Public health

WHO challenges China over new bird flu strain
Government denies emergence of new strain, but WHO and other authorities disagree; information sharing at issue; WHO hopes China will soon agree to upload gene sequences to a public data base
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Salmonella outbreak prompts a review of detection and food safety products
We take a look back on our reporting for the year and offer readers a close look at some innovative approaches; Warnex receives CDC approval for detection system; Department of Agriculture steps up inspection and reporting regimes; Alto-Shaam offers food monitoring technology
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Expert says surgical masks a simple but effective pandemic response
As compared to respirators, citizens find surgical masks comfortable and would therefor be more likely to use them; aerosol transmission the leading cause of infection; price is 10 cents per unit, but enterprising firms should note that U.S. demand alone could reach 20 billion
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Achaogen announces $24.7 million DTRA deal to combat anthrax and plague
Four-year deal with Defense Threat Reduction Agency will focus on inhibiting antibiotic-resistant strains; once weakened, bacteria are vulnerable to fluoroquinolones and other antibacterial drugs; deal comes in the wake of a succesfully completed Series B funding round
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Listening in on bacteria “conversations” help in efforts to keep deadly infections in check
There may be a debate about the legality of eavesdropping by the NSA on U.S. phone conversation, but few would question listening in on conversations among bacteria – conversations carried out by chemical signals bacteria use to communicate with each other – because these conversations give us knowledge on how to block deadly infections
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Judge allows Boston biosafety lab to continue construction
Level 4 facility will study deadly microbes such as ebola and anthrax, and so local residents are reasonably nervous; court allows NIH-sponsored program to continue while environmental and public health concerns are reevaluated; possibility left open for a future injunction
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Biowarfare threat a business opportunity for laboratory industry
Planned expansion of secure bioweapons labs creates a demand for equipment; water testing devices a critical need; automated cyanide analyzers, total organic content, and purge-and-trap sample concentrators among other specialized tools
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PharmAthene and Medarex receive DoD grant for anthrax treatment
Unlike antibiotics, the companies’ monoclonal antibody approach should be effective days after exposure; an effective attack will be surreptitious, so the need for long-term treatment is great
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University of Minnesota seeks grant extension for food and bioterror efforts
National Center for Food Protection and Defense nears the end of a three year grant; center a leader in the field with innovative approaches in sensor and analytic technology, data management, and predictive software
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Court delays opening of California bioterrorism defense lab, citing safety concerns
They say about some do-gooders that they love humanity — it is people they don’t like; the same with biodefense labs: Communities love the idea of more jobs, more money, and more development which these biodefense labs bring, they just don’t like the associated safety risks; in the latest case, a court puts on hold the construction of a lab at Lawrence Livermore
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E. coli outbreak renews skirmishes along old war front
The recent E. coli outbreak renewed the fighting between supporters of the chemical fertilizer industry and advocates of organic farming; the former point to the outbreak as proof of the dangers inherent in relying on manure as fertilizer; the latter said that if manure is the culprit, then it is because of the rapid growth of animal feedlots which generate huge quantities of tainted manure — and that tainted manure is the result of feeding feedlot cattle grain, instead of their natural food — pasture grass; the digestive system and acid balance of ruminants evolved over thousands of years to break down grass, not high-production, refined rations; organic livestock, raised on pasture, have a healthy digestive system which kills the E. coli 0157 pathogen
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Livermore Lab develops new pathogen detection system; seeks partners to commercialize
Scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory develop an autonomous pathogen detection system which boasts many advantages over existing products; the lab is now seeking industrial partners to commercialize the invention
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Universal flu vaccination could spur anti-bird flu efforts
Studies find flu vaccines are not as effective as once believed; no effect on death rates among elderly; universal vaccination closes the gap by stopping transmission from the young; building up laboratory infrastructure now could pay dividends in the future
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