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Weather found to be a good predictor of epidemics
NASA climatologists provide Kenyan authorities a four month warning about a Rift Valley Fever outbreak; heat and moisture are strong indicators of a pathogen’s virulence; for countries unable to afford large-scale epidemiological surveys, weather provides a cheaper indicator
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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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The long view
Global Anxiety and the Security Dimension: From Personal Despair to Political Violence
Uncertainty and despair—born of economic insecurity, social isolation, and widening inequality—have fueled a striking surge in anxiety across the United States. But this mental-health crisis is not confined by borders.
The Silent Epidemic: America’s Growing Anxiety Crisis
Anxiety—once dismissed as mere nerves or a passing phase—has become one of the most prevalent and debilitating public health issues facing Americans today. how did we get here—and what do we do now?