Archive for Week of June 1, 2009Note: All links accessed and active on day of Biosecurity News in Brief publication. June 1 | June 2 | June 3 | June 4 | June 5
June 5, 2009
Influenza A(H1N1) - Update 44 (WHO) As of 06:00 GMT, 5 June 2009, 69 countries have officially reported 21,940 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 125 deaths.
 Don’t Overreact to Swine Flu, Chan Warns Governments (Bloomberg) The head of the World Health Organization urged governments not to overreact to global outbreaks of swine flu as the agency moves closer to declaring the first pandemic in four decades.
Update: Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Infection --- Mexico, March--May, 2009 (MMWR) On April 12, 2009, Mexico responded to a request for verification by the World Health Organization (WHO) of an outbreak of acute respiratory illness in the small community of La Gloria, Veracruz.
New Swine Flu Deaths Reported in 6 States (AP/Google News) Health officials in a half dozen states reported deaths from swine flu on Thursday, and said all six patients had been diagnosed with other health problems. An adult living in Milwaukee became Wisconsin's first resident to die with the H1N1 virus.
Avian Flu Fears Said to Help U.S. Prepare for Swine Flu (The New York Times) Six years of worrying about bird flu did much to prepare the United States for the current swine flu outbreak, federal officials and an independent monitoring group said Thursday, but they cautioned that there were still gaps in planning.
Novavax and the NIH Agree to Evaluate a Virus-like Particle (VLP) Vaccine Candidate Against the Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus (Medical News TODAY) Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX) and the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID) of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH) have signed an agreement to cooperate in the evaluation of a virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine candidate against the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus.
Experts: Vaccinate Kids Against H1N1 First (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) During most flu seasons, the group that gets top priority for vaccinations is the elderly. But if the new H1N1 flu comes back in force this fall, it might be better to vaccinate children first, experts said at a news conference yesterday.
Substance Recovered from Everett Home Likely Deadly Toxin, FBI Says (The Seattle Times) The FBI Thursday was investigating "a strong suspicion" that an Everett man had the deadly poison ricin in his home office, and a specially trained hazardous-materials team — including experts flown in from Washington, D.C. — locked down the home.
FDA Forms Transparency Task Force (FDA) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the formation of a task force to develop recommendations for enhancing the transparency of the agency’s operations and decision-making process.
NIH Begins Testing of Radiation Treatment (UPI.com) Aeolus Pharmaceuticals Inc. says the U.S. National Institutes of Health has begun testing its radiation countermeasure treatment. California-based Aeolus announced its AEOL 10150 treatment is now being tested by the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' Radiation/Nuclear Medical Countermeasures development program.
The Global Burden of Tuberculosis — Combating Drug Resistance in Difficult Times (The New England Journal of Medicine) According to the 13th annual tuberculosis report of the World Health Organization (WHO) — published on World TB Day, March 24, 2009 — there were an estimated 9.27 million new cases of tuberculosis worldwide in 2007.
Products Recalled Due to Possible Salmonella Risk (AP/Google News) Regal Health Food International Inc. is recalling certain in-shell pistachio products. No known illnesses have been reported to date, according to the Chicago company. The recalled products were distributed nationwide from October 2008 through March 31, 2009.
FDA Awards $1 Million in Grants to Three States to Enhance Food and Feed Safety Arkansas, Nebraska, and Wisconsin Funded for Food Safety and Security Monitoring (FDA) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently enhanced its food and feed protection initiatives with the award of three one-year Food Safety and Security Monitoring grants totaling $1 million to the states of Arkansas, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. The funds support cooperative agreements designed to create a national integrated food safety system through enhanced federal and state collaboration in food emergency response activities.
June 4, 2009
Influenza A(H1N1): World Bank to ‘Fast-Track’ US $500 Million to Help Countries Better Prepare for Pandemic Flu (World Bank News Release) The World Bank today approved ‘fast-track’ status for US $500 million dollars to help countries finance emergency operations to prevent and control outbreaks of Influenza A(H1N1).
