Biosecurity Briefing: On October 28, 2008, the Associated Press (AP) reported that Wal-Mart has pulled Select brand eggs from stores across China after chemical tests indicated that the eggs were tainted with melamine.
Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:09:16 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/international_biosecurity/2008-11-03-chinarecallsmelamineeggs.html
Biosecurity Briefing: Trust for America's Health released a report titled Germs Go Global: Why Emerging Infectious Diseases Are a Threat to America. The report examines factors contributing to the rising threat of infectious diseases.
Mon, 03 Nov 2008 21:49:54 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/international_biosecurity/2008-11-03-tfaheidthreatussecurity.html
Biosecurity Briefing: On October 16, 2008, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that it will participate in the newly established International Human Microbiome Consortium (IHMC).
Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:07:15 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/international_biosecurity/2008-10-27-nihintlhumanmicrobiome.html
Biosecurity Briefing: AFP reported that researchers at the World Conservation Congress in Barcelona announced that global warming is increasing the spread of pathogens among wildlife, and this could have serious effects on human health.
Mon, 20 Oct 2008 21:42:13 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/science_biosecurity/2008-10-20-climatelinkinfectiousdis.html
Biosecurity Briefing: Australian gov and U. of Queensland will collaborate in study of diseases that might affect agriculture. Mercury reported the death of a vet who was infected with a new variety of the Hendra virus while examining a dead horse.
Biosecurity Briefing: CDC survey assessed factors that affect the knowledge regarding H5N1 in Afghanistan. Novavax, Inc. announced positive results from the 2nd stage of human clinical trial of its pandemic flu virus-like particle vac candidate.
Biosecurity Briefing: The Lancet released a study describing the factors associated with H5N1 case fatality in Indonesia; those factors include symptoms, time to hospitalization, time to initiation of antiviral treatment, and several others.
Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:44:27 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/avian_pandemic_flu/2008/2008-08-25-indonesiastudyh5n1mortality.html
Biosecurity Briefing: On August 15, 2008, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a report indicating that clinical samples from the 2008 influenza season provide evidence of a high degree of resistance to the antiviral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu).
Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:32:51 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/avian_pandemic_flu/2008/2008-08-25-whooseltamivirresistsohemisphere.html
Biosecurity Briefing: On July 31, 2008, Eurosurveillance published a study about an ongoing Q fever outbreak in the Netherlands; as of July 24, 677 cases have been reported this year. In past years, relatively few cases of Q fever were reported.
Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:06:19 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/international_biosecurity/2008-08-18-qfevernetherlands.html
Biosecurity Briefing: The UN FAO reported H5N1 in Nigeria due to strain that is genetically different from strains in previous outbreaks in Africa. Also, Biota Holdings Limited issued a press release on second-generation of the antiviral drug zanamavir.
Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:56:58 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/avian_pandemic_flu/2008/2008-08-18-h5n1africa2ndgenzanamivir.html
Biosecurity Briefing: On July 21, 2008, the British House of Lords released a two-volume report, Diseases Know No Frontiers: How effective are Intergovernmental Organisations in controlling their spread?
Biosecurity Briefing: Annals of the Academy of Medicine of Singapore published an article by Indonesia Health Minister providing account of events that led the Indonesian government to cease its practice of sharing viral isolates with WHO.
Biosecurity Briefing: Australia approves H5N1 vaccine Panvax, developed by CSL Limited; Sanofi to donate to WHO stockpile to help poor countries; HHS contracts to develop low-cost rapid diagnostic tests for influenza.
Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:38:02 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/avian_pandemic_flu/2008/2008-06-20-h5n1newsaustraliasanofihhs.html
Biosecurity Briefing: A Reuters article describes Indonesia's new avian influenza reporting policy, which will now require human cases of avian influenza to be reported once every six months rather than immediately upon recognition.
Fri, 13 Jun 2008 22:00:17 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/international_biosecurity/2008-06-13-indonesiareducesh5n1reportng.html
Biosecurity Briefing: The Times of India reported that a company in India has imported 200 doses of Biothrax, the only anthrax vaccine approved by the FDA. Xinhua News Agency reported that neighboring Bangladesh is expanding its bird flu prep programs.
Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:45:39 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/international_biosecurity/2008-06-13-indiaanthrxvacbangladesh.html
Biosecurity Briefing: On May 16, 2008, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a document that discusses options for human use of H5N1 influenza vaccine as well as options for use of the WHO H5N1 vaccine stockpile.
