This week’s selections include an update on the human H5 influenza case in Missouri, the challenge of incentivizing pharma companies to develop medical countermeasures, building the infrastructure to investigate early syndromic clusters, and a fatal Nipah virus case in Kerala.
FEATURED
Missouri H5 Case Update
Missouri continues to lead the investigation into the H5 case reported last week with technical assistance from CDC in Atlanta. The case was in a person who was hospitalized as a result of significant underlying medical conditions. They presented with chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and weakness. The person was not severely ill, nor were they in the intensive care unit. They were treated with influenza antiviral medications, subsequently discharged, and have since recovered. One household contact of the patient became ill with similar symptoms on the same day as the case, was not tested, and has since recovered. The simultaneous development of symptoms does not support person-to-person spread but suggests a common exposure. Also shared by Missouri, subsequently, a second close contact of the case – a health care worker – developed mild symptoms and tested negative for flu. CDC, STAT, CIDRAP
Big Pharma Lacks Motive to Prep for New Pandemics
The stability favored by shareholders is largely reserved for vaccines where there will be steady demand, like flu shots. Mpox, as it happens, offers a live example of this. Denmark’s $3.1 billion Bavarian Nordic, which makes a vaccine for the condition, has seen its shares jump by over 50% since the beginning of the year versus a 15% rise for the S&P Pharmaceuticals Select Industry Index. Before that, investors gave the company little credit for having an effective treatment for a deadly disease. Last year, the Copenhagen-based business traded on just 2 times sales, whereas it now trades at over 4 times. The post-Covid fates of stars like Pfizer and Moderna tell a similarly volatile story. Over the last three years Pfizer shares have fallen 40%, while Moderna’s are off 80%. CEOs have little cause to make big vaccine punts if the valuation sugar-rush is so brief. Reuters
Thinking Beyond Pathogen Surveillance: Building Resilient Biotech Ecosystems to Combat the Next Pandemic
“We view pathogen surveillance initiatives as the important first step of any public health intervention as the information garnered can be used to tailor subsequent containment strategies. However, any subsequent interventions rely heavily on supporting healthcare and biomanufacturing infrastructure to investigate the cause of syndromic clusters (such as acute flaccid paralysis, hemorrhagic fever, or pneumonia of unknown etiology) and develop diagnostic tests and countermeasures to contain them before they evolve into epidemics and pandemics.” Frontiers in Science
POLICY + GOVERNMENT
House Bill Presumes Senate Treaty Role and Undermines Presidential Discretion
It’s not every day that one house of Congress initiates legislation that tells the other house what its job should be. But that’s exactly what the House bill, No WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty Without Senate Approval Act, does. The legislation, which last week cleared by the Rules Committee, would prohibit U.S. acceptance of a WHO pandemic accord unless approved as a treaty by a two-thirds vote of the Senate. The Hill
Signs of Progress on Strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention
Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, the latest Working Group was characterized by considerable engagement from all States Parties. Echoing the predominantly constructive sentiment, the work done by the friends of the chair prior to the Working Group provided a strong basis for discussion, especially with non-papers offered to shape dialogue on Article VII, science and technology and international cooperation and assistance (ICA). Council on Strategic Risks
A New Era for Russian Foreign Policy on Global Health
The pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and sanctions by Western governments have prompted Russia to change its foreign policy and use global health to seek new partners, competing for influence against the United States and its allies in low- or middle-income countries (LMICs). Think Global Health
DoD Releases 12 Awards for Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program
Through these agreements, companies will receive funding to produce business and technical plans that detail construction of domestic bioindustrial manufacturing production facilities. The 12 additional awards to bioindustrial firms via the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program (DBIMP) brings the DBIMP to 25 awards to date totaling $42 million. Department of Defense
Senate Holds Hearing on Bankruptcy of Steward Health Care as CEO Refuses to Appear