USDA to Make Influenza A(H1N1) Isolate Available to Licensed Veterinary Biologics Manufacturers for Development of Swine Influenza Vaccine (USDA News Release) The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that it will make the master seed virus (MSV) for the novel H1N1 flu available to interested veterinary biologics manufacturers.
Pandemic Flu: Lessons from the Frontlines (TFAH) Trust for America's Health (TFAH), the Center for Biosecurity, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) analyze the initial response to the H1N1 outbreak, Pandemic Flu: Lessons from the Frontlines, which found that U.S. officials executed strong coordination and communication and an ability to adapt to changing circumstances, but it also how quickly the nation's core public health capacity would be overwhelmed if an outbreak were more severe or widespread.
Legislation Seeks to Strengthen FDA’s Authority (Federal Times) A House committee will vote next week on a bill that would significantly expand the Food and Drug Administration’s authority. The bill, HR 759, would authorize the agency to issue mandatory recalls of unsafe food — now it can only issue voluntary recalls. The agency would also be tasked with reviewing and approving food safety plans by all food producers and creating a national food-tracing system to track the source of contaminated food.
Influenza Pandemic: Continued Focus on the Nation’s Planning and Preparedness Efforts Remains Essential (GAO) As the recent outbreak of the H1N1 (swine flu) virus underscores, an influenza pandemic remains a real threat to our nation and to the world.
Building of a New Cell-Based Influenza Vaccine Manufacturing Facility in the U.S. Will Increase Production of Pandemic Vaccine (ECDC) The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) in the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced the grant of a contract worth nearly 500 hundred million US dollars to a European based pharmaceutical group in order to support the building of a new facility for the manufacturing of cell-based influenza vaccines which will provide commercial scale lots of the product for the next 20 years.
Promising Antimicrobial Attacks Virus, Stimulates Immune System (Eureka Alert!) A promising antimicrobial agent already known to kill bacteria can also kill viruses and stimulate the innate immune system, according to researchers at National Jewish Health. In a paper appearing online June 4 in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Michael Howell, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, and his colleagues demonstrated that the synthetic compound CSA-13 can kill vaccinia virus in cell cultures and in mice.
Researchers Look for Ways to Deliver a One-Two Punch to Flu Viruses (Scientific American) Most antiviral drugs target only half of the cell-infection cycle of viruses such as H1N1. A team of researchers is looking to shut down the whole process.
June 3, 2009
Influenza A (H1N1) - Update 43 (WHO) As of 06:00 GMT, 3 June 2009, 66 countries have officially reported 19,273 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 117 deaths.
Swine Flu Cases in Australia May Prompt Pandemic Call (Bloomberg) Swine flu cases in Australia, doubling about every two days, may convince the World Health Organization to declare the first influenza pandemic in 41 years, said Raina MacIntyre, head of public health at the University of New South Wales.
California Confirms Two Deaths from Novel H1N1 Flu (California Department of Public Health) The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) today confirmed two California residents have died from the H1N1 flu. One individual was a middle-aged man from San Bernardino County. The other was a middle-aged woman from Los Angeles County. Both had pre-existing medical conditions.
H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu): Resources for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CDC) New page with links to two American Sign Language Videos.
DHS Announces Guidance for More Than $500 Million in Recovery Act‑Funded Preparedness Grants (DHS) The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today released application guidance for more than $500 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) preparedness grants for fire station construction, port and transit security—funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
PharmAthene Submits Proposal to BARDA in Response to Broad Agency Announcement for Advanced Research and Development for Valortim(R) (PRNewswire) PharmAthene, Inc., a biodefense company developing medical countermeasures against biological and chemical threats, today announced that it has submitted a proposal to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) in response to a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA-BARDA-09-34) for advanced research and development of medical countermeasures for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. PharmAthene has requested funding to further develop Valortim(R), a fully human monoclonal antibody, for the prevention and treatment of anthrax infection.
