Recent News

By Category: Agents & Toxins

Plants provide accurate low-cost alternative for diagnosis of West Nile Virus

(EurekAlert) While the United States has largely been spared the scourge of mosquito-borne diseases endemic to the developing world—including yellow fever, malaria and dengue fever—mosquito-related illnesses in the US are on the rise. One pathogen of increasing concern in the U.S. is an arbovirus known as West Nile. Now Qiang “Shawn” Chen, a researcher at Read More »

October 25, 2012
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, and Research
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DHS issues updated guidance for responding to a wide-area anthrax attack

(GSN) DHS has issued an updated version of its previously-published guidance for protecting first responders during the first week following a wide-area aerosol anthrax attack. “Protective measures addressed in the guidance include medical countermeasures (i.e., drugs, vaccine), personal protective equipment (PPE), and other possible work practices,” explains a Federal Register notice published by DHS on Read More »

October 25, 2012
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, Policy & Initiatives, and Public Health
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U.S. Says Opportunity Missed on Enhancing Biowarfare Pact Activities

(Global Security Newswire) The United States on Monday said an opportunity had been missed “to do something new” during a recent review conference on the Biological Weapons Convention, “reflecting … concern about the lack of a verification mechanism,” according to a press release from the U.N. First Committee. The BWC accord prohibits the production, stockpiling Read More »

October 25, 2012
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, Biological Weapons, and Policy & Initiatives
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Migratory birds can spread haemorrhagic fever

(EurekAlert) A type of haemorrhagic fever that is prevalent in Africa, Asia, and the Balkans has begun to spread to new areas in southern Europe. Now Swedish researchers have shown that migratory birds carrying ticks are the possible source of contagion. The discovery is being published in the US journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Read More »

October 24, 2012
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, North America, Agents & Toxins, International, Public Health, and Research
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Four Districts Put On High Risk Marburg Alert

(All Africa) Musanze, Gicumbi, Nyagatare and Burera districts that border Uganda are on high alert over the Marburg hemorrhagic fever. Efforts are being intensified to ensure that the outbreak of the highly contagious deadly disease doesn’t spread to Rwanda. Therese Mujawamariya, the Vice Mayor in charge of social affairs in Gicumbi District, yesterday said the Read More »