Archive for Week of June 15, 2009

Note: All links accessed and active on day of Biosecurity News in Brief publication.

June 15 | June 16 | June 17 | June 18 | June 19

June 19, 2009
 

2009 H1N1 Influenza
Influenza A (H1N1) V in the Southern Hemisphere – Lessons to Learn for Europe? (Eurosurveillance Editorial) Outside the tropics, influenza infections show seasonal patterns which depend on the latitude but appear not to be influenced by longitude.

Government Affairs
DHS Conducts Continuity of Operations Exercise (DHS News Release) The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted an exercise to test the readiness and capabilities of federal departments and agencies—coordinating with the White House—to execute their Continuity of Operations (COOP) plans today.

Public Health Preparedness and Response
FEMA Plans to Establish Emergency 'Base Camps' for 300 to 2,000 People (GSN) FEMA is planning to award a contract to a logistics and management company that could establish and operate one or two "base camps" that could provide food, shelter and basic needs to approximately 300-2,000 people in each camp, in the event that the president declares a disaster or emergency anywhere in the continental U.S.

Call to Protect Hospitals, Schools from Impact of Disasters (WHO News Release) 18 June 2009 GENEVA -- WHO and UNICEF today called on governments to strengthen risk reduction measures in four key areas so that health and education systems are able to cope with disasters, including the risks from climate change.

Global Health and Biosecurity
'H8' Meeting of Global Health Leaders Underway in Seattle (moldova.org) As part of what some are calling the "Davos of global health," four major global health gatherings are taking place in Seattle this week, the most exclusive of which is the Health 8, or H8, meeting that brings together the leaders of major international health organizations, the Seattle Times reports.

June 18, 2009
 

2009 H1N1 Influenza
Influenza A (H1N1) - Update 50 (WHO) Laboratory-confirmed cases of new influenza A (H1N1) as officially reported to WHO by States Parties to the International Health Regulations (2005). Cumulative and new figures are subject to revision. 17 June 2009 12:00 GMT

Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Infections Among Health-Care Personnel --- United States, April--May 2009 (MMWR) Soon after identification of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus infections in the United States in mid-April 2009, CDC provided interim recommendations to reduce the risk for transmission in health-care settings.

CDC Rejects Report of Mutant H1N1 Strain in Brazil (CIDRAP News) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other experts have rejected a report that a new strain of the novel H1N1 influenza virus has been identified in a Brazilian patient.

Sanofi Donates 100 Million Doses of Swine Flu Vaccine (Bloomberg) Sanofi‑Aventis SA will donate 100 million doses of swine-flu vaccine to the World Health Organization.

Experiment Suggests Swine Flu Can Transfer From Humans to Animals (guardian.co.uk) Government officials today warned that anyone with flu symptoms should stay away from pigs as evidence mounted that the present swine flu virus in humans could potentially infect the animals.

House Approves $8 Billion for Swine Flu Pandemic (ScienceInsider) The U.S. House of Representatives last night approved $7.65 billion in new money to respond to the swine flu pandemic.

Calif. Students Stuck in China Due to Swine Flu (AP/Google News) A group of ninth graders and teachers from a California private school has been quarantined in China after seven of them tested positive for swine flu on a school trip.

Biological Agents and Epidemic Diseases
9,200 Uncounted Vials Found at Army Biodefense Lab (AP/Google News) An inventory of deadly germs and toxins at an Army biodefense lab in Frederick found more than 9,200 vials of material that was unaccounted for in laboratory records, Fort Detrick officials said Wednesday.

NM Confirms 4^th Human Plague Case (AP/Denver Post) New Mexico health officials confirmed Tuesday that an 83-year-old Sandoval County woman is recovering at home after being hospitalized with the plague. The state Department of Health says it is the fourth human case of plague in New Mexico this year.

Government Affairs
House Panel Passes Food Safety Reform Bill (Reuters) A U.S. House Committee on Wednesday passed legislation that would increase government oversight of the U.S. food supply, which has been tarnished by a series of high-profile outbreaks since 2006.

In New Book, Former DHS Secretary Chertoff Warns About “Complacency,” Returning To A “September 10” Mindset (In Case Of Emergency, Read Blog) In his forthcoming book, former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, warns about the U.S. becoming complacent and returning to a “September 10 mindset.” But he is equally cautionary about going too far in the other direction.

Other 21^st Century Threats
North Korea May Fire a Missile Toward Hawaii (AP/Google News) North Korea may fire a long-range ballistic missile toward Hawaii in early July, a Japanese news report said Thursday, as Russia and China urged the regime to return to international disarmament talks on its rogue nuclear program.

U.S. Cybersecurity Chief Warns of 'Market' in Malware (Yahoo! Tech) More must be done to combat the lucrative trade in malicious software, which threatens sensitive government networks and personal data, the head of the US National Cybersecurity Center warned Tuesday.

