Recent News

By Category: Public Health

The Technology Corner: 3 Companies That Could Eradicate Ebola Virus

(OneMedPlace) To the scientific community, the Ebola virus is one of the most noxious pathogens identified to date. To the general population, the virus is dreadful, made especially frightening in pop culture. In addition to a high mortality rate of approximately 70 percent per case (average)1, the health deterioration caused by an Ebola infection is Read More »

April 25, 2012
| Filed under North America, Biotechnology, Countermeasures, Public Health, and Research
Share

U.S. Eliminates up to 2M Anthrax Vaccine Doses Yearly: Homeland Security

(Global Security Newswire) A senior U.S. Homeland Security Department official on Tuesday said the federal government eliminates as many as 2 million doses of stockpiled anthrax vaccine that have passed their expiration date, Fierce Homeland Security reported. Anthrax vaccine doses are stored alongside other medical countermeasures against disease outbreaks and WMD attacks within the Strategic Read More »

April 23, 2012
| Filed under North America, Countermeasures, Policy & Initiatives, and Public Health
Share

Up to $48M of expired anthrax vaccine thrown out annually, says DHS official

(Fierce Homeland Security) Up to 2 million doses of expired anthrax vaccination worth $48 million gets thrown out annually from the federal stockpile, said a Homeland Security Department official during an April 17 congressional hearing. The Center for Disease Control stores anthrax vaccines as part of the Strategic National Stockpile of emergency medical countermeasures to Read More »

April 20, 2012
| Filed under North America, Countermeasures, Policy & Initiatives, and Public Health
Share

‘Toxic bracelet ruined my life’: Woman sectioned after suffering hallucinations and abscesses caused by jewellery

(Daily Mail) A 40-year-old British woman blames a ‘toxic’ bracelet she bought on eBay for ruining her life. During a two year period, Jo Wollacott, from Bridport, Dorset, suffered abscesses, hives and hallucinations; she lost her boyfriend, her job and her home and was even sectioned under the mental health act. Miss Wollacott thought her Read More »

April 20, 2012
| Filed under Europe, Agents & Toxins, and Public Health
Share

More efficient bioterrorism response plan

(Homeland Security NewsWire) In the event of a bioterror attack on a building (think: the 2011 anthrax attack on the offices of two Democratic Senators, Tom Daschle of South Dakota and Patrick Leahy of Vermont), the current approach to decontamination is to clean up the building until no pathogens can be detected; researchers suggest, however, Read More »