This week’s topics include new rules on testing unpasteurized milk for H5N1, investing in a vaccine stockpile for a bird flu pandemic, the state of the U.S. biomedical research enterprise, and an unidentified respiratory illness spreading in the DRC.
FEATURED
USDA to Require Testing of U.S. Milk Supply for Bird Flu Virus
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced new rules on Dec. 6 requiring the testing of the nation’s milk supply for H5N1, nearly a year after the virus began circulating through dairy cattle. Under the new testing strategy, the department will begin testing bulk samples of unpasteurized milk from dairy processing facilities across the country. Farmers and dairy processors will be required to provide samples of raw milk on request from the government. The rules also require farm owners with infected herds to provide details that would help officials identify more cases and contacts. New York Times
UK Secures H5 Influenza Vaccine to Boost Pandemic Preparedness
The UK government has agreed to a contract for more than five million doses of human H5 influenza vaccine, manufactured by CSL Seqirus, to boost the country’s resilience in the event of a possible H5 influenza pandemic. “A vaccine stockpile is an important preparedness step should H5 viruses mutate and expand their capability to infect and transmit between humans. If this scenario were to occur vaccine stockpiles would have an important role in the early control of substantially increased risk or a pandemic,” noted Prof Ian Brown of The Pirbright Institute. UK Health Security Agency, The Independent
Single Mutation in H5N1 Bird Flu Virus May Make it More Infectious to Humans, Study Finds
A study published Thursday contains a sobering piece of news about the H5N1 bird flu viruses circulating in cows in the United States: A single mutation in the hemagglutinin, the main protein on H5N1’s exterior, could turn a virus that is currently not well equipped to infect people into one that is much more capable of doing so. STAT
The State of the U.S. Biomedical and Health Research Enterprise
The U.S. biomedical research enterprise has played a vital role in advancing science, human health, and the economy. It has contributed significantly to fields such as agriculture, environmental remediation, job creation, and technological innovation. Over the past 80 years, landmark achievements include reducing cancer mortality, developing HIV/AIDS treatments, sequencing the human genome, and creating vaccines that mitigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, its progress is hindered by a lack of high-level national coordination, a fragmented funding system, and a declining workforce. National Academies
Health Officials Investigate Mystery Disease in Southwest Congo After Deaths
At least 79 people have died from an unknown disease that is causing flu-like symptoms in south-western Democratic Republic of Congo. The health ministry says the majority of people who have died are between the ages of 15 and 18. More than 300 people have been infected with patients exhibiting symptoms like fever, headaches, runny noses and coughs, breathing difficulties and anaemia. WHO is aware of the unidentified disease and is responding on the ground, working with local health services to collect samples. AP, BBC, CNN, Reuters
POLICY + GOVERNMENT
More Than 110 Organizations Call on Congress to Reauthorize PAHPA Before End of Year
Congress temporarily extended some Pandemic All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) authorities in this year’s appropriations cycle, but those authorities will expire on December 31. Representing academia, industry, healthcare, and research, these groups recognize the unique opportunity for Congress to strengthen the nation’s health security programs now, including the Hospital Preparedness Program, as the country transitions to new leadership in 2025. This renewed call for passage follows several previous calls for reauthorization since PAHPA expired in September 2023. Center for Health Security, American College of Surgeons
PPE Manufacturers Urge Congress to Reauthorize Pandemic Preparedness Bill
The American Medical Manufacturers Association is calling on Congress to quickly reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act before the end of the 118th Congressional Session in January 2025. In a Nov. 19 news release from the agency, AMMA Executive Director Eric Axel emphasized that the reauthorization is critical for ensuring U.S. resilience in future crises including pandemics, natural disasters and other emergencies. Becker’s Hospital Review
Partisan Probes Over Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness
“Over the 118th Congress, the Republican-led Select Subcommittee has relentlessly attacked Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former NIAID Director, under the guise of investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, other scientists, both at NIH and outside the federal government, were also targeted by the Republicans. As this staff report explains, those attacks have ranged from baseless to frivolous and are not substantiated by evidence provided to the Select Subcommittee.” House Democrats
Talks Over Big End-of-Year Health Package Heat Up in Congress
Negotiations over a large health care policy package are heating up this week as Congress hurtles toward a government funding deadline at the end of the month. Congressional Republicans on Tuesday made an offer to Democrats that included a three-year extension of pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities in Medicare, some reforms in how pharmacy middlemen operate, a Medicare pay bump for doctors, funding for community health centers, and extensions of public health programs in Medicare and Medicaid. However, Republicans proposed paying for the policies with a full repeal of the Biden Administration’s controversial nursing home staffing rule, which sets minimum staffing requirements. STAT
Strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention
By the end of this month, states-parties will be halfway through their latest attempt to strengthen the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). The task before the working group is complex, and it will be easier to fail than succeed. Substantial progress has been made in some areas, but beneath the surface is a broader conflict about the shape of arms control agreements generally. This raises a question about whether strengthening the BWC needs to follow the traditional model of legally binding multilateral agreements with declarations, inspections, investigations, and an international organization where consensus rules or whether states-parties can agree to a new model that allows states to opt in to the mechanisms with which they agree and opt out of any processes or new commitments they are unable to support. Arms Control Association
RFI on Hospital Preparedness Program Funding Formula
The Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) is the primary source of federal funding for health care preparedness and response. ASPR distributes HPP funding based on: a required base amount determined by the HHS Secretary, a required adjustment based on population, and an amount based on significant unmet need and degree of risk. Feedback is sought on the current datasets and recommendations on threats not included in calculation of risk. Comments due by 20 Dec. Federal Register
MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES
Explore Mechanisms of Adverse Health Effects on the Nervous System After Toxic Chemical Exposure
NIAID, along with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), is calling for basic research applications under CCRP Initiative: NIH Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT) Basic Research on Chemical Threats that Affect the Nervous System. For this funding, the toxidromes of interest are primarily Cholinergic and Convulsant Chemicals of Concern (CoC), however, the following toxidromes will also be considered responsive due to secondary effects on the nervous system: Anticoagulants and Blood/Metabolic (Knockdown) agents. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
The Priority Review Voucher: A Misconceived Quid Pro Quo
The U.S. FDA Priority Review Voucher (PRV) program is a regulatory incentive originally proposed for tropical diseases, later extended to rare pediatric indications and medical countermeasures. This article shows that the PRV, except few examples, has largely failed to deliver medical benefits for patients suffering from neglected diseases because it rewards obtaining FDA marketing authorization without regard for the products actually being available, affordable and equitably accessible for people. The BMJ
Scientists Receive ARPA-H Funding to Create Universal Vaccine for Alphaviruses
A collaboration among Scripps Research, Vanderbilt University and others has been awarded more than $46 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). “This award combines experts in artificial intelligence (AI) with vaccinologists to accomplish a great deal over a short time span. We’re going to hear a lot more about alphaviruses in the future, and there already have been minor outbreaks in the U.S.” Scripps Research
BIOSECURITY + BIOPREPAREDNESS
Are We Ready for the Next Anthrax Outbreak? Lessons from a Simulation Exercise
Study examined facilitators and barriers to responding to a potential anthrax outbreak in a high-risk rural district in Eastern Uganda. The district technical staff had the knowledge required to respond to an anthrax outbreak but lacked adequate funds for animal, environmental and human surveillance for anthrax and related response. Epidemiology and Infection
Dual-Use Research and Publication Policies: A Comparison of Journals in Life Sciences and Artificial Intelligence
Policy on dual-use research (DUR) is often limited to life sciences research. However, recently, there have been demonstrations of how research with dual-use concerns may extend beyond the life sciences to artificial intelligence. This analysis found that more journals in the life sciences have extant policies on how to handle article submissions with DUR concerns. Very few AI journals have policies. Applied Biosafety
Three More EU Reference Laboratories for Public Health Designated
Through these networks, the EU Reference Laboratories will work to ensure data comparability and capacity strengthening on laboratory methods at the EU level. This includes efforts to align diagnostics and testing for surveillance, notification and reporting of diseases, as well as bringing together scientific expertise across the EU to improve preparedness, rapid detection and response. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
A National Snapshot: Enhancing Local Health Departments Emergency Preparedness
Local health departments (LHDs) are grappling with substantial capacity challenges, including workforce limitations. With constrained resources, LHDs have struggled to enhance their level of preparedness for several critical threats. These include environmental hazards like extreme temperature events, emerging threats such as opioid use and active shooter incidents, and cybersecurity events like medical supply chain disruptions and cyber-attacks. NACCHO
Biocrimes: Safeguarding Clinical and Public Health Microbiology Labs Against Insider Threats
This article explores the nature of biocrimes and insider threats, provides examples of past incidents, and offers guidance on how to identify and respond to these dangers. Lab Manager
Methods for Safely Sharing Dual-Use Genetic Data
Standard data security methods can be applied to genetic data, but when data is shared between institutions, ensuring appropriate security can be difficult. Sensitive data that is shared internationally among a wide array of institutions can be especially difficult to control. Methods for securely storing and sharing genetic data with potential for dual-use are needed to mitigate this potential harm. This paper proposes new methods that allow genetic data to be shared in a data format that prevents a nefarious actor from accessing sensitive aspects of the data. MedRxiv
Anticipating Biological Risk: A Toolkit for Strategic Biosecurity Policy