Tulane Receives $7.07 Million NIH Grant To Develop Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Detection Kits (Medical News Today) Researchers at Tulane University, in collaboration with Corgenix Medical Corporation, a worldwide developer and marketer of diagnostic test kits, have received a five-year $7,073,538 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for continued development of detection kits for Lassa viral hemorrhagic fever, a serious disease spread by contact with infected rodents.
Digital Library/Search Engine Created (UPI.com) U.S. researchers have created a digital library and search engine that now holds more than 1 million journal articles and can be easily accessed by anyone.
Global Body Lifts Age Limit on Beef Trade with Respect to BSE+ (AP/PDD.net) The World Organization for Animal Health adopted a resolution Friday lifting cattle age limits for beef exports and imports with regard to mad cow disease, a move likely to strengthen U.S. pressure on Japan to import beef from older cattle.
DHS Cybersecurity Staff Named (HSToday) Prior to Tuesday's nomination hearing of Rand Beers to become the undersecretary of Homeland Security for National Protection and Programs, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano named a slate of cybersecurity appointments to the directorate Monday.
June 2, 2009
Swine Flu Is No Typical Pandemic As WHO Tries to Reassure World (Bloomberg) The World Health Organization is caught between a virus and a hard place. The agency, having spent the past five years alerting the world to the dangers of a pandemic, is now looking for a way to declare one without causing panic.
U.S. Swine Flu Cases Hit All 50 States (Reuters) Cases of the new H1N1 flu virus have been found in all 50 U.S. states and tests have confirmed the virus in more than 10,000 people across the nation, U.S. officials said on Monday.
MedImmune Wins Key Contract to Develop Swine Flu Vaccine (The Washington Post) Federal health officials, racing to respond to a potential swine flu pandemic that has already sickened thousands of people around the world, yesterday awarded a major contract for a vaccine to Gaithersburg-based MedImmune.
Review of Government Secrecy Ordered (The Washington Post) President Obama directed his national security adviser and senior Cabinet officials yesterday to examine whether the government keeps too much information secret. In a memo, Obama acknowledged that too many documents have been kept from the public eye for years and affirmed that he remains "committed to operating with an unprecedented level of openness."
National Preparedness: FEMA Has Made Progress, But Needs to Complete and Integrate Planning, Exercise, and Assessment Efforts (GAO) While most policies (41 of 50) that define roles and responsibilities have been completed, such as the National Response Framework, 68 percent (49 of 72) of the plans to implement these policies, including several for catastrophic incidents, are not yet complete. As a result, the roles and responsibilities of key officials involved in responding to a catastrophe have not been fully defined and, thus, cannot be tested in exercises.
Nonhuman Primates Are Protected from Smallpox Virus or Monkeypox Virus Challenges by the Antiviral Drug ST-246 (AAC) ST-246, a potent orthopoxvirus egress inhibitor, is safe and effective at preventing disease and death in studies of small-animal models involving challenge by several different pathogenic poxviruses. In this report, the antiviral efficacy of ST-246 in treatment of nonhuman primates infected with variola virus or monkeypox virus was assessed.
Climate Talks Move into Next Phase (AP/Google News) Negotiators from 181 countries began work on the first draft of a new global warming treaty Monday, calling it a good beginning despite complaints it was unbalanced and incomplete.
North Korea Dangers Lurk Whatever Nuclear Test Result (Reuters) The jury is still out on the size and success of North Korea's nuclear test, but the May 25 blast could give any proliferation plans Pyongyang might have a marketing boost no matter how it measures up.
Cyberspace Policy Review: Assuring a Trusted and Resilient Information and Communications Infrastructure (whitehouse.gov) Cyberspace touches practically everything and everyone. It provides a platform for innovation and prosperity and the means to improve general welfare around the globe. But with the broad reach of a loose and lightly regulated digital infrastructure, great risks threaten nations, private enterprises, and individual rights.
June 1, 2009
Influenza A (H1N1) - update 42 (WHO) As of 06:00 GMT, 1 June 2009, 62 countries have officially reported 17,410 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 115 deaths.