Fri, 23 May 2008 20:55:13 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/countrmeasr_dev/2008/2008-05-23-whoguideh5n1vacstock.html
Biosecurity Briefing: The Associated Press reported that GlaxoSmithKline has been granted a marketing license by the European Commission to begin distributing the first "pre-pandemic" influenza vaccine to hit the European market.
Fri, 23 May 2008 20:40:34 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/countrmeasr_dev/2008/2008-05-23-eulicenseprepanfluvac.html
Biosecurity Briefing: On May 16, 2008, health officials from Indonesia announced that the republic would begin sharing information about H5N1 cases with a new global database known as the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID).
Fri, 16 May 2008 20:44:05 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/avian_pandemic_flu/2008/2008-05-16-indonesiashareh5n1gisaid.html
Biosecurity Briefing: IOM released report, Antivirals for Pandemic Influenza: Guidance on Developing a Distribution and Dispensing Program. Toronto approved a plan to purchase antiviral medication to treat city employees in the event of flu pandemic.
Mon, 05 May 2008 16:45:31 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/international_biosecurity/2008-05-02-iomantiviraldistribution.html
Biosecurity Briefing: CIDRAP News reports the HHS stated that Indonesia appears to be linking the restriction of work at a U.S. laboratory in Jakarta with the ongoing international H5N1 virus-sharing impasse.
Biosecurity Briefing: Government-appointed experts backed a proposal for pre-pandemic vaccination of healthcare workers in Japan. S. Korea officials confirmed H5N1 at a fourth farm in Yeongam. Russia has had recent avian outbreaks in the Primorye region.
Biosecurity Briefing: On April 8, 2008, Nature News reported that the Chemical Weapons Convention is meeting from April 7-18 in The Hague, the Netherlands, to reassess the convention, "...emphasis will soon switch to preventing future production."
Biosecurity Briefing: Sinovac, a China-based biopharmaceutical company, announced approval of a production license in China for its human vaccine Panflu. Reuters reported that Vietnam has begun clinical trials on a human vaccine for H5N1 virus, VN1194.
Biosecurity Briefing: Agence France Presse reported that U.S. officials have created in Thailand's eastern province of Chachoengsao, a "regional" stockpile of personal protective and diagnostic equipment protective materials for battling avian influenza.
Fri, 28 Mar 2008 22:02:28 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/avian_pandemic_flu/2008/2008-03-28-usaidstockequipthailand.html
Biosecurity Briefing: The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported that an ongoing epidemic of dengue fever in Brazil has resulted in 32,000 infections and 49 deaths so far this year, with most cases occurring in Rio de Janeiro.
Fri, 28 Mar 2008 21:37:35 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/agents_diseases/vhf/2008-03-28-brazilstrugglescntldengue.html
Biosecurity Briefing: Reuters reported Vietnam will begin human trials of an H5N1 avian influenza vaccine. In related news, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization warns that the H5N1 virus could "mutate and cause a human influenza pandemic."
Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:43:23 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/international_biosecurity/2008-03-21-vieth5n1vactestindonesia.html
Biosecurity Briefing: The British Government released a statement announcing the first National Security Strategy of the United Kingdom. Prime Minister Gordon Brown presented the document to the House of Commons.
Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:36:49 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/international_biosecurity/2008-03-21-ukrelease1stnatlsecstrat.html
Biosecurity Briefing: The European Medicines Agency, equivalent of U.S. FDA, announced that it recommends "the authorization of...[Europe's] first 'pre-pandemic vaccine' for humans against influenza caused by the H5N1 virus."
Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:40:46 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/international_biosecurity/2008-03-07-1stprepanfluvaceulicense.html
Biosecurity Briefing: A series of articles published within the last week provide new insight on the challenges Uganda faced in trying to control a recent outbreak of Ebola.
Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:11:40 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/agents_diseases/vhf/2008-02-29-ebolaugandalookschallenges.html
Biosecurity Briefing: On Feb. 26, 2008, the WHO released the Fourth Global Report entitled Anti-Tuberculosis Drug Resistance in the World, which, "presents findings from the largest survey to date on the scale of drug resistance in tuberculosis."
Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:59:11 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/agents_diseases/other/2008-02-29-whofindsincreasedrugresisttb.html
Biosecurity Briefing: Bans lifted on poultry sales in West Bengal, India, following serious H5N1 flu outbreak in South Asia. Also, anthrax infection was confirmed in cows in West Bengal and two neighboring states.
Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:27:33 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/avian_pandemic_flu/2008/2008-02-15-anthraxbirdflubengal.html
Biosecurity Briefing: CDC reports seasonal flu more severe than last 2 years and a mismatch between this year's vac and two of predominant strains of flu. Europe reports unexpected emergence of H1N1 virus with a decreased sensitivity to oseltamivir.
Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:00:00 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/avian_pandemic_flu/2008/2008-02-15-fluvacmismatchresisteurope.html
Biosecurity Briefing: The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported that "some of the A (H1N1) viruses in circulation this winter are resistant to the antiviral drug oseltamivir (also know by the brand name Tamiflu)."
Fri, 01 Feb 2008 21:39:52 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/international_biosecurity/2008-02-01-tamifluresistancefound.html
Biosecurity Briefing: Canadian Press reports the WHO has created an electronic database to track the H5N1 influenza viruses provided to international laboratories. Also, authorities in Bengal, India admitted falling behind in H5N1 battle.
Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:53:24 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/avian_pandemic_flu/2008/2008-01-25-whotracksh5n1samplesindiacntrl.html
Biosecurity Briefing: Several news reports released this week highlighted a study published in the journal PLoS Medicine about the growing threat of plague. Plague is caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, and it is carried by rodents.
Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:39:59 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/agents_diseases/plague/2008-01-18-researchconcernplague.html
Biosecurity Briefing: PATH, an international, non-profit organization, announced a $39 million award from the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation to launch the rapid development of flu vaccines and "innovative vaccine technologies" for developing nations.
Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:35:13 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/avian_pandemic_flu/2008/2008-01-18-gatesawardsmillionsfluvac.html
Biosecurity Briefing: The Writing Committee of the Second WHO Consultation on Clinical Aspects of Human Infection with Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus published a review article in the NEJM providing updated info on human cases of H5N1 infection.
Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:22:11 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/avian_pandemic_flu/2008/2008-01-18-whoupdateh5n1infections.html
Biosecurity Briefing: On December 18, 2007, the Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that health officials in Indonesia are investigating "several recent cases" of H5N1 avian influenza in humans who did not have contact with infected birds.
Fri, 21 Dec 2007 20:46:54 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/international_biosecurity/content/2007-12-21-indonesiainvestigatesoutbreakh5n1humans.html
Biosecurity Briefing: Reuters reported that at least 22 people have died and up to 93 have been infected with Ebola in Uganda as of 12-06-07. This outbreak is believed to be caused by "a previously unrecorded type of Ebola, making it a fifth strain."
Fri, 07 Dec 2007 21:50:00 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/international_biosecurity/content/2007-12-07-ugandaseekscoordresponseebola.html
Biosecurity Briefing: On November 26, 2007, Reuters reported that last week's talks held by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva failed to yield an agreement from the Republic of Indonesia to resume sharing H5N1 influenza virus samples.
Mon, 03 Dec 2007 19:02:04 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/avian_pandemic_flu/content/2007/2007-11-30-noagreewhoindonesiashareh5n1samples.html
Biosecurity Briefing: WHO issued a report about an outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of September 11, WHO was "aware" of 372 suspected cases and 166 deaths suspected to be associated with the outbreak.
Biosecurity Briefing: On August 23, 2007 the World Health Organization (WHO) released its 2007 World Health Report on global public health threats in the 21st century. The report focuses on the increasing threat from infectious diseases.
Fri, 31 Aug 2007 19:28:43 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/international_biosecurity/content/2007-08-31-whofindsinfectiousdisphsecuritythreat.html
Biosecurity Briefing: The European Commission released its Green Paper on Bio-Preparedness to "stimulate a debate and launch a process of consultation at [the] European level on how to reduce biological risks, and to enhance preparedness and response."
Fri, 24 Aug 2007 20:43:00 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/international_biosecurity/content/2007-08-24-eureleasesgreenpaperbio-prep.html
Biosecurity Briefing: On June 22, 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the launch of its new Global Multi Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and Extremely Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB) Response Plan.
Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:26:47 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/international_biosecurity/content/2007-06-22-who_responseplandrugresistanttb.html
Biosecurity Briefing: The World Health Organization reported that the United Kingdom Health Protection Agency has confirmed that 4 individuals exposed to infected poultry in Conwy, Wales have tested positive for infection with the H7N2 influenza virus.
Fri, 01 Jun 2007 21:53:38 GMThttp://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/avian_pandemic_flu/content/2007/2007-06-01-waleshumanh7n2infection.html
