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By Category: Countermeasures

Exposed to Anthrax? In the Future, Your Shirt Could Provide Early Warning

(Nextgov) The Pentagon wants clothing and industrial paint to be built with covert chemical warfare detectors, so that it can better anticipate threats such as anthrax, a defense solicitation reveals. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the unit charged with reducing threats from biological warfare and nuclear weapons, is expressing “significant interest in materials that physically Read More »

May 16, 2012
| Filed under North America, Biological Weapons, Bioterrorism, Countermeasures, Policy & Initiatives, and Research
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Tool Could Aid in Prioritizing Vaccine Preparation

(Global Security Newswire) A computer program unveiled on Thursday by the U.S. National Academies’ Institute of Medicine includes a formula that could be used by official planners and others in choosing possible future vaccines to pursue through unilateral and multilateral initiatives, the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy reported. The institute created the system Read More »

May 15, 2012
| Filed under North America, Countermeasures, Policy & Initiatives, and Public Health
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Approval Process Could Sink WMD Defense Bill

(Global Security Newswire) A bill intended to carry out expert advice on countering biological terrorism and other WMD threats is “almost assured of failure” in Congress as a result of self-interested legislators, former Senator Bob Graham (D-Fla.) told the Huffington Post last week. The House Homeland Security Committee backed the “WMD Prevention and Preparedness Act Read More »

May 15, 2012
| Filed under North America, Biological Weapons, Bioterrorism, Countermeasures, and Policy & Initiatives
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BioThreat is Huge as is Profit Potential for PositiveID Corporation

(SmallCap Network) Everything about BioWatch Gen-3 is huge. The amount budgeted is huge: $3 billion over the next five years from the Department of Homeland Security. That is comforting as the threat from biochemical agents and other biothreats is huge. Corporations involved such as Northrop Grumman are huge. And the opportunity for PositiveID Corporation is Read More »

May 14, 2012
| Filed under North America, Bioterrorism, Countermeasures, and Policy & Initiatives
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Smallpox: the facts

(OUPblog) On this day in 1496, British doctor Edward Jenner administered the first smallpox vaccination to James Phipps, an eight-year-old boy. To mark the anniversary, we speak with Martin S. Hirsch, MD, FIDSA. Dr. Hirsch is editor-in-chief of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, professor of infectious diseases and Read More »