Members of a Senate committee looking into the Steward Health Care bankruptcy (and subsequent sell-off of 31 U.S. hospitals) said they plan to adopt two resolutions next week to hold Steward CEO Ralph de la Torre in contempt — one for civil enforcement and another for certification to the United States Attorney for criminal contempt — after he refused to attend a U.S. Senate hearing Thursday despite being issued a subpoena. Officials have criticized Steward’s management and its former private equity owners for making short-sighted financial decisions that undermined patients’ care. Massachusetts officials in particular criticized a series of transactions that sold off the company’s real estate and saddled it with long-term rent costs at its hospitals. WBUR, PBS
Government Funding Ends for Critical Pathogen Research Database
The scientific community was shocked by the recent announcement that the NIAID contract supporting VEuPathDB would expire on 14 Sep. This surprising decision would seriously hinder scientific advancement, especially in the study of eukaryotic pathogens. Trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, malaria, and various fungal infections are caused by eukaryotic pathogens. Research on these pathogens would be severely hampered by the loss of VEuPathDB, slowing the development of novel and critical medications, vaccines, and diagnostic solutions. Following outcry from the scientific community, non-profit donors stepped up with funding to bring the VEuPathDB resource back online within a couple of weeks. The Lancet Microbe
MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES
Into the Unknown: How Quickly Can Vaccines Be Developed for Disease X
R&D frameworks are in place for the next pandemic-causing pathogen, but ways to derisk development are unclear. The average cost of successfully advancing at least one epidemic infectious disease vaccine through to the end of a Phase IIa trial from preclinical work is estimated to be around $319m–$469m. Certain modalities, such as mRNA vaccines are even more expensive in the R&D phase. Significant challenges remain in ongoing efforts to improve equitable access to countermeasures without stalling innovation and incentives. “If pharmaceutical companies have no way to make a return on investment because their intellectual property has been appropriated, they won’t make them. Infectious disease countermeasures in general are not very attractive, and pandemic countermeasures even less so.” Pharmaceutical Technology
Battelle Awarded U.S. Department of Defense Contract to Develop an Improved Nerve Agent Countermeasure
Battelle and subcontractor CMC Pharmaceuticals have been awarded a contract by JPEO-CBRND to develop an improved nerve agent countermeasure. The program aims to develop the Reactivating Nerve Agent Treatment System (RNATS), an improved reactivator in a vial, a compound and delivery system to counteract the effects of nerve agents by ‘reactivating’ the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme. Battelle
WHO and Partners Establish an Access and Allocation Mechanism for Mpox Vaccines, Treatments, Tests
The Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM) will increase access to mpox medical countermeasures including vaccines, treatments and diagnostic tests for people at highest risk. The AAM was established as a part of the interim Medical Countermeasures Network (i-MCM-Net). Over 3.6 million doses of vaccines have been pledged for the mpox response. This includes 620 000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine pledged to affected countries by the European Commission, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Spain, and the United States of America, as well as vaccine manufacturer Bavarian Nordic. Japan has pledged 3 million doses of the LC16 vaccine, the largest number of doses pledged so far. World Health Organization
Rapid Decline of Mpox Antibody Responses Following MVA-BN Vaccination
This observational study of 45 adults who received the MVA-BN (Jynneos) vaccine mpox serum antibody responses largely waned after 6-12 months. Serum antibody titers following vaccination have been shown to correlate with protection against mpox challenge in nonhuman primates, whereas CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses did not correlate with protection, suggesting the potential relevance of serum antibody titers following MVA-BN vaccination in humans. Protective immunity may be waning in individuals who were vaccinated with MVA-BN in 2022, and boosting may be required to maintain robust levels of protective immunity. MedRxiv (pre-print)
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Inhibits Multiple Priority Toxins
The identification of α1AT as an inhibitor of multiple clinically relevant toxins, including Clostridium botulinum C2 toxin, diphtheria toxin, anthrax toxin, and Bordetella pertussis toxin highlights its potential for broad-spectrum anti-toxin therapy. Scientific Reports
Long-Term Cellular Immunity of Vaccines for Zaire Ebola Virus Diseases