Terror Drill: 'New York, You Have a Problem' (AP/Google News) The FBI was scrambling. Agents had intercepted information about a possible terrorist attack in Manhattan, including a diagram showing a mysterious device. The raw intelligence was relayed to experts in Washington, who offered a daunting diagnosis: "You have a problem."

June 17, 2009
 

2009 H1N1 Influenza
Antibodies Against H5 and H9 Avian Influenza Among Poultry Workers in China (NEJM) Human infection with the H5N1 or H9N2 avian influenza virus has been reported in the city of Guangzhou in southern China. To assess the risk of avian influenza virus infection among humans, a serologic surveillance study was conducted in Guangzhou.

Brazil Finds New Strain of H1N1 Virus (AFP/Breitbart.com) Brazilian scientists have identified a new strain of the H1N1 virus after examining samples from a patient in Sao Paulo, their institute said Tuesday.

Pregnant Women at High Risk of Complications from H1N1 Influenza (Medical News TODAY) With the H1N1 flu outbreak now elevated to pandemic level, a new article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) reports that oseltamivir (Tamiflu^®) and zanamivir (Relenza^®) are relatively safe drugs for use in pregnant and breast-feeding women. Pregnant women, especially those in the third trimester, are at high risk of serious complications from the H1N1 A influenza virus.

Kids May Be First in Line for Swine Flu Shots (AP/msnbc.com) Schoolchildren may be first in line for swine flu vaccine this fall — and might even be able to get the shot right at school. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is taking that possible scenario to school superintendents around the country, urging them to spend the summer planning what to do if the government decides it needs their buildings for mass vaccinations.

Biological Agents and Epidemic Diseases

Zika Virus Outbreak on Yap Island, Federated States of Micronesia (NEJM) In 2007, physicians on Yap Island reported an outbreak of illness characterized by rash, conjunctivitis, and arthralgia. Although serum from some patients had IgM antibody against dengue virus, the illness seemed clinically distinct from previously detected dengue. Subsequent testing with the use of consensus primers detected Zika virus RNA in the serum of the patients but no dengue virus or other arboviral RNA. No previous outbreaks and only 14 cases of Zika virus disease have been previously documented.

WHO Probes Report of Bubonic Plague in Libyan Town (Reuters) Libyan authorities have reported an outbreak of bubonic plague in the Mediterranean coastal town of Tubruq, and the World Health Organisation was sending a team to investigate, a WHO official said on Tuesday.

A 'Time Bomb' for World Wheat Crop (Los Angeles Times) The Ug99 fungus, called stem rust, could wipe out more than 80% of the world's wheat as it spreads from Africa, scientists fear. The race is on to breed resistant plants before it reaches the U.S.

Government Affairs
The FDA as a Public Health Agency by Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., and Joshua M. Sharfstein, M.D. (NEJM) A little more than a century ago, concerned about the potential dangers of food preservatives such as formaldehyde, Congress passed, and President Theodore Roosevelt signed, the Pure Food and Drug Act. The act sought to prevent the "manufacture, sale, or transportation of adulterated or misbranded or poisonous or deleterious foods, drugs, medicines, and liquors."

DHS Announces Nearly $1.8 Billion in Fiscal Year 2009 Preparedness Grants (DHS) U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced today nearly $1.8 billion in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) preparedness grants designed to help states, urban areas, tribal governments and non-profit agencies improve their readiness by enhancing protection, prevention, response and recovery capabilities for all disasters.

Countermeasures
GAVI’s AMC Hopes to Stimulate Vaccine Dev (in-Pharma Technologist.com) The GAVI Alliance has launched an advance market commitment (AMC), which is using a $1.5bn (€1.1bn) fund to ensure the supply of pneumococcal vaccine to developing countries at affordable prices.

Health Information Technology
Process Begins to Define “Meaningful Use” of Electronic Health Records (HHS.gov) Building on the historic $19 billion investment provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), efforts continued today to further the national adoption and implementation of health information technology (HIT) -- an essential tool to modernize the health care system and bring about improved health for all Americans.

Other 21st Century Threats
White House Releases Report on Climate Change (ScienceNews) Climate change is already having detrimental effects in the United States, and those effects are probably going to get worse, a new federal study suggests. The U.S. Global Change Research Program released the report, titled “Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States,” June 16 during a White House-hosted press conference.

June 16, 2009
 

2009 H1N1 Influenza
Influenza A (H1N1) - Update 49 (WHO) As of 17:00 GMT, 15 June 2009, 76 countries have officially reported 35,928 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 163 deaths.

Swine Flu Surges in Thailand (AP/Stuff.co.nz) Thailand's Public Health Ministry has confirmed 51 new cases of swine flu.

