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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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Dutch researchers use laser light to quickly identify pathogens
Device offers a unique approach to the handheld virus detection challenge; laser light interacts with antibodies to create distinctive patterns that indicate high concentrations; prototype to be developed with help from Paradocs Group
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More headlines
The long view
World Risk Report: Where Are Natural Disasters Most Common?
The 2024 World Risk Report is out, highlighting which countries are most at risk from natural disasters, and what can be done to prevent catastrophes and mitigate the effects.
WHO Updates List of Most Dangerous Viruses and Bacteria
The WHO recently published a report outlining the findings of its global pathogen prioritization process that involved more than 200 scientists who evaluated evidence related to 28 viral families and one core group of bacteria, covering 1,652 pathogens.
Public Trust in Drinking Water Safety Is Low Globally
A new study finds more than half of adults surveyed worldwide expect to be seriously harmed by their water within the next two years. The study sought to understand public perceptions of drinking water safety.