Recent News

By Region: South Asia

First vaccine against dengue found to work in Thailand trial

(Los Angeles Times) The world’s first vaccine against the dengue virus has been shown to protect against three of the four strains of the virus in a trial in Thailand, the vaccine’s maker announced this week. The vaccine actually generated antibody responses against all four strains of the virus, but for some reason, one strain Read More »

July 26, 2012
| Filed under Asia/Pacific, North America, South Asia, Public Health, and Research
Share

WHO offers some guidance on risky H5N1 studies

(CIDRAP) The World Health Organization (WHO) has offered some brief, general guidance on safety and security in research on laboratory-modified H5N1 viruses, mainly stressing that researchers should follow existing guidelines and gain authorization from their governments. The one-page guidance document, posted recently on the WHO Web site, was prompted by the recent controversy over the Read More »

July 24, 2012
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, Public Health, and Research
Share

UN, OIE call for more controls on rinderpest virus

(AFP) ROME — The UN’s food agency and the OIE called on countries on Monday to comply with a 2011 global moratorium and destroy potentially dangerous rinderpest virus samples or put them into safe storage. The deadly animal virus, which caused cattle plague, was the second viral disease in history to be wiped out after Read More »

July 24, 2012
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, and Policy & Initiatives
Share

Keeping Biological Weapons In Check In Malaysia

(Bernama) The antrax attack on United States in 2001 still serves as a grim reminder that the threat of bio-terrorism of bio-warefare is real. Biological agents can be used to kill people or spread panic. The Biological Weapon Report issued by Bio Weapons Prevention Project 2004, recorded seven deaths with 17 people being infected by Read More »

July 18, 2012
| Filed under South Asia and Bioterrorism
Share

MOH to trace those who have been in contact with girl who died of H5N1

(Straits Times) An eight-year-old Indonesian girl who had Avian flu developed a fever when she came here on vacation last month. She died two weeks later, prompting health authorities to swing into action in order to trace all those she might have been in contact with. A Ministry of Health (MOH) statement on Tuesday afternoon Read More »