2008-2009 Influenza Season Week 20 Ending May 23, 2009 (CDC) During week 20 (May 17 - 23, 2009), influenza activity decreased in the United States, however there are still higher levels of influenza-like illness than is normal for this time of year.
CSL Biotherapies Contracts with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to Provide Novel A (H1N1) Influenza Vaccine Antigen (BusinessWire) CSL Biotherapies, Inc. announced today that it has signed a contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide Novel A (H1N1) influenza vaccine antigen in bulk form to support HHS’ pandemic influenza preparedness efforts. The initial order under contract will be for an amount of at least $180 million.
2009 H1N1 Influenza A Virus (USDA) Soon after the emergence of the H1N1 virus in April 2009, ARS scientists at the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, began research using virus samples provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The first step was to evaluate whether current U.S H1N1 swine influenza vaccines can protect pigs from infection with the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus circulating in people.
New Malaria Agent Found in Chimpanzees Close to that Commonly Observed in Humans (ScienceDaily) Researchers based in Gabon and France report the discovery of a new malaria agent infecting chimpanzees in Central Africa. This new species, named Plasmodium gaboni, is a close relative of the most virulent human agent P. falciparum.
Making Hospitals Safe in Emergencies: Country Examples (WHO) WHO is urging governments, health providers, civil society, donors and the public to do what they can to improve emergency preparedness of health facilities.
J. Craig Venter Institute Awarded $43 Million, Five Year Contract from NIAID to Continue to Develop and Provide Sequencing, Genotyping, and Bioinformatics Expertise and Services in Infectious Diseases (PRNewswire) The J. Craig Venter Institute announced today that they have been awarded a $43 million, five year contract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, as one of their Genomic Sequencing Centers for Infectious Diseases. Led by co-principal investigators, William Nierman, Ph.D., and Robert Strausberg, Ph.D., the contract will enable JCVI to continue to expand its decades-long expertise in infectious diseases and human genomics by providing important genomic services to the broader scientific community.
Gilbane Completes Construction Management Services for Tufts University Regional Biosafety Lab (Boston/SF) Gilbane recently completed construction of the $31-million New England Regional Biosafety Laboratory (NE-RBL) at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. The NE-RBL is one of 13 level-3 and level-2 regional biosafety laboratories to be constructed in strategic locations around the U.S. by the National Institutes of Health.
10 Facts on Neglected Tropical Diseases (WHO) About 1 billion people are affected by one or more neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). These diseases are named "neglected" because they persist exclusively in the poorest and the most marginalized populations.
Malaria Vaccine Could Be Available by 2011: Report (newKerala.com) Advanced trials of a new mosquito medicine that began in Africa last week could lead to the world's first malaria vaccine becoming available as soon as 2011, a newspaper reported Monday.
HIT Policy and Standards Committees Commence Work on National Health Information Infrastructure (ANSI) Two Federal Advisory Committees formed under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 met for the first time last week to begin their work in guiding the advancement of health information technology (HIT) for the United States.
Spring Health IT Summit Addresses How Open Source Can Serve as a Viable and Cost Effective Solution for Health Care (PRWeb) The Collaborative Communications Summit announces that Misys Open Source Solutions and other healthcare leaders will present a panel on how open source technology is gaining traction as an effective and viable health IT solution for care providers at the upcoming Spring CCS Health IT Summit taking place this June 16th -17th, 2009 in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Egypt Mufti Issues Fatwa on Use of WMD (BBC News) Grand Mufti of Egypt Ali Gomaa said using such weapons would violate Islamic teachings as Muslims as well as non-Muslims could be killed. He issued the religious ruling, or fatwa, following reports that the use of such weapons was legitimate, the state news agency Mena said.
U.S., Russia Begin New Round of Nuclear Arms Talks (AFP/Yahoo! News) Russia and the United States on Monday began a fresh round of talks on renewing a key Cold war-era nuclear arms reduction treaty that expires at the end of the year.
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