A five-year follow-up of the PREVAC randomized trial, evaluating the long-term memory T-cell responses induced by three vaccine regimens: Ad26–MVA, rVSV, and rVSV–booster. Findings can guide booster vaccination recommendations and help identify populations likely to benefit from revaccination. Nature Communications
Tecovirimat Use under Expanded Access to Treat Mpox in the United States, 2022–2023
This study evaluated data from 7181 patients in the U.S. prescribed the antiviral drug tecovirimat from May 29, 2022, through July 10, 2023 during the ongoing outbreak of clade II monkeypox virus (MPXV). Many patients with severe immunocompromise (e.g., HIV with CD4 counts <200 cells/μl) received multiple courses of tecovirimat, including intravenously, and often experienced poor outcomes (35.3%). Overall, 223 serious adverse events (SAEs) and 40 deaths were reported. Most SAEs were among patients who were severely immunocompromised. NEJM Evidence
BIOSECURITY + BIOPREPAREDNESS
Global Clinical Networking to Optimize the Clinical Management of High-Consequence Infectious Diseases
Funding challenges, as well as the infrequent nature of high-consequence infectious disease (HCID) incidents and high-level isolation units (HLIUs) activations, creates limited opportunities to advance the field of high-level isolation. Furthermore, tabletop exercises have shown that existing HLIU capacities in many countries would be insufficient in the event of an HCID outbreak requiring surge capacities. Innovative approaches to addressing these and other challenges are emerging through global collaboration and research. Health Security
NBAF Selected to Oversee Viral Swine Diseases
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, located in Manhattan, Kansas, has been chosen as the Collaborating Centre for Genomic Monitoring of Viral Swine Diseases. “The collaborating center provides support and training to WOAH member laboratories to understand a virus’s genome, or entire set of DNA code,” according to a statement from USDA. “By understanding the genome, scientists can better understand and potentially mitigate how a virus causes disease outbreaks in swine, particularly from African swine fever virus, classical swine fever virus, Japanese encephalitis virus and Nipah virus.” High Plains Journal, The Mercury
Reusable Health Care Textiles for Use in Personal Protective Equipment
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed gaps in the ability of health care systems to ensure HCWs have adequate access to PPE during times of surge in demand, placing both HCWs and patients at risk. This new report encapsulates findings from a March 2024 National Academies public workshop which aimed to identify opportunities to increase the use of reusable health care textiles (HCTs) used for PPE in health care settings. National Academies
WHO Updates Influenza Care Guidelines, Includes Recommendations for Viruses with Pandemic Potential
WHO has updated its guidelines for the care of patients with influenza. The guidelines are designed primarily for health care providers who manage patients with influenza virus infection, and will also serve as a reference source for policymakers and others in efforts towards epidemic and pandemic preparedness. World Health Organization
Gender Representation in Biosecurity Leadership
The absence of gender diversity in decision-making roles can lead to blind spots in policy development, where gender-specific vulnerabilities and perspectives are overlooked. This gap is particularly concerning in the context of biosecurity, where the impacts of threats such as pandemics and biological attacks can vary significantly across different genders. Observer Research Foundation
Preparing the Developing World for the Next Pandemic: Evidence from China’s R&D Blueprint for Emerging Infectious Diseases
With double pressures of endemic and imported emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), China’s ability to detect, prevent and control the unknown virus is of regional and global interest. This study aimed to establish an R&D Blueprint for EIDs in China by identifying the list of prioritized diseases and medical countermeasures (MCMs) that need proactive actions for the next pandemic. Journal of Infection and Public Health
SELECT AGENTS + PRIORITY PATHOGENS
One Dead From Nipah Virus in India’s Kerala
A 24-year-old student has died from the Nipah virus in the southern Indian state of Kerala, a local medical official said on Monday, and 151 people who came into contact with the victim are under observation to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. This is the second death caused by Nipah in Kerala since July. Nipah is classified as a priority pathogen by the World Health Organization (WHO) because of its potential to trigger an epidemic. There is no vaccine to prevent infection and no treatment to cure it. Reuters
Mpox Rapid Scientific Advice on Public Health Measures
An update from the European CDC on advice to travelers going to areas with ongoing MPXV transmission, IPC and diagnosis of cases, contact tracing, vaccination, and surveillance. ECDC
Mpox and Breastmilk: For Once, Can We Act in Time?
