• The ethics of treatment during pandemic

    It is more or less agreed that during the outbreak of a pandemic or a bioterror attack, those deemed “essential” to the functioning of the society should receive treatment first; but how do we define “essential”?

  • Google offers flu-tracking tool

    The tool developed by Google.org, the company’s philanthropic department, uses search terms that are commonly entered into the Internet to work out possible flu clusters

  • 1918 U.K. Spanish flu records help in solving future pandemics

    The 1918-19 Spanish flu killed more than fifty million people worldwide; Aussie scientists study record of the flu out break in the United Kingdom in search for answers about the pandemic quick spread and lethality

  • Briefly noted

    RSA uncovers IT secure fears stifling business innovation… DHS completes radiological/nuclear detection drill in southeast transportation corridor… Has pandemic complacency come home to roost?

  • Briefly noted

    Massive overhaul of U.S. immigration services planned… USDA awards CRI $50 Million counter-terrorism and security support services contract… Unisys wins DHS contract… European intrusion detection market - what are the future trends?

  • China has a history of tainted milk

    The recent crisis of melamine-laced milk in China is but the latest in problem-plagued dairy industry; China’s small-scale dairy farmers — and there many of them — are hard to police, and relatively few have the capital and know-how to adhere to good dairy-farming practices

  • New killer virus identified in South Africa

    Yet-to-be-named virus has already killed four people; NIDC scientist: “The virus is new in terms of its genetic make up and there is currently no vaccine against it…. [it has] high lethal potential for humans”

  • Briefly noted

    Global CCTV market analysis 2008-12… U.S. intelligence agencies spend $47.5 billion in 2008… Changing role for DHS in cyber security… Auditors: Private security in Iraq cost over $6 billion… China begins investigation of tainted eggs

  • Briefly noted

    U.S. plans pilot program to bar unsafe imports… Restrictions on liquids coming to an end

  • New technique to detect individual molecules

    Even very small numbers of deadly infectious agents or allergenic pollen molecules can cause major problems for humans — but detecting such trace amounts has been difficult to accomplish with enough speed to do any good; new detection technique solves the problem

  • CBP adds food specialists to inspect imports

    Worries about imported food, and about animal disease and the invasion of lakes and rivers by foreign species, increase; Border Protection adds food specialists for better point-of-entry inspection

  • Briefly noted

    Deadly plague found in Grand Canyon… IG: USDA monitoring system improves IT security… France’s DGA issues multinational contract for lightweight UAV radar tech… Thales completes acquisition of U.K. encryption specialist… N.J. safer, but not safe from terrorists

  • HHS offers legal shield to anthrax manufacturers, distributors

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers legal shield to manufacturers and distributors of anthrax vaccines and treatments under a “public health emergency” to be in effect until the end of 2015

  • Briefly noted

    Online “passports” to make Chinese foods safer… Top U.K. prosecutor warns against growing state power… France may buy Reaper UAVs

  • Restaurants are a weak link in the food safety chain

    The Congressional Research Service issues a major study of agroterrorism; one problem is that public eating places are exceedingly vulnerable to bioterror attack