Recent News

By Category: Agents & Toxins

The Effect of Anti-lethal Toxin Antibodies on Anthrax Mortality

(Clinicians’ Biosecurity News) The traditional mortality from inhalational anthrax at the beginning of the 20th century was often reported as 90%, but it was 45% following the 2001 anthrax letter attacks. This marked reduction in mortality likely occurred because of improvements in the care of critically ill patients. That a high mortality rate persists despite Read More »

April 16, 2012
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, Bioterrorism, Countermeasures, Public Health, and Research
Share

Group outlines botulinum toxin treatment

(UPI.com) A U.S. working group made recommendations for medical and public health professionals if botulinum toxin is used as a biological weapon against civilians. Dr. Stephen S. Arnon of the Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program and colleagues at the California Department of Health Services, Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies, Johns Hopkins University Schools of Read More »

April 12, 2012
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, Bioterrorism, Public Health, and Research
Share

Ebola expert to give presentation on virus in Hamilton

(The Missoulian) In the summer of 1976, van der Groen was a 33-year-old biochemist and research assistant at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Belgium. Reports of an unknown infectious disease led him and a team of scientists to the central African nation of Zaire, now named the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Near the Read More »

April 9, 2012
| Filed under Africa, North America, Agents & Toxins, International, Public Health, and Research
Share

Warming climate reveals links to infectious disease

(The Daily Climate) He predicts temperatures and rainfall will have an “overwhelming” effect on tick-borne disease. Strong winds could spread anthrax. West Nile virus is susceptible to changes in temperature and rainfall. Baylis noted that outbreaks of these diseases have not been common. In a 2008 study of 335 human disease outbreaks between 1940 and Read More »

April 9, 2012
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, Agents & Toxins, International, and Public Health
Share

Lassa fever in Nigeria

(World Health Organization) At the beginning of 2012, WHO was notified by the Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria of an outbreak of Lassa fever. As of March 22, 2012, 623 suspected cases, including 70 deaths have been recorded from 19 of the 36 States since the beginning of the year. Laboratory analysis undertaken at Read More »