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By Category: Public Health

Putting Asia on alert as bioterrorism risk grows

(South China Morning Post) A global infectious disease outbreak involving a lethal pathogen – whether spread through a deliberate attack or originating from natural sources – could claim millions of lives and cause severe economic damage. It is essential not only to mitigate the consequences of a pandemic, but also – with respect to deliberate Read More »

November 20, 2012
| Filed under Asia/Pacific, North America, Bioterrorism, International, and Public Health
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Study finds how bacteria inactivate immune defenses

(EurekAlert) A new study by researchers at Imperial College London has identified a way in which Salmonella bacteria, which cause gastroenteritis and typhoid fever, counteract the defence mechanisms of human cells. One way in which our cells fight off infections is by engulfing the smaller bacterial cells and then attacking them with toxic enzymes contained Read More »

November 16, 2012
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, Public Health, and Research
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WSU scientists find new way for antibiotic resistance to spread

(EurekAlert) Washington State University researchers have found an unlikely recipe for antibiotic resistant bacteria: Mix cow dung and soil, and add urine infused with metabolized antibiotic. The urine will kill off normal E. coli in the dung-soil mixture. But antibiotic-resistant E. coli will survive in the soil to recolonize in a cow’s gut through pasture, Read More »

November 16, 2012
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, Public Health, and Research
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Bioterrorism remains real threat a decade after Anthrax attacks, expert says

(NJ News) Even though the 2001 Anthrax attacks are still commemorated at the Hamilton mail sorting facility that handled at least four letters containing the deadly spores, memory of the bioterrorism campaign that killed five people just weeks after 9/11 has faded in the broader public consciousness. And that in itself could be dangerous, says Read More »

November 16, 2012
| Filed under North America, Biological Weapons, Bioterrorism, and Public Health
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SA scientists study deadly disease

(KSAT) For the past 12 years, scientists at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio have been studying some of the most infectious diseases on the planet. Every day, scientists work with these deadly viruses in an effort to find vaccines to prevent their spread. Working inside a lab with deadly viruses like Ebola, Read More »