Bioterrorism

UDTT's anthrax detection featured on Chinese TV
The Chinese Government has warned that terrorists pose the biggest risk to this summer’s Olympic Games; officials say they foiled two plots, one to bring down an airliner, and another to disrupt the summer games; they are also worried about bioterrorism
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Water monitoring system to be demonstrated in Congress technology fair
The House Committee on Homeland Security is holding a homeland security technology fair at the Rayburn building on Wednesday; a water bioterror monitoring system will be on display, and caught our eye
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Understanding – and minimizing – today’s prevalent CBRNE threats // by Matthew Sweatt
Today’s response structures are too narrow in focus; while being prepared for a small pox attack is great, what would happen if another bio-toxin were used? Most billion-dollar detection equipment today only looks for anthrax, allowing today’s emerging threats easily to penetrate most systems
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Massachusetts not ready for bioterror attack
State auditor criticizes state’s preparedness for a bioterror attack; the state acquired ten medical trailers to treat victims, but one of them is missing
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Canadain chocolate factory off-limit to visitors
Non-American companies exporting food to the United States must comply with the strictures of the 2002 BioTerrorism Act; for a Victoria, Canada, chocolate factory this meant prohibiting school kids from touring the factory
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CSC in $16 million contract to continue development of NEDSS
The National Electronic Disease Surveillance System Base System (NEDSS) electronically links surveillance activities to improve the ability to track and identify emerging infectious diseases and potential bioterrorism attacks
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CDC enlists U Indiana in epidemic information sharing, bioterror response
Indiana University awarded $2.6 million to bolster the ability of local, state, and federal agencies ability to share data and information on the outbreak of epidemics
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U.K., U.S. work together toward shared goals // Sir Alan Collins
The shared goal of both the United States and the United Kingdom is safeguarding our citizens and the security of key national assets. Our governments are working collaboratively and have long recognized the need to work closely on science and technologies for security
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With biological warfare, real-time detection is key
The largest improvements in any biowarfare identification system’s performance will come in the form of smaller packages, more automated measurement, and faster measurement
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Pandemic flu may be well mitigated until vaccine is available
New study shows that high levels of compliance, ascertainment, and social distancing would make it possible to mitigate a flu pandemic until a vaccine is available
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Toxic newts lose war against immune-enhanced garter snakes
A newt is armed with a poison so deadly that a single animal can kill a dozen people; garter snakes, the newt’s main predator, have developed resistance to the poison; researchers say this does not bode well for humans: Our bodies may develop resistance which would make medications ineffective
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Boeing shows biological detection UAV
UAVs have been performing more and more military and homeland security missions; Boeing demonstrates the use of its ScanEagle UAV in detecting, intercepting, and flying through simulated biological plumes or clouds to collect airborne agents
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U.S. water supply contaminated by pharmaceuticals
There are 302 million people in the United States, but over the past five years, the number of U.S. prescriptions rose 12 percent to a record 3.7 billion, while nonprescription drug purchases reached 3.3 billion; ingredients of these medications find their way to, and contaminate, the U.S. water supply; federal, state, and local governments do not regulate medical discharges into drinking water
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U.S. smallpox preparedness improves, even if not quite according to plan
The number of people vaccinated is vastly lower than President Bush projected, but public health experts say that there are enough healthcare workers inoculated to respond to an outbreak and enough vaccine on hand to get more protected, along with anyone else exposed to the disease
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Taming food poisoning and bioterrorism toxins
Rutgers researchers offer new insights into how plant toxin ricin kills cells; insights could help scientists develop drugs to counteract poisonings, reducing the threat of ricin as a bioterror weapon
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