During outbreaks of viral pathogens, guidelines often state that breastmilk should be withheld from infants without evidence of transmission. Breastmilk samples from mothers who are infected with mpox must immediately be tested through PCR to establish whether the mpox virus is present and if so, whether it is replicable through culture. Such testing is simple to do and will provide normative agencies with data to create evidence-based guidance. Even if breastmilk is free of mpox virus, the risk of infecting an infant remains present due to other modes of transmission. However, that risk needs to be weighed against withholding breastmilk in such precarious settings as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where more children might die by lack of breastmilk than by mpox. This issue was inadequately studied early in the COVID-19 pandemic, and infants probably died unnecessarily as a result. The Lancet
Epidemiological Description of Marburg Virus Disease Outbreak in Kagera Region, Northwestern Tanzania
In March 2023, a Marburg Virus Disease outbreak was declared in Kagera region, Northwestern Tanzania. This was the first MVD outbreak in the country. This paper describes the epidemiological characteristics of MVD cases and contacts. PLOS One
AVIAN INFLUENZA
The U.S. Can, and Should, Do More on H5N1 Bird Flu, a Top WHO Official Says
More work needs to be done by the agricultural sector to get to the bottom of — and put a stop to — transmission of H5N1 bird flu in dairy cattle in the United States, a senior World Health Organization official said over the weekend. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s acting director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, said the world is watching how the U.S., with its advanced scientific expertise, is responding to this outbreak. STAT
Preventing the Next Pandemic Should Start with Protecting Farm Workers
An estimated 79 percent of the milk supply in the United States comes from immigrant labor. Workers, largely from Mexico and Central America, work on dairy farms with cows, ensuring they are milked and fed. As public health agencies and organizations build up their response to this disease in the dairy industry, to make sure avian flu doesn’t spread further and doesn’t mutate into something more severe, they must focus on the needs of workers. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
CHEMICAL + RADIOLOGICAL THREATS
Introduction to Treating Patients Exposed to CBRN Threats: A Military Medical Case-Based Curriculum
Ensuring proficiency in responding to, evaluating, and treating chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) casualties is a critical component of military medical student education. This case-based CBRN training proved to be a well-received mode of teaching CBRN patient care to a medical student cohort. The curriculum was intentionally designed to be multimodal, as opposed to solely virtual, to facilitate an engaging student-driven learning experience. MedEd Portal
Effects of Chemical and Biological Warfare Agent Decontaminants on Trace Survival: Impact on DNA Profiling From Blood and Saliva
This study examines forensic challenges with chemical and biological agents, focusing on enhancing the recovery of biological traces. It examines how 16 decontamination methods affect DNA profiling of blood and saliva samples. Biological decontaminants and chlorine-based agents hinder DNA profiling, while Fast-Act, CHPowder, and GDS2000 show no adverse effects. Forensic Science International
SURVEILLANCE + DETECTION
The Need for Point-of-Care Tests for Mpox
Given the likelihood of unknown transmission chains in areas with underdeveloped health systems, recurrent zoonotic spillovers, mobile populations, varied physical examination findings, and risk of transmission before overt symptoms, widespread low-threshold screening is needed to uncover hotspots, slow transmission, and accurately assess case-fatality rates. Development of POC tests for mpox should be fast-tracked. The Lancet
Increasing the Utility of Wastewater-based Disease Surveillance for Public Health Action
To help coordinate and centralize early efforts, the U.S. CDC launched the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) in September 2020, with pilot sites in eight states. As of April 2024, the NWSS is receiving data from more than 1,300 active sampling sites, covering a population of 130 million individuals. This Phase 2 report details the technical constraints and opportunities to improve wastewater surveillance for the prevention and control of infectious diseases in the U.S. It recommends improvements in the consistency and quality of national wastewater sampling, testing, and data analysis, and identifies research and technology development needs. National Academies
Inadequate Diagnostics Increase Chances of Another Pandemic
