Tuesday, December 28, 2004

Agroterrorism – Agro-terror alert

Washington Times – Why agroterrorism needs to be taken more seriously. Posted on 12/28/04; 3:48:21 AM Edit

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Wednesday, December 22, 2004

Public Health – Experts Fear Slowing Momentum on Bioterror

Associated Press – Biological weapons experts, including the scientist who played a big role in eradicating smallpoe experts laud the increased spending government lavished on combatting biological threats in 2004, they sense momentum slowing as public attention and political will wane. Posted on 12/22/04; 4:29:00 AM Edit

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Friday, December 17, 2004

Public Health – Balancing ‘hysteria and suspicion’: Doctors face new responsibilities in ‘bioterrorism era’

[The Lancet] – The emergence of bioterrorism as a threat is creating new responsibilities for the medical community and, for the first time in history, is putting physicians at the forefront of managing disaster. Posted on 12/17/04; 5:29:54 AM Edit

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Anthrax – Pentagon Wants Anthrax Vaccine Authorized

Associated Press – The Pentagon is seeking emergency authority to resume administering the anthrax vaccine, saying troops in South Korea and the Middle East are at risk. Posted on 12/17/04; 5:26:55 AM Edit

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Thursday, December 16, 2004

Anthrax – Fast Response Best Strategy Vs Anthrax

Reuters [Nature] – Rapid response with antibiotics would be a more effective way of handling an anthrax terror attack than a pre-emptive mass vaccination program, according to an article published this week in Nature. More from the Associated Press. Posted on 12/16/04; 5:37:52 AM Edit

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Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Public Health – States slow to prepare for bioterror

Associated Press – U.S. states are slowly getting better prepared to handle bioterrorism, but most still do not have statewide response plans and federal funding is declining, according to a new report. Posted on 12/15/04; 5:31:52 AM Edit

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Smallpox – ‘I worry about a designed virus’

San Francisco Examiner – An interview with Dr. Larry Brilliant, who worked on the United Nations’ successful campaign to eradicate smallpox in the 1970s, and is a leading expert in the study of infectious diseases that can be used as bio-weapons. Posted on 12/15/04; 5:30:18 AM Edit

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Monday, December 13, 2004

Disease Surveillance – Health agency hires IBM to develop system to detect disease, bioterrorism

Canadian Press – Canadian health officials have turned to IBM to help develop a computerized early-warning system to detect outbreaks of infectious disease and bioterrorist attacks. Posted on 12/13/04; 5:40:42 AM Edit

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Saturday, December 11, 2004

Smallpox – Nations to stockpile smallpox vaccine

Associated Press – Mindful of the threat of a biological attack by terrorists, health ministers from developed countries joined forces Friday to press for the creation of an rapid-reaction center and the stockpiling of smallpox vaccines. Posted on 12/11/04; 2:30:10 PM Edit

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Anthrax – Doubts Are Raised on Push for Anthrax Vaccine

New York Times – In ordering a new $877 million anthrax vaccine last month, the federal government said it was a major step toward creating a “bioshield” to protect Americans from germ warfare. But delivering that protection may be difficult: the vaccine is unproven in humans, the maker has legal and accounting troubles, and health officials are not prepared to distribute the vaccine quickly if it is needed. Posted on 12/11/04; 2:28:48 PM Edit

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Friday, December 10, 2004

Disease Surveillance – BioWar: BioWatch response plans lacking

UPI – BioWatch, the Bush Administration’s effort to use a network of sensors to snatch early warning of a bioterror attack from the air, still lacks sufficient coordination with local officials, critics say. Posted on 12/10/04; 6:06:52 AM Edit

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Public Health – Thompson Warns of Global Bioterror Threat

Associated Press – A bioterroist attack is inevitable, according to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. Posted on 12/10/04; 6:05:50 AM Edit

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Thursday, December 9, 2004

Smallpox – A (Small) Pox on Thee

Technology Review – The U.S. continues to push the World Health Organization to open up frozen smallpox supplies for testing, which could lead to better viral vaccinations. Others fear that may put a deadly virus in the hands of terrorists. Posted on 12/9/04; 2:59:41 PM Edit

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Public Health – Web Can Quickly Spot Disease Outbreaks

Health Central [New England Journal of Medicine] – The ability of the Internet to serve as a sentry against emerging disease outbreaks continues to make its power known. Posted on 12/9/04; 2:59:08 PM Edit

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Ricin – Human trial of ricin vaccine planned in Texas

CIDRAP – Human testing of an experimental vaccine against the deadly toxin ricin will begin early next year at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Posted on 12/9/04; 2:58:16 PM Edit

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Tuesday, December 7, 2004

Agroterrorism – New FDA Rules Aimed at Bioterror Attacks

Associated Press – New rules announced Monday will make it easier to investigate a bioterror attack on the U.S. food supply, though they won’t change the underlying problem: the vulnerability of the nation’s food. Posted on 12/7/04; 5:45:06 AM Edit

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Sunday, December 5, 2004

Yersina Pestis – A Plague On Many Houses

News Wise – During its life cycle, Y. pestis, the infamous “Black Death” bacteria must survive the “bio” environment of a flea in order to explode in the vastly different human system. A team turned advanced robotic high-throughput technologies on Y. pestis, looking for weaknesses in this highly adaptable killer. Posted on 12/5/04; 4:27:07 AM Edit

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Vaccines – Buying a Front-Row Seat For a Future in Biodefense

Washington Post – A look at how tax breaks lead to BioPort’s decision to locate its new anthrax vaccine factory in Maryland. Posted on 12/5/04; 4:25:30 AM Edit

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Friday, December 3, 2004

Anthrax – Vaccination With Anthrax Capsule Protects Against Experimental Infection In Animals

Science Daily [Vaccine] – Vaccination with the anthrax capsule, a naturally occurring component of the bacterium that causes the disease, protected mice from lethal anthrax infection, according to scientists at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). In addition, the capsule enhanced the effects of protective antigen (PA), the protective component of the current licensed human vaccine. Posted on 12/3/04; 6:17:29 AM Edit

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Public Health – Is the United States Ready for a Bioterrorism Attack?