To counter biological threats regardless of source, policymakers need a range of governance tools and mitigation measures upon which to draw. This report describes pathways that result in biological harm, with or without AI, and a range of governance tools and mitigation measures to address them. Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET)
Georgetown’s AMP for EID Aims to Strengthen Global Pandemic Response with Data-Driven Policies
The Georgetown University Center for Global Health Science and Security is developing the Analysis and Mapping of Policies for Emerging Infectious Diseases, an online public database offering global policy data to improve pandemic preparedness and response. Global Health Institute
SELECT AGENTS + PRIORITY PATHOGENS
Marburg Outbreak in Rwanda Situation Summary
Rwanda has recorded a total of 66 illnesses and 15 deaths from the current Marburg outbreak. Marburg outbreaks are declared over if no new infections arise during the 42 days after the last recovered patient has tested negative twice by PCR separated by 48 hours. The Rwanda Ministry of Health has begun this 42-day countdown. If no new cases occur, health authorities could declare the outbreak officially over on December 22, 2024. CDC
Enhancing Special Pathogen Preparedness Through Exercises: Navigating Dual Quarantine Activations
This case study describes findings from an exercise conducted in April 2023 to assess the readiness of the National Quarantine Unit (NQU) and identify opportunities for improvement. The exercise is part of a multiyear effort to assess the readiness of quarantine and transport capabilities at the NQU. Health Security
The Current Pathogenicity and Potential Risk Assessment of Nipah Virus as Potential Cause of “Disease X”
The NiV exhibits different epidemiological patterns in different countries that calls for customized prevention and control strategies. Genetic analysis highlights NiV’s ability to mutate that alters possible treatment options. Transmission typically involves bats as the primary reservoir, with humans becoming infected either through intermediate hosts or food. Promising treatment options, such as monoclonal antibodies, antivirals, and ongoing vaccine research, provide hope. However, the virus’s adaptability, human-to-human transmission, and the lack of specific antiviral therapy raise concerns about its potential to cause a global pandemic. Health Science Reports
Nipah Virus Research Day Showcases Cross-Disciplinary Advances
The event gathered University of Oxford researchers with collaborators from the Uniformed Services University, the Rosalind Franklin Institute and the Pirbright Institute, to explore the latest interdisciplinary advancements in Nipah virus research. Pandemic Sciences Institute
Ongoing Evolution of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, Saudi Arabia, 2023–2024
Researchers collected 558 swab samples from dromedary camels in Saudi Arabia during November 2023–January 2024, finding 39% were positive for MERS-CoV RNA by RT-PCR. In addition to MERS-CoV, dromedary camels also harbor a coronavirus closely related to seasonal human coronavirus (HCoV) 229E (subgenus Duvinacovirus), highlighting the importance of dromedary camels as a reservoir host for coronaviruses. Emerging Infectious Diseases
Fatal Case of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, Portugal, 2024
Case study of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Portugal. An 83-year-old man, initially suspected of having Mediterranean spotted fever, was later confirmed to have Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever by the detection of viral genome in the patient’s serum and the presence of specific IgM antibodies. This case highlights the public health threat posed by CCHFV in Portugal, particularly because of the widespread distribution of Hyalomma ticks in the country. Emerging Infectious Diseases
MPOX
Mpox: Still No Jabs for ‘Most At Risk’ Children in DRC
Children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are still awaiting vaccines to protect them from mpox, even as case numbers among this demographic soar, health organisations say, urging the delivery of an approved vaccine to be expedited. Hopes were raised with the start of an mpox vaccination campaign in eastern DRC in October, but vaccines have been slow to arrive and children remain completely excluded. SciDev
The Rise of Mpox in a Post-Smallpox World
The pandemic potential of mpox has long been overshadowed by the historical focus on smallpox. The 2 orthopoxviruses are genetically related and result in similar clinical manifestations (albeit with differing degrees of severity). They are also prevented by the same vaccinia virus–based vaccines. Smallpox eradication, which was achieved in 1979, was made possible in part because humans were the only host, enabling an intensive eradication campaign. In contrast, mpox occupies a more complex niche as a zoonotic disease with secondary communicable spread to humans. Emerging Infectious Diseases
AVIAN INFLUENZA
How the Messy Process of Milking Cows Can Spread Bird Flu
The United States has more than 9 million dairy cows, which produce some 600 million pounds of milk per day. Over the last few decades, consolidation has transformed the industry; the number of dairy farms has plummeted, but their size has ballooned. In 1997, fewer than 18 percent of the nation’s dairy cows lived on farms with 1,000 or more animals; by 2022, 65 percent of them did. A virus that gets into the milk of a single cow can quickly find its way to many others — or into the dairy industry’s largely immigrant work force. New York Times
Influenza A(H5N1) Shedding in Air Corresponds to Transmissibility in Mammals
Results of this study indicate that recent A(H5N1) viruses exhibit a low but increased level of infectious virus shedding into the air as compared with older A(H5N1) viruses. Given the ongoing epizootic in cattle and the high risk of exposure for farm and dairy workers and domestic and wild mammals to infected cows and contaminated milk, it is crucial for effective outbreak control and public health safety to understand how this virus spreads among cattle, its potential for mammalian adaptation and its capacity for airborne transmission. Nature Microbiology, CIDRAP
H5N1 Bird Flu Concerns Grow. Are COVID-19 Mistakes Being Repeated?