The world is woefully short of the diagnostic tests needed to respond to serious outbreaks of infectious disease, according to a new “readiness index” from FIND, the global non-profit organisation focused on building diagnostic infrastructure. The findings of our index demonstrate an urgent need to accelerate investments and R&D to fill these concerning gaps in our diagnostic arsenals.” Financial Times
MALDI-TOF MS Compared to Other Methods for Identification of Burkholderia pseudomallei
This study compared mass spectrometry using an updated spectral database with multiple other methods for B. pseudomallei identification and found mass spectrometry highly accurate. Journal of Clinical Microbiology
Development of Immunoassay Targeting Recombinant Francisella Outer Membrane Protein A
Findings demonstrate the feasibility of a novel diagnostic approach for detecting F. tularensis based on targeting FopA, as opposed to existing tests that target the bacterial ipopolysaccharide. Frontiers in Cellular Infection and Microbiology
An Immunoassay Based on Bioluminescent Sensors for Rapid Detection of African Swine Fever Virus Antibodies
A rapid, simple, and sensitive immunoassay based on the split-luciferase system to detect IgG antibodies against African swine fever virus (ASFV), a devastating infectious disease of domestic pigs and wild boars, severely threatening the global pig industry in recent years. Journal of Clinical Microbiology
Continuous Vital Sign Monitoring of Individuals with Acute Lassa Fever Using Wearable Biosensor Devices
Study assessed use of wearable biosensor devices to remotely monitor hospitalized individuals with acute Lassa fever in order to describe vital sign trends that may be associated with clinical outcome and to evaluate the feasibility of this approach in a resource-limited setting. Technical improvements are still needed to enable widespread use of this tool, for both clinical and research purposes. MedRxiv (pre-print)
ENVIRONMENTAL FLUX
Planetary Health: What You Need to Know as a Pediatric Infectious Diseases Doctor
Up to half of the world’s 2.2 billion children are at “extremely high risk” of the impacts of climate change. More than half of known human infectious diseases may be exacerbated by climate change, for instance, by increasing circulation of mosquitos infected with viruses such as dengue or zika, already observed in European Mediterranean areas. All pediatric infectious disease specialists are likely to experience, to some degree, the effects of climate change on the diseases that they see in their daily practice. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
The Mosquito-Borne Disease ‘Triple E’ is Spreading in the US as Temperatures Rise
A 41-year-old man in New Hampshire died this summer after contracting a rare mosquito-borne illness called eastern equine encephalitis virus, also known as EEE or “triple E.” It was New Hampshire’s first human case of the disease in a decade. Four other human EEE infections have been reported this year, in Wisconsin, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Though this outbreak is small, and triple E does not pose a risk to most people living in the United States, public health officials and researchers are concerned about the threat the deadly virus poses to the public, both this year and in future summers. There is no known cure for the disease, which can cause severe flu-like symptoms and seizures in humans four to 10 days after exposure and kills between 30 and 40 percent of the people it infects. Wired
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
CDC Updates New Oropouche Response Resources
CDC is now able to provide clinical diagnostic testing for patients with suspected acute Oropouche virus disease in addition to a previously available neutralization test. This testing consists of CLIA-validated molecular and neutralizing antibody testing of serum or cerebrospinal fluid. All specimens must be submitted to CDC through state health departments, following CDC’s routine arboviral testing submission protocol. CDC will send the results to the health departments for sharing with physicians for clinical decision making. CDC has also released guidance for more rapid response to imported cases of Oropouche to reduce disease transmission. CDC (h/t Division of State and Local Readiness)
College Football Game Cancelled Due to Whooping Cough Outbreak
The game scheduled for Saturday between the Portland State Vikings and the South Dakota Coyotes was canceled due to illness within the Portland State locker room. “A case of pertussis (whooping cough) got into the Viking team two days ago. Pertussis is a highly contagious disease that affects the lungs. As a result, many team members have been exposed to the disease. The two programs and their team doctors have been in discussions regarding the situation. It was determined by Portland State that the game would not be played in the interest of the health of the student-athletes.” CBS Sports, Washington Post
Is the Acellular Pertussis Vaccine Driving the Increase in Severe Whooping Cough Cases in Children?
