Archive for Week of June 8, 2009

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June 8 | June 9 | June 10 | June 11 | June 12

June 12, 2009
 

2009 H1N1 Influenza
Influenza A (H1N1) - Update 48 (WHO) As of 07:00 GMT, 12 June 2009, 74 countries have officially reported 29,669 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 145 deaths.

Statements by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano on WHO Decision to Declare Novel H1N1 Virus Outbreak a Pandemic (DHS News Release) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano issued the following statements today in response to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) decision to raise the pandemic threat level on the novel H1N1 virus.

Novartis Produces First Batch of Swine Flu Vaccine (Yahoo! Finance) Swiss pharmaceuticals company Novartis AG said Friday it has produced a first batch of experimental swine flu vaccine, a day after the World Health Organization declared the disease a pandemic.

Officials Say Swine Flu Vaccine May Not Be Ready by Fall (Newsday/Physorg.com) As the World Health Organization declared a global flu pandemic Thursday, raising the alert to its highest level, federal health officials said it was unclear whether an effective vaccine would be available by fall.

Use of Revised International Health Regulations During Influenza A (H1N1) Epidemic, 2009 (EID) Strong international health agreements and good planning created a structure and common procedure for nations involved in detection and evaluation of the emergence of influenza A (H1N1).

New Flu Has Been Around for Years in Pigs: Study (Reuters) The new H1N1 virus, which has caused the first pandemic of the 21st century, appears to have been circulating undetected among pigs for years, researchers reported on Thursday.

Biological Agents and Epidemic Diseases
Dengue Takes Serious Turn (Daily News) [Sri Lanka] The number of deaths from Dengue has risen to 127 by yesterday. Over 9,000 persons have been infected with dengue so far, a Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said. He said this is the highest number of dengue deaths since 2000.

Climate Models Predict Dengue Epidemics (UPI.com) U.S. and Costa Rican scientists say they've developed the first climate-based computer model that can predict dengue fever outbreaks in Costa Rica.

Poultry is No. 1 Source of Outbreaks, Report Says (The New York Times) Poultry was the most commonly identified source of food poisoning in the United States in 2006, followed by leafy vegetables and fruits and nuts, according to a report released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Government Affairs
Regional Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research Funded by NIH (Medical News TODAY) A consortium of research centers in the Tri-state Region, including Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, has received a $46 million grant to conduct research on emerging infectious diseases.

Other 21st Century Threats
SKorea Braces for 3rd Nuclear Test by North Korea (AP/Google News) South Korea was bracing for a possible third nuclear test by the North, which a U.S. official said was likely despite looming U.N. sanctions on the communist state for its previous test in May.

Russia Military Says Needs 1,500 Warheads: Report (Reuters) Russia must keep at least 1,500 nuclear warheads after talks with the United States on a new arms treaty, Interfax news agency quoted the commander of Russia's Strategic Nuclear Forces as saying Wednesday.

June 11, 2009
 

2009 H1N1 Influenza
World Now At the Start of 2009 Influenza Pandemic (WHO Press Conference) Ladies and gentlemen, in late April, WHO announced the emergence of a novel influenza A virus. This particular H1N1 strain has not circulated previously in humans. The virus is entirely new.

Influenza A (H1N1) - Update 46 (WHO) As of 06:00 GMT, 10 June 2009, 74 countries have officially reported 27,737 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 141 deaths.

Free Swine Flu Jabs for 2.5m (The Standard) A HK$700 million human swine flu (H1N1) vaccination program is to be rolled out for 2.5 million people before the new flu season strikes.

Public Health Preparedness and Response
HHS Secretary Sebelius Releases New Report on Health Disparities (HHS.gov) U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released a new report on health disparities in America and participated in a White House Health Care Stakeholder Discussion on the importance of reform that reduces disparities that exist in our current health care system.

Countermeasures
Emergent Gets Anthrax Vaccine Expiry Date Extension (Reuters) Emergent Biosolutions Inc. said the U.S. health regulator approved an extension of expiry date for its anthrax vaccine to four years from three years, sending its shares up as much as 11 percent.

SIGA Tech Proposal Selected for Funding (tradingmarkets.com) SIGA Technologies, Inc., a company specializing in the development of pharmaceutical agents to fight biowarfare pathogens, was informed by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency that its Phase II proposal entitled "Therapeutic Countermeasures Against CDC Category A and B Threat Agents" has been selected for an award of funding.

Other 21st Century Threats
Cybersecurity Tops Priorities for DHS' Research and Development Arm (nextgov) The Homeland Security Department's science and technology office plans to triple spending on cybersecurity research and development, the acting undersecretary told Congress on Tuesday, with most of the additional funds n President Obama's fiscal 2010 budget request focusing on new ways to protect the nation's critical infrastructure, including transportation and the electric grid.

June 10, 2009
 

2009 H1N1 Influenza
H1N1 'Very Close' to Pandemic (AP/USA Today) The World Health Organization said Tuesday a spike in swine flu cases in Australia may push it to finally announce the first flu pandemic in 41 years. It also expressed concern about an unusual rise in severe illness from the disease in Canada. WHO's flu chief Keiji Fukuda said the agency wanted to avoid "adverse effects" if it announces a global outbreak of swine flu. Fukuda said people might panic or that governments might take inappropriate actions if WHO declares a pandemic.

Egypt Extends Dorm Lockdown After H1N1 Spreads (Reuters) Egypt extended a quarantine of 234 people inside a dormitory at the American University in Cairo on Tuesday, ordering them isolated for a week after five more residents tested positive for the H1N1 flu, the university said.

