Recent News

By Category: Countermeasures

Russia Argues For Keeping Smallpox Strains

Russia’s top public health official argued it is too soon to eliminate the world’s last known strains of smallpox held in his country and the United States, Interfax reported yesterday (see GSN, Jan. 24). Smallpox was declared eliminated from nature in 1980. Russia and the United States have asserted they should be allowed to retain Read More »

February 25, 2011
| Filed under Europe, Agents & Toxins, and Countermeasures
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Harris Corp. awarded $9 million Army contract to boost biodefense

The U.S. Army recently signed a $9 million deal with Harris Corp. to bolster the army’s biological defense capabilities; Harris will provide the Army’s Joint Biological Point Detection System (JBPDS) with its advanced Falcon II AN/PRC-150 high-frequency radio system; the radio system is capable of detecting and identifying biological warfare agents and will automatically send Read More »

February 25, 2011
| Filed under North America, Biotechnology, and Countermeasures
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New Pathogen Detection Test Dramatically Reduces Wait Times

An Illinois based pharmaceutical company, recently introduced Plex-ID, a new detection system that can accurately identify seventeen different dangerous biological pathogens; the system fills a critical gap in detection capabilities as it can analyze direct samples like blood, food, water, or air filters and provide results in less than eight hours; current blood and tissue Read More »

February 24, 2011
| Filed under North America, Countermeasures, and Research
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HHS to Boost Smallpox Antiviral Stocks

A branch of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department is preparing to deliver a request for proposals for 1.7 million doses of a smallpox antiviral treatment, biodefense firm SIGA Technologies announced on Monday. The total order from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority could be expanded to as many as 12 million additional Read More »

February 23, 2011
| Filed under North America, Countermeasures, and Public Health
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Lawmaker Seeks New Anthrax Mailings Probe

U.S. Representative Rush Holt on Tuesday introduced legislation that would create a panel to review the 2001 anthrax mailings as well as the federal handling of the incidents (see GSN, Feb. 15). A National Academy of Sciences panel on the same day released a report questioning the conclusiveness of genetic evidence the FBI used to Read More »