Since early 2024, several studies have indeed reported a global increase in whooping cough cases globally, with substantial spikes observed in Europe, Asia and the Americas. In France alone, more than 7,000 cases of pertussis were identified through PCR testing between January and May 2024, in stark contrast to the 500 cases reported for the entire year of 2023. What is behind this dramatic spike? Could the COVID-19 pandemic have disrupted the usual cycle of whooping cough outbreaks? Is the acellular pertussis vaccine inadvertently facilitating this resurgence? Eurosurveillance
Boar’s Head Closing Virginia Plant Linked to Deadly Listeria Outbreak
Boar’s Head said Friday it’s closing the Virginia plant tied to a deadly listeria outbreak that was linked to the deaths of at least nine people and hospitalizations of about 50 others in 18 states. The plant hasn’t been operational since late July, when Boar’s Head recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli meats and other products after tests confirmed listeria bacteria in its products was making people sick. AP
State Syndemic Approaches and Congenital Syphilis
Many states are currently responding to surging cases of syphilis, which nationally increased by 79% between 2018 and 2022, reaching rates not seen in decades. The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices is working to support states and territories in implementing a “syndemic” approach to this and other infectious diseases, recognizing that these outbreaks are intertwined with substance use. National Governors Association
A New Orthonairovirus Associated with Human Febrile Illness
In June 2019, a patient presented with persistent fever and multiple organ dysfunction after a tick bite at a wetland park in Inner Mongolia. Next-generation sequencing in this patient revealed an infection with a previously unknown orthonairovirus, which we designated Wetland virus (WELV). New England Journal of Medicine
Chagas Disease: 115 Years of Neglect
115 years have passed since Chagas disease was discovered, without any change in the disease treatment. The ideal scenario is an effective universal drug providing a parasitological cure for both the acute and chronic phases. However, T cruzi is a genetically diverse complex parasite that poses a challenge for discovering new treatments. The Lancet Regional Health
Epidemiology and Global Spread of Emerging Tick-Borne Alongshan Virus
Alongshan virus (ALSV) is a tick-borne virus associated with human febrile illness, which was first identified in northeast China. This review presents the current knowledge of global ALSV distribution and emergence patterns, and highlights genetic diversity, evolution and susceptible species. Emerging Microbes and Infections
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Early Biological Markers of Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Defining PASC as the presence of any COVID-associated symptom at their 4-month visit, we compared viral markers (quantity and duration of nasal viral RNA load, infectious viral load, and plasma N-antigen level) and host immune markers (IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-α, IFN-γ, MCP, IP-10, and Spike IgG) over the acute period. Compared to those who fully recovered, those reporting PASC demonstrated significantly higher maximum levels of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and N-antigen, burden of RNA and infectious viral shedding, and lower Spike-specific IgG levels within 9 days post-illness onset. Results suggest early viral dynamics and the associated host immune responses play a role in the pathogenesis of PASC. Nature Communications
Impact of a University-Led COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing Program
Describes the epidemiology of COVID-19 on the Emory University campus during the 2020-2021 academic year and provide an evaluation of the performance of a university-led program with the purpose of describing the effectiveness of efforts to augment the public health authority’s case investigation and contact tracing efforts during a public health emergency. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice
Influence of mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine Dosing Interval on the Risk of Myocarditis
Myocarditis following vaccination is known to affect preferentially young adults and adolescents and to have a male predominance. This study assessed the relation between dosing interval and the risk of myocarditis, for both the two-dose primary series and the third dose (first booster). This matched case-control study included 7911 cases of myocarditis aged 12 or more in a period where approximately 130 million vaccine doses were administered, and determined a longer interval between each consecutive dose, including booster, may decrease the occurrence of vaccine-associated myocarditis by up to a factor of 4, especially under age 50. Nature Communications
AI + CYBERBIOSECURITY
Apathy and Hyperbole Cloud the Real Risks of AI Bioweapons
Bioweapons use and bioterrorism has been, historically, extremely rare. This is not a reason to ignore AI or be sanguine about the risks it poses, but managing those risks is rarely aided by hype. Large language models like ChatGPT may make it easier for non-experts to access dual-use knowledge and thereby lower barriers to intentional misuse, but much, if not all, of this information is already available to anyone with above average search capabilities on the internet. Knowledge and information alone are also insufficient: Evidence from state biological weapons programs and terrorist plots and attacks using biological weapons show that the weapons development process is anything but straightforward. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Establishment of Reporting Requirements for the Development of Advanced Artificial Intelligence Models and Computing Clusters
The U.S. Government must prepare the defense industrial base for the possibility that foreign adversaries or non-state actors will use dual-use foundation models for activities that threaten the national defense, including to develop weapons and other dangerous technologies. Accordingly, the U.S. Government requires information about the safety and reliability of AI models, including any potentially dangerous capabilities that developers of dual-use foundation models have identified with respect to those models. This includes the results of tests related to reliability as well as the results of any red-team testing that the company has conducted relating to lowering the barrier to entry for the development, acquisition, and use of biological, weapons by non-state actors. Federal Register
Could AI Create Deadly Biological Weapons? Let’s Not Find Out.