Flu Pandemic Deaths Linked to Poor Public Health (AP/Google News) The swine flu pandemic will demonstrate "in extremely tragic ways" the consequences of the failure to promote public health and ensure basic care during pregnancy and childbirth in developing countries, the head of the World Health Organization warned.

Government Affairs
Hill Support Builds for Homeland Security's Tech Budget (nextgov) House appropriators have approved most of what the Obama administration requested for Homeland Security technology programs and even gave it credit for "some hard decisions" not to seek money for certain efforts.

Global Health and Biosecurity
U.S. Faces Global Health Aid Dilemma (boston.com) President George W. Bush scored major advances in his administration's worldwide campaign against AIDS. In fact, some critics say he was so successful that other dire needs in poor countries were squeezed out by the relentless American focus on AIDS.

Other 21st Century Threats
Israel Suffered Massive Cyber Attack During Gaza Offensive (HAARETZ.com) Hackers launched an unprecedented attack on Israel's Internet infrastructure during the January military offensive in the Gaza Strip, and briefly paralyzed government sites, government officials said last week. The attack, which focused on government Web sites, was executed by at least half a million computers.

U.K. to Centralize Cybersecurity Functions (Homeland Security News Wire) Following President Obama's cybersecurty initiative, the U.K. government will move to centralize cyber security functions in Whitehall as part of an on-going major review of U.K. cybersecurity

Nuclear Terror Would Strain Day-After Bomb Sleuths (AP/Google News) If the unthinkable happened, would we be left on the day after, as radioactive dust settled, with the unknowable?

Obama to Host Lee as South, North Korea Spar Verbally (Bloomberg) When President Barack Obama hosts South Korean leader Lee Myung Bak for the first time today, his most urgent task will be to ensure a war of words with North Korea doesn’t break out into a firefight.

Asia Set to Become Biggest Climate Change Driver (AP/Google News) Asia's share of global greenhouse gas emissions could rise to more than 40 percent by 2030, making it the world's main driver of climate change, experts warned Tuesday.

June 15, 2009
 

2009 H1N1 Influenza

Swine Flu Strikes Mexico Tourism (BBC) Mexico says it is going through what is the biggest drop in its tourism revenue since records began in the 1980s because of the swine flu scare.

Flu Onset Exposed Supply Problems (The Boston Globe) The arrival of swine flu in the United States exposed gaps in the supply chain that delivers medication, masks, and even testing swabs to hospitals and doctors' offices - shortcomings that could prove vastly more worrisome if a deadlier strain returns in the fall, officials say.

U.S. Implements Vaccine Plans (The Boston Globe) Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says production of a swine flu vaccine is being set up in case a program is recommended.

Baxter Advances to Full-Scale Production of A/H1N1 Vaccine (Baxter) Baxter International Inc. announced today that it has completed testing and evaluation of the A/H1N1 influenza virus and is now in full-scale production of a commercial A/H1N1 vaccine using its Vero cell culture technology.

Novartis Just Says 'No' to Free Swine Flu Vaccine (LocalTechWire.com) With swine flu now an official pandemic, the race is on among drugmakers to produce a vaccine. However, Novartis is saying no to a World Health Organization request for free vaccines.

Countermeasures

Emergent BioSolutions Gets FDA Approval Extending Shelf Life of BioThrax to 4 Years (TradingMarkets.com) Emergent BioSolutions Inc. announced that its flagship product, BioThrax (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed), has been granted a shelf life extension from 3 to 4 years by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

   
SIGA Completes Nonclinical Toxicology Studies Supporting Safety in Humans for ST-246(r) (Globe Newswire) SIGA Technologies, Inc., a company specializing in the development of pharmaceutical agents to fight biowarfare pathogens, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") has advised that it does not anticipate requiring further nonclinical toxicology studies in support of an ST-246(r) NDA filing.
              

Science and Biosecurity

In the Fight Against Viruses, Alaska Has a New Headquarters (Newsminer.com) Herpes, HIV, rabies and influenza are a few of the diseases scientists at a laboratory in Fairbanks pin down by examining tens of thousands of specimens each year.

Other 21^st Century Threats

Assessing Medical Preparedness to Respond to a Terrorist Nuclear Event (IOM) It is no secret that terrorists have shown interest in acquiring and using weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons. While the United States has programs in place to stop terrorists from acquiring nuclear materials, deter other nations from helping them launch a nuclear attack, and intercept any attack before it can succeed, we still must consider the possibility that a nuclear attack will occur.

    
Tension Over North Korea's Uranium Plan (The Australian) North Korea's vow to start a new nuclear weapons programme based on enriched uranium will make the goal of denuclearisation even more daunting for the US and its allies, analysts say. The North, which for years adamantly denied any uranium enrichment plan, said Saturday it would start such a programme to bolster its nuclear arsenal in protest at new United Nations sanctions.