the milk of infected cows, researchers reported that the virus can bind to both avian and human-type cell receptors but doesn’t easily spread through respiratory routes. CIDRAP, STAT, Nature
A Bird-Flu Pandemic in People? Here’s What It Might Look Like.
The federal stockpile holds four types of flu antivirals, but the drugs must be taken within 48 hours of symptom onset to be effective. One recent review found too little evidence to gauge the effectiveness of three of the four drugs, including the commonly used oseltamivir, sold as Tamiflu. Some new versions of H5N1 have mutations that make the virus resistant to oseltamivir and to the other two drugs, but those changes, fortunately, have not been widely transmitted in animal populations. No mutations have been observed against the fourth drug, baloxavir. But there are only a few hundred thousand doses of that drug in the stockpile. Vaccines are a better bet to stem a pandemic, but enough doses are not likely to be available for many months, at the least. New York Times
CHEMICAL + RADIOLOGICAL THREATS
Repurposing FDA-Approved Drugs to Treat Chemical Weapon Toxicities: Interactive Case Studies for Trainees
Students participated in a session that included an overview of chemical weapon toxicities, (a primer on pharmacology principles, and an interactive session where groups of students were provided lists of FDA-approved drugs to evaluate potential mechanisms of action and suitability as countermeasures for four chemical weapon case scenarios. These findings demonstrated that an interactive training exercise can provide students with new insights into drug development for chemical threat agent toxicities. Pharmacology Research and Perspectives
Baseline Physiological Data from VX Intoxication Swine Model
Over the past fifty years, swine models have been used for organophosphorus intoxication studies. Among these studies and others on the swine model in general, some physiological data, especially cholinesterase activity highly impacted by organophosphorus compounds like nerve agent VX, still need to be completed. The data generated in this OPNA intoxication swine model contributes to development of new therapeutic strategies. Toxicology Letters
Evaluation of the SERS Performances of Tabun and VX Label-Free Detection in Complex Matrices
Two nerve agents, Tabun and VX, were diluted in two matrix models: a contact lens solution, and a caffeine-based eye serum. The performance of two research-grade instruments and two portable devices were compared. Heliyon
Chloropicrin and Its Alleged Use in the Ukrainian War (Part 3)
The third installment of a four-part series reviewing the allegations of Russian chemical weapon (CW) use in the Ukrainian war from its start in 2014-present. At the meeting of the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in March 2024, the Ukrainian delegate reported 1,060 incidents since the Russian invasion in February 2022. The Trench
HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS
What It’s Like to Survive Measles
Many people who survived measles as children — before a vaccine existed — never forgot how sick they were. They wanted to share their stories so others could understand what it was like to have measles and its long-term consequences. Washington Post
Dengue: A Virus by Any Other Name – Why Scientists are Renaming Viruses
Some viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) have historically earned their names due due to the symptoms they cause. Chikungunya – a debilitating mosquito-borne virus that causes fever and severe joint pains – can be translated to “that which bends up” from Kimakonde, the local language from the part of Tanzania in East Africa where the disease was first recognized. Its name refers to the painful posture that many patients infected with the virus adopt. BBC
SPECIAL INTEREST
CSR Announces 2024-25 Class of its Fellowship for Ending Bioweapons Programs
CSR this week announced the newest class of its Fellowship for Ending Bioweapons Programs. The selectees will explore wide-ranging ideas across sectors for addressing the rapidly evolving space of biological threats. Council on Strategic Risks
SIPRI Delivers Intensive Online Course on Chemical and Biological Weapons
Participants in the 4-day course learned about the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons, efforts to eliminate them, and the various mechanisms used to control their spread, as well as endeavours to reduce the risk of chemical or biological agents in terrorist attacks. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
ALSO READING
2023 Biorisks, Biosecurity and Biological Disarmament Conference Report. UNIDR
Brief insights into mRNA Vaccines: Their successful production and nanoformulation for effective response against COVID-19 and their potential success for influenza A and B. Pathogens
How an anti-hero of the immune system protects from malaria. BugBitten
Epidemic outcomes following government responses to COVID-19: Insights from nearly 100,000 models. Science Advances
Enhancing gene synthesis security: An updated framework for synthetic nucleic acid screening and the responsible use of synthetic biological materials. Applied Biosafety
Addressing poxvirus challenges in the Middle East to enhance biosafety and biosecurity measures. Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity
Six adenoviral vectored African swine fever virus genes protect against fatal disease caused by genotype I challenge. Journal of Virology
Using real-time modelling to inform the 2017 Ebola outbreak response in DR Congo. Nature Communications