For as deadly as the coronavirus pandemic was, the next one could be more nightmarish. Powerful new artificial-intelligence models, combined with novel lab tools, could soon enable rogue scientists or states to engineer a pathogen that would spread faster, resist vaccines better and kill more people than Covid-19 did. Governments, technology companies and scientific researchers should act now to lower the risk. Bloomberg
SPECIAL INTEREST
AI BTO: East
The Biological Technologies Office (BTO) of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is hosting two promotional events for bio-innovators, blue sky thinkers, and AI/ML experts to develop transformational tools that improve health outcomes through early exposure risk models; predictive disease assessments; personalized counterfactual prediction and explanation based on fine-grained individual data; and rapid, safe interventions that avoid human or animal subject research. Other program goals include applications in biomanufacturing/synthetic biology, autonomous science, and more. The first iteration of AI BTO is this week in Cambridge, MA on 20 Sept. In addition, DARPA will host AI BTO Pitch Days on December 5-6, 2024, to select and award AI BTO catalyst projects. White papers must be submitted in advance of pitch days to be considered for participation. DARPA
ARPA-H Launches Funding Opportunity for Early Career Researchers and Community Health Centers
The ARPA-H Emerging Health Innovators (EHI) Initiative aims to increase access to government research funding and address health care gaps in the U.S. The EHI Initiative begins with a Network Survey, which will gather information and insights from early career investigators, community innovators, and administrators at academic institutions. View the full Network Survey. The deadline to respond is October 25, 2024, 11:59 PM ET. ARPA-H
NACCHO Extends Deadline for Preparedness Summit Abstracts to September 22
The National Association for County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) has extended the submission deadline for next Preparedness Summit (29 Apr-2 May 2025) abstracts to September 22. Public health, health care, disaster relief, emergency management, and other professionals nationwide are invited to showcase and share their research findings, best practice training models, tools, or other resources that advance the field of public health and healthcare preparedness and response. Preparedness Summit
K-State and the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility Celebrate 5 Years of Training Partnership
As part of the NBAF Laboratorian Training Program, K-State students can spend learn about high-containment laboratory safety through an online course, followed by eight weeks at K-State’s Biosecurity Research Institute, where they gain hands-on skills including laboratory benchwork, large animal handling and mosquito handling. The Mercury
Career Chat: Director of a High-Containment Facility
Ludovic Desvignes works as the high-containment laboratories director at New York University Langone Health (NYULH). “I support the ongoing research in our biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory, our germ-free animal facility, and our mosquito insectary by recruiting and training staff and other personnel, obtaining and maintaining the equipment for those labs, and developing online training modules…” The Scientist
Lifeline, the Musical Story of Penicillin: A Review
The plot follows two Scottish doctors separated by a century who are both fighting for the same thing – to help humanity by promoting the responsible use of antibiotics. We see the discovery of penicillin, the exhausted modern doctor trying to do right by her patients, the frustration of being unable to do more for the sick, and the consequences of the use and misuse of antibiotics, all in the form of song. AMR Solutions
ALSO READING
A monoclonal antibody targeting the Nipah virus fusion glycoprotein apex imparts protection from disease. Journal of Virology
Focusing Viral Risk Ranking Tool on Prediction. arXiv (pre-print)
Recent Occurrence, Diversity, and Candidate Vaccine Virus Selection for Pandemic H5N1: Alert Is in the Air. Vaccines
The US elections as a determinant of global health. The Lancet Regional Health
Viral Respiratory Pathogens Toolkit for Nursing Homes. CDC
Mycobacterium tuberculosis cough aerosol culture status associates with host characteristics and inflammatory profiles. Nature Communications
Using Bandit Algorithms to Maximize SARS-CoV-2 Case-Finding: Evaluation and Feasibility Study. JMIR Public Health and Surveillance
Expression of goat poxvirus P32 protein and monoclonal antibody preparation. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
Engineering a broad-spectrum vaccine to combat emerging monkeypox virus via immunoinformatic approaches. Research Square
Lipid Selectivity of Membrane Action of the Fragments of Fusion Peptides of Marburg and Ebola Viruses. International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Retrospective Analysis of Blood Biomarkers of Neurological Injury in Human Cases of Viral Infection and Bacterial Sepsis. The Journal of Infectious Diseases
Modeling the 2014–2015 Vesicular Stomatitis Outbreak in the United States Using an SEIR-SEI Approach. Viruses
Comparative immune profiling in survivors of the 2023 Nipah outbreak in Kerala state, India. Journal of Medical Virology