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By Category: Agents & Toxins

Dual Use Research

(The New York Academy of Sciences) The two papers describe two genetically engineered mutant strains of the avian influenza virus H5N1. The described mutant viruses are easily capable of mammal-to-mammal transmission in a ferret model, thus raising the threat of feasible and dangerous …

February 27, 2012
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, and Research
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Publish lethal flu virus work, says WHO

(New Scientist) BATTLES continue over whether or not to publish research in which H5N1 bird flu transmitted readily among mammals. Last week, a group of flu virologists, public health experts from countries where H5N1 circulates, bioethicists and the World Health Organization advised that the work should be published – even though the top US biosecurity Read More »

February 23, 2012
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, Agents & Toxins, International, Policy & Initiatives, and Research
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Immunovaccine’s delivery platform to be tested in fight against bioterrorism

(TheChronicleHerald.ca) The company said preliminary research with an anthrax antigen demonstrates the DepoVax-based vaccine was able to raise antibody levels exceeding those of traditional delivery platforms. “Persisting high antibody levels were induced within four weeks …

February 15, 2012
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, Bioterrorism, Countermeasures, and Research
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Decision time for researchers of deadly bird flu

(Reuters) When 22 bird flu experts meet at the World Health Organization (WHO) this week, they will be tasked with deciding just how far scientists should go in creating lethal mutant viruses in the name of research. The hurriedly-assembled meeting is designed to try and settle an unprecedented row over a call to ban publication Read More »

February 15, 2012
| Filed under Europe, North America, Agents & Toxins, International, Policy & Initiatives, and Research
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Bioterrorism Funding Withers As Death Germs Thrive In Labs, Nature

(Huffington Post) The overlap of bioterrorism agents and emerging infectious disease also means that officials could defend against biological attacks and natural outbreaks in tandem. Laura Kahn, a research scholar at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, recalls being “dumbstruck” when she made the realization. “It seemed like this Read More »