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By Region: Europe

Trapped in a Killing Field: MIT Study Suggests Travel Restrictions in the Event of an Epidemic

(ThePeoplesVoice) A study published in The Royal Society Interface by researchers at MIT may influence policy as to potential travel restrictions in an epidemic. The study suggests that such restrictions will slow the progress of a pandemic. What is implicit in the paper’s recommendations is that people may be confined—quarantined in fact—to a heavily affected Read More »

August 5, 2013
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, and Bioterrorism
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Cities Might Not Be as Prepared as They Think for a Bioterrorism Attack

(NationalJournal) Imagine that a small group of terrorists deliberately infect themselves with smallpox and then walk around London, spreading it to the populace. How much could the terrible disease proliferate before the world realized something was amiss? This unsettling question is at the heart of new computer model showing how a bioterrorism attack in one Read More »

July 26, 2013
| Filed under Europe, North America, Bioterrorism, and Policy & Initiatives
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A quick test for the Black Death

(EurekAlert) Diagnosing the presence of Yersinia pestis, the cause of plague, may soon be easier than ever before. Scientists working with Peter Seeberger, Director at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (MPIKG) in Potsdam and Professor at the Freie Universität Berlin, have come up with a simple, inexpensive and reliable method of detecting Read More »

July 25, 2013
| Filed under Africa, Europe, North America, Biotechnology, and Research
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Model reveals quick spread of potential bioterrorism attacks

(HeraldSun)Scientists at Northeastern University in Boston hypothetically released smallpox in London, New York, Paris, and other major cities, and then simulated it being carried by travellers to other countries. They published their findings in Scientific Reports, saying they believe a deliberate smallpox infection would spread to up to four countries before doctors diagnosed it.These maps Read More »

July 25, 2013
| Filed under Asia/Pacific, Europe, North America, Bioterrorism, and Research
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Does the dangerous new Middle East coronavirus have an African origin?

(EurekAlert) The MERS-coronavirus is regarded as a dangerous novel pathogen: Almost 50 people have died from infection with the virus since it was first discovered in 2012. To date all cases are connected with the Arabian peninsula. Scientists from the University Bonn (Germany) and South Africa have now detected a virus in the faeces of Read More »