• Tulane University, Corgenix awarded $15,000,000 to expand Lassa fever research

    Lassa fever, because of its high fatality rate, the ability to spread easily by human-to-human contact, and the potential for aerosol release, is classified as a bio safety level 4 agent and is included on the NIAID Category A list of potential bioterrorism threats; new study will focus on identification of novel B-cell epitopes on Lassa virus proteins, aiming to develop agents to treat and prevent the disease

  • China finds 170 more tons of tainted milk powder

    Chinese dairies were found to add the industrial chemical melamine, which is high in nitrogen, to watered-down milk to make it appear protein-rich in quality tests that measure nitrogen; many children who drank the milk died or were sickened; rather than destroy the tainted milk, some dairies merely repackaged it

  • Five infectious diseases that might re-emerge

    Dreaded infectious diseases of the past have largely been kept at bay by antibioitcs and other medical advances; these diseases still linger, though, and could pose a threat – either because some parents refuse to vaccinate their kids owing to concerns about possible links between such vaccination and autism (Mumps), or because terrorist might use the pathogens in a bioterror attack (small pox)

  • New virtual community to connect bioterrorism experts

    Mount St. Mary’s University launches launched a new virtual community that allows intelligence officers, students, and even Capitol Hill executives to network with bioterrorism experts and academics; the invitation-only network takes place on the Yakabox knowledge sharing systems which are certified for use in classified environments by the U.S. government

  • U.S. gets “F” in preparation for threat of biological terrorism

    The Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism gave the U.S. government an “F” for bioweapon preparedness; the commission warned: “On the current course, what is likely to occur within a very few years is an attack using weapons of mass destruction — probably a bioweapon — that will fundamentally change the character of life for the world’s democracies”

  • Canada's food safety system fails international comparisons

    Canada’s multi-government system with national, provincial, and local governments that share responsibility for health, as well as monitor the safety and quality of food, are key reasons that Canada has a fragmented system with poor focus

  • Raising awareness about the risk of agroterrorism

    A day-long event in California’s Central valley sees farmers, terrorism specialists, and law enforcement officials discuss threat, impacts, and response needs involved in a potential terrorist attack on the area’s thriving agricultural sector

  • Drug could save many injured soldiers’ lives

    Loss of blood is the main problem with many battlefield injuries; when the body loses a lot of blood, it tries to compensate by going into shock; researchers show that valproic acid, an HDAC inhibitor already used to treat epilepsy, increased survival rates in rats that had lost a lot of blood; it does so by causing certain “survival pathways” to remain switched on

  • Dead bodies in Haiti do not pose health risk

    Health experts say that the haunting scenes of hundreds of dead bodies in the street should not be confused with health risks; dead bodies cannot transmit communicable diseases because viruses and parasites die with the host; the for rescue workers is to wear gloves, handle the bodies with care, and bury bodies before they begin to decompose – and away from sources of drinking water

  • Battling against biological threats with ultrasonics

    A tweezers-like device uses ultrasonics to detect bioterror agents; when a small sample such as a powdery anthrax mix is placed inside the device, an array of piezoelectric transducers would generate an ultrasonic force field onto the sample; security officials would be able to detect anthrax from innocuous powders in the mix through differences in compressibility and density

  • Recalled beef in California could be two years old

    An examination of tainted beef sold to restaurants and stores by a California company between 5 and 15 January this year revealed that it was processed nearly two years old; this means that beef already in the freezers of restaurants, hotels, stores, and consumers may be tainted with E. coli

  • Food facilities failing to comply with Bioterrorism Act of 2002

    There are approximately 420,000 domestic and foreign food facilities – not including farms, retail facilities, and restaurants — doing food-related business in the United States; the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 requires these food facilities to register with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and provide information which could be used in the event of a bioemergency (farms, retail facilities, and restaurants are exempt from registration), many have done so yet

  • Llamas’ antibodies to aid bioterror fight

    A new system, which utilized antibodies found in llamas, detects seven types of botulinum neurotoxins simultaneously; the system uses antibodies from llamas; the llama antibodies, which are proteins made by the body to fight disease, are “nanobodies,” sometimes called single domain antibodies, and are molecularly flexible, unlike traditional antibodies; the new method could lead to increased protection of food and water supplies against bioterror attacks

  • Israel conducts large bioterrorism drill

    Israel conducts two-day bioterrorism drill — reported to be the largest simulation of a biological attack ever conducted; the Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps, national Health Ministry, hospitals, and health clinics took part in the simulation which dealt with soldiers and others experiencing rashes, fever, and mouth lesions

  • Budget cuts more than $600 million from Bioshield program

    Randall Larsen, executive director of the congressionally chartered Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism: “Using Bioshield funds for flu preparedness and other issues not associated with national security will severely diminish the nation’s efforts to prepare for WMD events and will leave the nation less, not more, prepared”