Recent News

By Category: Agents & Toxins

A Decade in Biosecurity

(Biosecurity and Bioterrorism) Special feature of the journal Biosecurity and Bioterrorism now available. Open access to the articles in this feature is available until April 12, 2012. These peer-reviewed articles, authored by leaders in the field, describe the current state of affairs in biosecurity policy and practice, identify remaining challenges, and articulate priorities for the Read More »

March 30, 2012
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, Biological Weapons, Bioterrorism, Countermeasures, Policy & Initiatives, and Public Health
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Flu surveillance lacking

(Nature.com) When researchers created strains of the H5N1 avian influenza virus that could spread easily between mammals, they argued that their work would aid in surveillance, by identifying mutations to watch for in the wild. But an analysis by Nature paints a dire picture of how animal flu viruses are being monitored. In 2010, the Read More »

March 30, 2012
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, Agents & Toxins, Agriculture, International, and Public Health
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Bavarian Nordic May Seek Government Funding for Anthrax Vaccine

(Bloomberg) The company is using its MVA-BN technology to combine vaccines for anthrax and smallpox and offer protection against two major biological threats. The US National Institutes of Health funded studies of Bavarian Nordic’s Imvamune smallpox vaccine, …

March 22, 2012
| Filed under Europe, North America, Agents & Toxins, Countermeasures, International, and Research
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Moldova, U.S. Could Expand Nonproliferation Ties

(Global Security Newswire) “In my view, one of the most underrated dangers is the risk of biological weapons. One area of particular concern is Africa, where numerous deadly viruses exist in nature, such as Ebola and Marburg. They are easier to handle than nuclear material and harder to detect. Al-Qaeda has made no secret of Read More »

March 22, 2012
| Filed under Africa, Middle East, North America, Agents & Toxins, Biological Weapons, Bioterrorism, International, and Policy & Initiatives
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Rediscovered Native American remedy kills poxvirus

(Chemistry World) Smallpox has been eradicated, but the finding offers a possible treatment for poxvirus in the unlikely event of a bioterror attack or increased incidence of similar poxviruses such as monkey pox. Smallpox ravaged human populations for thousands of …