Every Child in Scotland to Be Vaccinated Against Swine Flu (DailyRecord.co.uk) EVERY Scots child could be vaccinated against swine flu by the end of the year. International evidence suggests youngsters are particularly vulnerable to the effects of the virus.

Government Affairs
Senate HS Committee Approves Beers Nomination (HSToday) On Monday, June 8, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee unanimously approved the nomination of Rand Beers to be under secretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Global Health and Biosecurity
Asia-Pacific Biosecurity Officials Meet in Philippines (Earth Times) Asia‑Pacific health and security officials gathered in the Philippines Wednesday to discuss efforts to mitigate biological threats in the region.

Other 21st Century Threats
Climate Change Forces New Migration Response-Study (Reuters) Climate change will force millions of people to leave their homes to flee rising seas and drought over the coming decades, requiring a new plan for mass migration, said a report published on Wednesday.

June 9, 2009
 

2009 H1N1 Influenza

Influenza A (H1N1) - Update 45 (WHO) As of 06:00 GMT, 8 June 2009, 73 countries have officially reported 25,288 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 139 deaths.

How a Mild Virus Might Turn Vicious (The New York Times) The swine flu virus is rapidly making its way around the world, but it has been relatively mild so far, causing only 139 confirmed deaths. Could it mutate into something more lethal?

Strategies to Assist Parents Manage Children's Worries over the H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) (Medical News TODAY) Acknowledging children's concerns and reinforcing children's coping are two key strategies to assist parents in managing their children's worries over the H1N1 flu (swine flu), reports the Australian Psychological Society (APS).

Funding for Research on the H1N1 Flu Virus Announced by Government of Canada (Medical News TODAY) The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, is pleased to announce another measure to address the H1N1 flu virus. The Government of Canada will fund a national influenza research network focused on pandemic vaccine evaluation.

National Security
Bristol Terror Suspect had 'Concerning Interest in Germ Warfare' (bristol.com.uk) A muslim convert suspected of intending to detonate a suicide bomb in Broadmead also displayed a concerning interest in germ warfare, a court heard.

Pandemic and Avian Influenza
Japan Explores Using Cell Phones to Stop Pandemics (AP) A few months from now, a highly contagious disease will spread through a Japanese elementary school. The epidemic will start with several unwitting children, who will infect others as they attend classes and wander the halls.

Is This a Pandemic? Define ‘Pandemic’ (The New York Times) After decades of warnings about the inevitability of another pandemic of influenza, it is astonishing that health officials have failed to make clear to the public, even to many colleagues, what they mean by the word pandemic.

Science and Biosecurity
NIAID Renews Funding for National Emerging Infectious Diseases Research Network (Eureka Alert!) The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, today announced renewed funding for 10 previously established Regional Centers of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research (RCE).

CDC, NIH to Start Genomic Applications Network (GenomeWeb News) The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health is developing a genomics network that will attempt to integrate genomic information into medicine and public health.

Global Health and Biosecurity
Scholars Define Global Health, Call for Partnerships Between Developed and Developing Countries (e! Science News) Despite increasingly frequent references to global health from media, scholars and students, the term is rarely defined. And when it is defined, it is often merely a rephrased definition of public health or an updated definition of international health.

WHO Recommends Global Use of Rotavirus Vaccines (Medical News TODAY) The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that rotavirus vaccination be included in all national immunization programmes in order to provide protection against a virus that is responsible for more than 500,000 diarrheal deaths and two million hospitalizations annually among children.

Other 21st Century Threats
Iran Increases Number of Centrifuges to 5,000 (Homeland Security Newswire) Iran's march toward the bomb accelerates; IAEA released a report on Friday saying that Iran has increased the efficiency of its production of low-enriched uranium, boosting its stockpile by 500 kg to 1,339 kg in the past six months.

June 8, 2009
 

2009 H1N1 Influenza
Bipartisan WMD Panel Criticizes Obama Plan to Fund Flu Vaccine (The Washington Post) President Obama's contingency plan to help finance production of a swine flu vaccine with funds set aside to develop defenses against biological attacks would weaken the nation's preparedness for terrorism, the leaders of a bipartisan commission on weapons of mass destruction said yesterday.

U.S. Mayor Quarantined in Shanghai (BBC) New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is being held in a Shanghai hotel, after a passenger on his flight from the US fell ill with suspected swine flu.

CDC's Chief Vows Intense Fight Against New Flu (The Wall Street Journal) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will continue to focus intensively on the new H1N1 flu virus as it prepares for the virus's possible return in full force in the fall, the agency's new director said.

Australian Swine Flu Count Breaks 1,000 as Victoria Cases Surge (Bloomberg) The number of confirmed swine flu cases in Australia rose to more than 1,000 today, as federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon said the government expects the virus to spread across the country.

Biological Agents and Epidemic Disease
Researchers Develop the First Climate-Based Model to Predict Dengue Fever Outbreaks (e! Science News) Dengue Fever (DF) and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) are the most important vector-borne viral diseases in the World. Around 50-100 million cases appear each year putting 2.5 billion people at risk of suffering this debilitating and sometimes fatal disease.

Government Affairs
Health, Climate Change Vie for Boost in U.S. Congress (Reuters) Barack Obama may be pressuring Congress as no U.S. president has for decades as he aims to get two big domestic goals passed this year -- reforming health care and fighting global warming.

Other 21st Century Threats
North Korea Bans Ships from Coastal Waters (AP/Google News) North Korea has warned fishermen and boat captains to stay away from the country's east coast, Japan's coast guard said Monday, in another sign the communist regime is planning to fire more missiles after its recent nuclear test.