There remain big holes in the U.S. armamentarium against H5N1, and bird flu seems to be getting relatively little attention from political leaders. The U.S. is at the moment without commercially available monoclonal antibodies against the virus. Existing antiviral medications like oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and baloxavir marboxil may have limited effectiveness against H5N1 due to mutations. Meanwhile, the misinformation and disinformation that hindered the response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread without much of an organized plan to counter anti-science messages and thinking. Forbes
Epidemiological Alert: Human Cases of Avian Influenza A(H5N1) in the Americas Region
Since the beginning of 2003 until 1 November 2024, 939 human cases of avian influenza A(H5N1), including 464 deaths (49.4% case-fatality rate), have been reported to the WHO in 24 countries globally. Between 2022 and as of 2 December 2024, 61 human infections caused by avian influenza A(H5N1) have been reported in four countries in the Americas Region: 58 cases in the United States of America, one case in Canada confirmed on 13 November 2024, one case in Chile reported on 29 March 2023, and one case in Ecuador reported on 9 January 2023. Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
Avian Flu Infects Another California Dairy Worker as More Raw Milk Positives Prompt Wider Recall
The latest illness in California puts the state’s total at 32, all but 1 involving workers exposed at affected dairy farms. Confirmation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today lifts the national total this year to 58. On the consumer front, multiple positive results in recent days from Raw Farm’s retail milk, its storage tanks, and its bottling facility have led to the widened recall of the company’s raw milk and cream products. CIDRAP
Pandemic Preparedness of Effective Vaccines of H5N1
The current approval and research and development status of the H5N1 HPAI vaccines were summarized. Thus far, fourteen H5N1 HPAI vaccines approved for human use mainly comprise whole-virion inactivated vaccines, split-virion inactivated vaccines, one subunit inactivated vaccine, and one live attenuated influenza vaccine. Presently, eleven H5N1 HPAI vaccines are undergoing clinical trials. Virologica Sinica
A Call to Innovate Antarctic Avian Influenza Surveillance
To address the emergence of HPAI in vulnerable wildlife, rapid, innovative surveillance strategies that combine remote environmental sampling with state-of-the-art pathogen detection and genetic characterization technologies are needed to track transmission dynamics, epidemiology, and evolution across Antarctica. Trends in Ecology & Evolution
Recommendations for the Surveillance of Influenza A(H5N1) in Cattle
These recommendations from the FAO aim to support countries in enhancing influenza A(H5N1) surveillance in cattle populations, with broader application to other farmed mammals, to inform risk assessment and evidence-based disease control measures. UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)
CHEMICAL + RADIOLOGICAL THREATS
Chemical Terrorism: Assessment of U.S. Strategies in the Era of Great Power Competition
This report comes at a time when the nation’s highest-level strategies have shifted from focusing primarily on violent extremist organizations to focusing more on Great Power Competition. This shift in relative perceived threat and consequent prioritization will impact efforts against chemical terrorism, and in turn, affect funding priorities. National Academies
Nuclear Terrorism: Assessment of U.S. Strategies to Prevent, Counter, and Respond to Weapons of Mass Destruction
Efforts such as strategic deterrence, arms control and non-proliferation agreements, and the U.S.-led global counterterrorism have helped to keep nuclear incidents at bay. However, the nation’s success to date in countering nuclear terrorism does not come with a guarantee, success often carries the risk that other challenges will siphon away attention and resources and can lead to the perception that the threat no longer exists. National Academies
Spokane Doesn’t Want Feds to Truck Nuclear Waste Through the City
Mayor Lisa Brown is calling for a study to assess the risks of transporting 2,000 gallons of radioactive liquid from Hanford to Utah and Texas via I-90. The state of Oregon and the Oregon-located Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation had rejected a plan to ship 2,000 gallons of liquid radioactive wastes from Hanford through northeastern Oregon to Utah and Texas, where the waste would be grouted for permanent storage. So the federal government is now planning to ship the nuclear waste through Spokane, Washington instead. Cascade PBS
Proceedings of the 2024 Advancing Chemical Safety and Security Education Symposium
This publication encapsulates insights from 11 oral presentations, 12 poster presentations, and panel discussions including key recommendations for future advancements in educating chemical safety and security education for academic and industry audiences. ACS Chemical Health & Safety
