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Center for Biosecurity in the News: 2010

Links appear for content that is available online indefinitely. 

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August 2010

August 4, 2010
Pregnant women to get anthrax jab. Emerging Health Threats Forum.
Dr. Eric Toner comments about CDC's updated guidelines that call for vaccinating pregnant women against anthrax following an aerosolized attack: “The vaccine would only be used after an B. anthracis release and then the risk/benefit equation is very clear . . . Whatever tiny risk to the mother or fetus there might be from the vaccine would be greatly outweighed by the risk of dying from inhalational anthrax."

August 3, 2010
Committee recommends a sequence-based system for identifying pathogens, by Meredith Wadman. Nature.
Dr. Gigi Kwik Gronvall comments about a National Academies proposal to classify pathogens by genetic sequence: "It would actually decrease regulatory clarity."

August 3, 2010
Report urges genetic IDs for bioterror germs, by Steve Sternberg. USA Today.
Dr. Gigi Kwik Gronvall notes that classifying select agents by their gene sequences as well as by their scientific names would "put the onus on DNA synthesis companies to follow up if someone orders a sequence that might be dangerous."
  

July 2010

July 26, 2010
How to plan for improvised nuclear devices. Science and National Security. Host: Randy Larsen. Federal News Radio.
Dr. Thomas Inglesby provides an overview of the Center for Biosecurity of UPMC’s conference on surviving a nuclear detonation, and the importance of taking protective actions immediately following a blast. Listen to the webcast

July 13, 2010
Former Senators criticize possible cut to BioShield funds, by Martin Matishak. Global Security Newswire.
Dr. Brad Smith comments about potential cuts to the program: “Bioshield is a critical national security program that should be properly supported and funded.”

 
June 2010

June 26, 2010
Documents show vast cleanup of Plum Island land. Associated Press/ABC News.
With regard to pathogenic research on Plum Island, Dr. Gigi Kwik Gronvall comments: “I'd say it's extremely unlikely that any pathogens could have been released.”

June 24, 2010
U.S. boosts biodefense funding in new budget, by Rachel Oswald. Global Security Newswire.
A report published by Center for Biosecurity of UPMC is mentioned in this article.

June 21, 2010
Bioterror countermeasures should be local, Science and National Security. Host: Randy Larsen. Federal News Radio.
Ms. Brooke Courtney discusses the state and local role in responding to a biological attack. Listen to the webcast

June 14, 2010
Biosecurity struggles between safe and secure, Science and National Security. Host: Randy Larsen. Federal News Radio.
Dr. Gigi Kwik Gronvall discusses safety and security of laboratories. Listen to the webcast

June 5, 2010
World Health Organization scientists linked to swine flu vaccine makers; Investigation raises questions about WHO's handling of H1N1 pandemic, by Todd Neale. Medpage Today /ABC News.
Dr. D.A. Henderson weighs in on criticism about the WHO guidelines for the use of antivirals and vaccines for H1N1: “Each national body and expert group is more comfortable ascribing mistakes in strategy or policy to someone else. WHO is a handy whipping post. I would characterize this focus on WHO as a 'cheap shot.'“

June 3, 2010
WHO says H1N1 flu still a pandemic: international agency says swine flu is still infecting people, but virus is past peak, by Lauren Cox. ABCNEWS.com
In response WHO’s announcement that H1N1 influenza remains pandemic, Dr. D.A. Henderson comments "The 'pandemic' refers to the large numbers of influenza epidemics occurring coincident with the spread of the new strain."
  

May 2010

May 28, 2010
Age profile of H1N1 cases sparks discussion of 'original antigenic sin,' by Robert Roos. CIDRAP News.
A letter written by Drs. Amesh Adalja and D.A. Henderson that was published in Emerging Infectious Diseases is mentioned in this article.

May 20, 2010
New strategy may be last shot to get rid of polio, by Maria Cheng. Associated Press.
In response to the unveiling of a new strategy to eradicate polio, Dr. D.A. Henderson comments, “I'm not sure how the new strategy differs from the ones adopted in 2007, 2004, and 1999.”

May 17, 2010
Growing public interest in genetic science sparks some bio-security concerns, by Stew Magnuson. National Defense Magazine.
Dr. Gigi Kwik Gronvall comments about do-it-yourself biology, “I would take a wait-and-see approach to DIY-bio. There are many more positive aspects to it than negative.”

May 11, 2010
The death of a disease, by D.A. Henderson. Global Health Magazine.
Dr. D.A. Henderson authors an article that recounts the World Health Organization’s global smallpox eradication campaign.

May 5, 2010
The man who defeated smallpox, by David Hoffman. Foreign Policy.
Dr. D.A. Henderson discusses the World Health Organization’s global smallpox eradication program and his book titled Smallpox—The Death of a Disease.

April 2010

April 22, 2010
WMD chairs analyze house WMD bill, by Mickey McCarter. Homeland Security Today.
A study conducted by the Center for Biosecurity of UPMC is mentioned in this article.

