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By Category: Public Health

Hepatitis A virus discovered to cloak itself in membranes hijacked from infected cells

(ScienceDaily) Viruses have historically been classified into one of two types — those with an outer lipid-containing envelope and those without an envelope. For the first time, researchers at the University of North Carolina have discovered that hepatitis A virus, a common cause of enterically-transmitted hepatitis, takes on characteristics of both virus types depending on Read More »

April 5, 2013
| Filed under North America, Countermeasures, and Public Health
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Strong biosecurity measures required in response to influenza A(H7N9) virus – Reuters AlertNet

National PostStrong biosecurity measures required in response to influenza A(H7N9) virusReuters AlertNet5April 2013, Rome – Responding to the occurrence of the A(H7N9) influenza virus in China requires strong biosecurity measures, FAO said today. Unlike other influenza strains, including highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1, this new virus is hard to …China ramps up response to bird Read More »

April 5, 2013
| Filed under Public Health
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Can Repurposed Cancer Drugs Counter Bioterror Threats?

(ScienceDaily) A Saint Louis University researcher has received a contract worth up to $980,000 to see if two cancer medications have the potential of protecting U.S. troops from biological agents that could be unleashed during an attack.

April 4, 2013
| Filed under North America, Countermeasures, and Public Health
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USDA Doing More “Species Testing” on Imported Beef

(FoodSafetyNews) The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food safety unit is going to do more “species testing” on imported beef products from Iceland, Ireland, Poland, Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom, but it will be doing more screenings than detailed DNA analyses, it says. In addition, USDA will be conducting species testing on more imported ground Read More »

April 4, 2013
| Filed under North America and Public Health
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Fighting listeria and other food-borne illnesses with nanobiotechnology

(EurekAlert) Engineering researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a new method to kill deadly pathogenic bacteria, including listeria, in food handling and packaging. This innovation represents an alternative to the use of antibiotics or chemical decontamination in food supply systems. Using nature as their inspiration, the researchers successfully attached cell lytic enzymes to food-safe Read More »