SURVEILLANCE + DETECTION
Preparing for the Unknown: The Case for Threat-Agnostic Therapeutics
Better tools are needed to accurately identify and characterize promising host-directed candidates for late-stage clinical trials. Even when there are promising candidates, the development pathway is challenged by lack of a clear regulatory pathway, and cost and technical challenges associated with the required trials. Similarly, it is not currently feasible to conduct efficacy trials for therapeutics against viruses that cause small, unpredictable outbreaks, both in the US and internationally. Medical Countermeasures
BARDA Supports Development of Multiplex, Rapid, Point-of-Care Diagnostic That Distinguishes Ebolaviruses From Malaria
BARDA is partnering with Thrixen for early product development of a multiplex, rapid, PoC diagnostic that distinguishes between orthoebolaviruses (Zaire and Sudan) and malaria. The platform will be designed to provide results in 10 minutes using fingerstick blood samples without the need for complex sample processing. Medical Countermeasures
The Value of Environmental Surveillance for Pandemic Response
Environmental sampling surveillance (ESS) technologies, such as wastewater genomic surveillance and air sensors, have been increasingly adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide valuable information for public health response. However, ESS coverage is not universal, and public health decision-makers need support to choose whether and how to expand and sustain ESS efforts. This paper introduces a model and approach to quantify the value of ESS systems that provide leading epidemiological indicators for pandemic response. RAND
AI + CYBERBIOSECURITY
RFI Response: Safety Considerations for Chemical and/or Biological AI Models
Feedback from CSET in response to the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s request for information on safety considerations for chemical and biological AI models. “In addition to safe and responsible AI development, our report also identifies underlying gaps in biosecurity governance. Addressing these gaps through actions like deterring malicious actors, monitoring or restricting access to materials and services, and improving pandemic preparedness could help mitigate both AI-enabled and AI-agnostic biological threats.” Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET)
Exploring AI-Biosecurity Governance in the Global South
Despite the catastrophic potential of AI misuse for biological weapon development, only 27% of the 141 Global South countries assessed in this research have national AI strategies, none of which address biosecurity concerns. Effective regulation is crucial to mitigate adverse incidents, which could not only lead to loss of lives and destabilization but also undermine public and investor confidence in emerging bioeconomies in these regions. Regional frameworks like the African Union’s Draft Policy and ASEAN’s Guide on AI Governance and Ethics offer starting points for regulation but omit AI–biosecurity risks. NTI
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Phase 3 Pentavalent Meningococcal ABCWY Vaccine Results
This study demonstrates breadth of immune response against a panel of 110 MenB strains for the MenB component of the investigational MenABCWY vaccine, when administered to the target population of adolescents and young adults. The Lancet Infectious Diseases
Severe and Fatal Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
During July 2023–January 2024, six cases of RMSF in persons with exposure in Tecate, Mexico were reported to the California Department of Public Health; three patients died. This outbreak highlights a newly recognized location in Baja California with high RMSF risk. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Serological Evidence of Sarbecovirus Exposure Along Pangolin Trafficking Pathways
Early in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Sunda pangolins involved in the illegal wildlife trade in mainland China were identified as hosts of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronaviruses (SARSr-CoVs). Although it is unconfirmed whether pangolins or other traded wildlife served as intermediate hosts for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the trafficking of pangolins presents a clear risk for transmission of viruses with zoonotic and epizootic potential regardless. BMC Biology
Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics Announce Phase 3 Study for COVID-19 Antiviral for High-Risk Adults
Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics announced they were launching their MOVe-NOW phase 3 trial to evaluate their COVID-19 antiviral, molnupiravir, using a different regimen and formulation. This study will have participants take 2 smaller 400-mg tablets per dose (4 daily tablets) instead of the current regimen of 4 200-mg capsules per dose, which equates to 8 daily capsules. Contagion Live
