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By Category: Public Health

H5N1 Transmission in Ferrets

(Clinicians’ Biosecurity News) Fears of an impending H5N1 influenza pandemic have existed since the first cases of human infection appeared 15 years ago. A pandemic could occur only if the virus acquired mutations that made it more adept at transmission among humans. Two recent and controversial studies have raised the spectre of increased mammalian droplet Read More »

May 11, 2012
| Filed under Europe, North America, Agents & Toxins, Public Health, and Research
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Advanced genetic screening method may speed vaccine development

(ScienceDaily) Vaccines remain the best line of defense against deadly pathogens and now Kathryn Sykes and Stephen Johnston, researchers at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute, along with co-author Michael McGuire from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center are using clever functional screening methods to attempt to speed new vaccines into production that are both Read More »

May 10, 2012
| Filed under North America, Countermeasures, Public Health, and Research
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Neurosurgeon pulled off cruise after fake bioterrorism tweet

(Houston Chronicle) A Nashville neurosurgeon was pulled off a Carnival cruise suspected of planning to commit a bio-terrorist attack, after a tweet from an impostor account claimed the doctor had a vial of harmful bacteria on board. Dr. Jack Kruse was on the Carnival Magic cruise ship Sunday about to set off from a Galveston Read More »

May 10, 2012
| Filed under North America, Bioterrorism, and Public Health
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Free Disaster Preparedness Online Training Course

(Press Release) Health Care Compliance Strategies, Inc. (HCCS) announced today that in response to continued recent devastating natural and man-made disasters, it will extend free unlimited access to the HCCS online training course, “Bioterrorism and Disaster Preparation” for an additional year. “HCCS CARES” allows any healthcare administrator or staff member to register for the course Read More »

May 9, 2012
| Filed under North America, Bioterrorism, Countermeasures, and Public Health
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Baltimore region to start bioterror drill Tuesday

(Maryland Community News Online) Residents of the greater Baltimore region might see local health officials preparing for a major bioterrorist event this week, but have no fear, it’s only a drill. An exercise planned for Tuesday and Wednesday will test the emergency readiness of local health departments by staging a hypothetical outbreak of anthrax and Read More »