April 20, 2010
The fire next time, by William Matthews. Government Health IT.
Surveying the current state of biosurveillance efforts, Jennifer Nuzzo notes that there are “hundreds of separate surveillance programs that serve a range of purposes. Many are duplicative or have overlapping missions, and most are not interoperable.”

April 13, 2010
Bioterrorism decontamination could cost trillions, report warns. Global Security Newswire.
Article refers to a report on decontamination published by the Center for Biosecurity of UPMC.

April 12, 2010
A campaign shows signs of progress against polio, by Celia W. Dugger. The New York Times.
Dr. D. A. Henderson is quoted in this article.

April 6, 2010
Guinea worm a greater challenge than smallpox, by Madison Park. CNN.
Dr. D. A. Henderson comments about Guinea worm eradication efforts: "I am persuaded that the Guinea worm effort is entirely possible…It's going to be difficult because most of the problem is in southern Sudan where there is lot of hostility and fighting."

April 2, 2010
Obama administration scraps quarantine regulations, by Alison Young. USA Today.
Ms. Jennifer Nuzzo comments about proposed federal quarantine regulations and the U.S. government’s decision to withdraw and revise them: "They probably learned during H1N1 that this hope of preventing diseases from entering the country by stationing people at airports is unrealistic."

April 1, 2010
Plan expert: CDC made 'serious mistake' on N95s. Hospital Infection Control.
Dr. Eric Toner discusses the practicality of CDC's recommendation that healthcare workers wear N95 masks during the H1N1 pandemic: "There were not enough — and still are not enough — N95 respirators to be used in the way that the guidance recommended . . . There was no opportunity for hospitals to buy enough N95s to follow the guidance. So even if they wanted to [follow the guideline] there was no way to do it. The CDC made a judgment that N95s were the highest degree of protection. I wouldn't necessarily argue with that, but what good is making a guideline that can't be followed?"

April 1, 2010
Other duties suffered but IPs rose to occasion. Hospital Infection Control.
Dr. Eric Toner discusses how the H1N1 pademic affected hospitals' infection control activities: "Typically, infection control departments in hospitals can be one person or sometimes two . . . If they are doing a lot of work with a pandemic they don't have time to do other things."

April 1, 2010
HHS unveils strategy for disaster response. Emergency Department Management.
Dr. Eric Toner remarks about the National Health Security Strategy and the need for greater coordination of disaster planning: "In my hospital I worked on my response plans, but I did not know what others were doing, what the state or the federal government was doing," Toner says. "We need more local collaboration — collaboration that's really transparent — with other hospitals, and then close planning and exercise work with our state, neighboring states, and the federal government."

April 1, 2010
H1N1 pandemic legacy may be mandatory flu shots for health care workers. Hospital Infection Control.
Dr. Eric Toner talks about the safety of the H1N1 vaccine: "They put in a monitoring process that didn't exist before, but in terms of testing the vaccine they used the same procedures and methodologies they use each year."

  
March 2010

March 9, 2010
Security experts urge better preparation for health catastrophes, Daily Herald (Chicago).
The Center for Biosecurity of UPMC is mentioned in this article.

March 5, 2010
Biggest swine flu regret for us: vaccine chaos, by Maggie Fox. Reuters.
The Center for Biosecurity of UPMC is mentioned in this article.
  

February 2010

February 22, 2010
Tragedy of individual Haitians risks overshadowing chronic health problems, by Alfred Sommer. Washington Post.
Dr. D. A. Henderson is mentioned in this article. 

February 5, 2010
Health agency plans summit on U.S. biological threat preparations, by Martin Matishak. Global Security Newswire.
Dr. Eric Toner discusses the development of countermeasures against bioterrorism threats, "What we've not been able to do is get those countermeasures through what's called the advanced development phase to a drug that can then be licensed. We're batting zero in that regard."
  

January 2010 

January 19, 2010
Analysis: swine flu is not just a hoax by big pharma, by Debora Mackenzie. New Scientist.
Dr. D.A. Henderson comments about the 1957 flu epidemic, "A quarter of Americans had flu, and there were excess deaths. But for one watching from close range, it did little more than disrupt school football schedules."

January 17, 2010
Delaware health: officials warn of swine flu resurgence; Asian flu of 1957 serves as a cautionary tale, by Hiran Ratnayake. The News Journal. (Wilmington, DE)
Dr. D.A. Henderson notes the similarities between the 1957 flu pandemic and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, "It was remarkably similar to the one we're seeing today… It's almost like you're running the same film a second time."

January 8, 2010
Budget strips more than $600 million from Bioshield program, by Martin Matishak. Global Security Newswire.
Dr. Brad Smith offers insight on federal funding for Project Bioshield, "From a company's perspective, if they're going to enter into this long-term investment of their time and resources, I think it's appropriate for them to have some confidence that the government will actually have money available to buy [WMD countermeasures]."

Press Contact: Molly D'Esopo  
Phone 443-573-3307
Fax 443-573-3305
Email: molly_desopo@upmc-biosecurity.org