Sick Animals Suggest COVID Pandemic Started in Wuhan Market
The quest to understand where the COVID-19 pandemic started has revealed fresh clues. Researchers have re-analysed data collected from a market in Wuhan, China, during the early days of the pandemic and found that animals there were infected with a virus – although they could not confirm what exactly caused the infection. Nature
Staggered Immunization with mRNA Vaccines Encoding SARS-CoV-2 Polymerase or Spike Antigens Broadens the T Cell Epitope Repertoire
Immunization to expand SARS-CoV-2-specific immune responses against non-Spike epitopes may represent a path toward preventing severe COVID-19 in the face of viral evolution. This research provides insights relevant to the development of mRNA vaccine-based immunization strategies for future SARS-CoV-2 variants, and other infectious agents. PNAS
SARS-CoV-2 Human Challenge Reveals Biomarkers That Discriminate Early and Late Phases of Respiratory Viral Infections
Compelling evidence showing that single gene transcripts for MX1 and IFI27 in blood, discriminate temporally distinct phases of infection. Findings are generalisable across a range of clinically important respiratory viruses in both experimental and naturally acquired infections. Nature Communications
INFODEMIC + DISINFORMATION
COVID Select Concludes 2-Year Investigation, Issues 500+ Page Final Report on Lessons Learned and the Path Forward
Rather than work earnestly to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic, in which over 1 million Americans died, House Republicans produced this piece of inflammatory fiction. Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic
Beyond Social Media: The Influence of News Consumption, Populism, and Expert Trust on Belief in COVID-19 Misinformation
This study shows that preexisting attitudes, especially affinity to populism and mistrust in experts, are generally stronger predictors of people’s likelihood to endorse misinformation related to the pandemic than their news consumption patterns. Nevertheless, the analysis also indicates an important role played by exposure to specific media brands, particularly those promoting a skeptical stance toward preventive measures and COVID-19 vaccines. The International Journal of Press/Politics
Texas Public Health Experts Brace for RFK Jr.’s Impact on Vaccine Policy
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, has raised alarms for policy experts across the country. Terri Burke, who leads The Immunization Partnership, said under Kennedy, the CDC and FDA could lose funding; health and immunization guidance for school districts could weaken; and misinformation — already widespread after the pandemic — could worsen. Houston Public Media
Empowering Citizens of China and the U.K. to Navigate the Infodemic
This fall the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program and the Centre for Global Science and Epistemic Justice (GSEJ) at the University of Kent brought together experts from China and the UK for a conversation entitled “Science Literacy and Communication: Empowering Citizens to Counter Global Disinformation.” Read more at the link. Aspen Institute
SPECIAL INTEREST
New Youth Preparedness Toolkit
The resource is designed to engage young people across elementary, junior high, and high school levels in understanding and practicing emergency readiness. The Toolkit uses a Learn-Practice-Share model that connects age-appropriate activities. NACCHO
Unearthed University Investigation Found Research Ethics Failings at French Medical Institute
A data sleuth who helped bring to light major research failings at a French infectious diseases institute has unearthed a damning 2022 investigation by the university where it is housed. Studies conducted by Didier Raoult and colleagues flouted French and international ethical standards, report concludes. Science
ALSO READING
Bioterrorism and the emergency physician: On the front lines. Emergency Medicine Practice
High-consequence infectious disease prepare in partnership: infection prevention and emergency management. Infection Control Today
PulseNet identifies and stops foodborne illness outbreaks. Health care needs something similar. STAT
Expansion of the early warning system for avian influenza in the EU to evaluate risk of spillover. European Food Safety Authority
Reflections on the 19th International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities. FDA
Models of forensic logistics in eliminating conflicts – bioterrorism. European Research Studies Journal
Rapid and safe neutralization assay for circulating H5N1 influenza virus in dairy cows. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses
Beyond traditional vaccines: semi-purified low-pathogenic avian influenza H9N2 virus-like particles and their promise for broiler immunity. Vet World
How emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases challenge our understanding of viral infections. Vaccines
Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the evolution and epidemiology of other viruses. Frontiers in Virology