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Affymetrix licenses its microarray technology to Tessarae
Tessarae will use the arrays to improve its epidemic monitoring products; authorities believe test will help identify influenza mutations in their infancy; approach relies on multiplexed genotypic signatures rather than phenotypes to identify strains
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British Home Office imposes strict new pathogen controls
Private and university laboratories will now have to inventory their stocks of 100 named viruses and bacteria; government order reports of all employees with access to such stores
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E. coli able to detect arsenic
From foe to friend, mankind’s enemy lends a hand in the fight against arsenic poisoning in the third world; Edinburgh researchers rely on synthetic biology to develop this easy to use, field-portable test
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Microwave ovens shown to kill anthrax
Florida researchers prove a concept already known to housewives worldwide; four minutes with a wet sponge is sufficient to disable spores; technique unlikely to work on dry envelopes
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Lockheed wins $135 million CDC support contract
Company will provide operational and logistical services for various offices with COPTER; office provides strategic direction to CDC on all terrorism preparedness issues
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iJet releases study on business impact of avian flu pandemic
Using data drawn from its World Pandemic monitoring system, research firm lays out preparation strategies for business; free report available by contacting company
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"Home brew" polymerase tests lead to pseudo-epidemics
With commercial tests only now coming to the market, many ad-hoc methods suffer from unknown error rates and high numbers of false positives; whooping cough epidemic at Dartmouth provides an interesting case study; lack of best practices a major concern
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Somark's inkless RFID tattoos could keep troops safe
Yesterday’s attack in Iraq proves uniforms may not be the best way to distinguish friend from foe; technology intended for tracking cattle could prove a lifesaver for humans; passive RFID is perfectly harmless and does not require line of sight to be read
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ICx acquires bio-sensor firm GHC Technologies
Deal follows an earlier acquisition of Griffin Analytical Technologies; GHC an expert in pathogen detection for both infrastructure and city-wide surveillance; industry consolidation continues
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GlaxoSmithKline wins $63 million flu vaccine contract
Deal supports GSK’s adjuvant plus antigens technology; five-year contract could be worth an additional $44 million; government effort to shore up vaccine supplies continues unabated
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Senate bioterrorism panel to be eliminated
Bioterrorism oversight responsibilities to be transferred to the full Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee; security analysts worry that the move may push focus on bioterror to the back burner
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New vaccine production method cuts prices dramatically
University of Central Florida scientist develops new, cheap way to mass-produce vaccines: Plants such as tobacco, lettuce, or carrots are first injected with vaccine genes; the plants are then planted in a greenhouse before being crushed and put into capsules to be taken by patients
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Biocryst wins $102 million HSS contract to develop peramivir treatments
Birmingham-based comapny will explore use of peramivir for the treatment of seasonal and severe influenzas, including bird flu; both intravenous and intramuscular formulations on the agenda
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Cornell researchers find waste treatment kills deadly avian flu
Studies on a similar but less-virulent strain show that UV, chlorine, and digesters are almost equally effective in killing it; avian flu already known to do poorly outside of host; study should lift the hopes of municipal water suppliers
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MedImmune's FluMist vaccine wins FDA approval
Nasal spray flu vaccine has been re-engineered to permit refrigerated storage; previously approved product required freezing, but this made it hard for pharmacies and schools to keep in stock; roll-out expected in August for 2007-08 flu season
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More headlines
The long view
Ransomware Attacks: Death Threats, Endangered Patients and Millions of Dollars in Damages
A ransomware attack on Change Healthcare, a company that processes 15 billion health care transactions annually and deals with 1 in 3 patient records in the United States, is continuing to cause massive disruptions nearly three weeks later. The incident, which started on February 21, has been called the “most significant cyberattack on the U.S. health care system” by the American Hospital Association. It is just the latest example of an increasing trend.