March 18, 2010
Note: All links accessed and active on day of Biosecurity News in Brief publication.
Patients with Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in Intensive Care Units, Israel (Emerging Infectious Diseases) We report results of an active surveillance system established by the Tel Aviv District Health Office in Israel. This surveillance system monitors the daily status of patients with laboratory-confirmed pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus infection in each of the district’s intensive care units (ICUs), including pediatric ICUs.
 Risk for Transmission of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Virus by Blood Transfusion (Emerging Infectious Diseases) Influenza A pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus emerged in early 2009 in Mexico and has since spread worldwide. In Japan, the first outbreak of the novel influenza was reported in May 2009 (1) and became pandemic in November. Although no cases of transfusion-transmitted influenza have been published, evidence exists of brief viremia before onset of symptoms.
Yellow Fever and Dengue: A Threat to Europe? (Eurosurveillance) The introduction and rapidly expanding range of Aedes albopictus in Europe is an iconic example of the growing risk of the globalisation of vectors and vector-borne diseases.
WMD Commission: ‘We’re Not Going Away’ (National Defense Magazine) Congress authorized a commission in 2008 to assess how the nation was doing in its efforts to prevent the use of weapons of mass destruction.
Research Findings from Nonpharmaceutical Intervention Studies for Pandemic Influenza and Current Gaps in the Research (American Journal of Infection Control) In June 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a request for applications to identify, improve, and evaluate the effectiveness of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs)—strategies other than vaccines and antiviral medications—to mitigate the spread of pandemic influenza within communities and across international borders.
East Africa Moves to Establish Joint Disease Surveillance Centre (allAfrica.com) With infectious diseases widely regarded as the major constraint to agricultural and animal development as well as human health and well-being in sub-Saharan Africa, scientists have realized the need for common strategy towards managing diseases in Africa.
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