Recent News

By Category: Policy & Initiatives

DARPA Develops Tiny Helpers To Spot Bioterror Attacks

(InformationWeek) The government might soon have at its disposal highly sensitive gas analyzers that can detect chemical or biological attacks, atomic clocks the size of chips, and micro-vacuum tubes. A group of researchers funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently developed a new class of powerful, tiny vacuum pumps that could be Read More »

June 14, 2013
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, Biological Weapons, Bioterrorism, Policy & Initiatives, Public Health, and Research
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You Say Potato, I Say Double-Stranded RNA

(ScientificAmerican) Amidst the outrage, puzzlement and theories caused by the finding of genetically-modified wheat in an Oregon field, USDA is considering whether to commercialize another dinnertime staple–the potato. Last month, Idaho-based J.M. Simplot asked the Agriculture Department to grant a deregulated status for a new variety of potatoes genetically engineered to reduce bruising and develop Read More »

June 13, 2013
| Filed under North America, Agriculture, Policy & Initiatives, Public Health, and Research
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House Slashes Bioweapon Detection Funds, Citing Upgrade Delays

(GlobalSecurityNewswire) The U.S. House of Representatives last week rejected an $11.1 million funding boost requested by President Obama in the coming budget cycle for a federally operated network of biological-weapon agent sensors. Legislation approved by the chamber would instead provide $79.5 million for the Biowatch program in fiscal 2014, essentially holding spending at the level Read More »

June 13, 2013
| Filed under North America, Bioterrorism, Countermeasures, and Policy & Initiatives
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WHO simplifies pandemic alert system after criticism

(Health24) The World Health Organisation on Monday published a new plan on how to alert the world to possible flu pandemics, following harsh criticism of its handling of the H1N1 swine flu pandemic in 2009. The UN’s health agency said it had simplified its alert system and redefined what constitutes a pandemic to put more Read More »

June 12, 2013
| Filed under Asia/Pacific, Europe, North America, Countermeasures, International, Policy & Initiatives, and Public Health
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Background mortality rates key to accurate reporting of vaccine safety risks

(ScienceDaily) In a study using the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), investigators analyzed four years of data and determined that background mortality rates (rates of death irrespective of cause) are crucial in interpreting the numbers of deaths following vaccination. The VSD mortality rate following immunization is lower than the general US population mortality rate, and the Read More »