ABC – Has US preparedness against a bioterrorist attack improved since 2001? According to many experts, the answer is no. Posted on 12/3/04; 6:11:52 AM Edit

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Wednesday, December 1, 2004

Anthrax – Anthrax Vaccine Maker Developing Md. Plant

Associated Press – The nation’s only maker of a licensed anthrax vaccine cut the ribbon Tuesday for a new plant capable of producing 100 million doses annually for sale to federal, state, local and foreign governments. Posted on 12/1/04; 6:36:17 AM Edit

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Monday, November 29, 2004

Public Health -Flu crisis exposes large gaps in bioterrorism readiness

Chicago Tribune – Problems producing flu vaccines that raised the specter of a health crisis have highlighted the difficulties facing the U.S. government as it tries to counter terrorists who would attack America with bioweapons. Posted on 11/29/04; 3:08:33 AM Edit

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Research – Grass-roots backing for Biolab not taking hold

Boston Globe – With state environmental officials signing off on the project earlier this month, Boston Univeristy seems to be winning the permitting battle on the construction of its biodefense lab. But it is losing the PR war to convince residents that hosting the lab in their backyard will be a good thing. Posted on 11/29/04; 2:52:12 AM Edit

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Sunday, November 28, 2004

Editorial Note – Terrorism

Why the recent articles related to terrorism, and what does this have to do with biodefense, you may ask. From time to time I will link to articles on terrorism, to provide background on the individuals most likely to use biological agents as weapons in the future. Posted on 11/28/04; 3:32:50 AM Edit

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Terrorism – The Terror Web

New Yorker – Were the Madrid bombings part of a new, far-reaching jihad being plotted on the Internet? An excellent look into what Al-Qaeda is morphing into??? Posted on 11/28/04; 3:29:03 AM Edit

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Saturday, November 27, 2004

Terrorism – Bin Laden’s Vision Becoming Reality

Defense and the National Interest – An interesting evaluation of the current state of the war on terrorism. Posted on 11/27/04; 5:20:07 AM Edit

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Friday, November 26, 2004

Anthrax – Anti-Cancer Drugs May Improve Survival Rates from Biological Attacks

VOA – A possible new therapy for late stage anthrax infection. Posted on 11/26/04; 4:37:50 AM Edit

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Research – At Fort Detrick, a Lesson in No-Bid Contracting

Washington Post – When the Army’s infectious diseases center at Fort Detrick decided a decade ago that it needed more contract workers to supplement military and civilian staff in its labs, it turned to companies that specialized in such work. Then last year, those workers were surprised when officials at the Frederick base decided to shift the management of all their contracts to an Alaska Native Corporation whose parent company was best known at home for a failing cruise ship line. Posted on 11/26/04; 4:34:43 AM Edit

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Anthrax – ‘Stunning’ arms haul in Falluja

BBC – US marines combing the Iraqi city of Falluja after a major offensive say they found a house which contained a laboratory and instructions on how to make anthrax and blood agents. Posted on 11/26/04; 4:31:00 AM Edit

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Thursday, November 25, 2004

Disease Detection – Course trains ’select few’ to identify biological warfare agents in field laboratories

Fort Detrick Standard – A look at the Field Identification of Biological Warfare Agents course where students learn to set up, maintain, and operate a deployable laboratory under field conditions. Posted on 11/25/04; 5:13:30 AM Edit

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Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Terrorism – CIA says Iran, Qaeda pursued nuclear weapons

Reuters – The CIA believes al Qaeda’s biological warfare program is primarily focused on anthrax for mass casualty attacks. Posted on 11/24/04; 4:53:11 AM Edit

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Monday, November 22, 2004

Terrorism – Biological attacks ‘next terror step’

Australian Associated Press – Terrorist groups were using chemical and biological agents in their training and it was just a matter of time before they used them for war, Dr Rohan Gunaratna, the head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at Singapore’s Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies, said at a conference yesterday. Posted on 11/22/04; 5:11:35 AM Edit

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Public Health – City and F.B.I. Reach Agreement on Bioterror Investigations

New York Times – Judith Miller on how New York City and the FBI have reached an agreement on how future bioterrorism events will be investigated. Posted on 11/22/04; 5:07:58 AM Edit

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Saturday, November 20, 2004

Smallpox – Computer Modeling Helps Identify New Smallpox Drug Candidate

Medical News Today [Journal of Virology] – Using bioinformatics and computer modeling, researchers from North Carolina and Oregon have identified a new class of compounds that block a key step in the lifecycle of the smallpox virus and have little toxicity to human cells. Posted on 11/20/04; 3:59:06 AM Edit

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Smallpox – 7 recommendations on smallpox

The Scientist – When the World Health Organization’s (WHO) external advisory committee on smallpox recommended last week that WHO allow the two research teams still possessing the virus to insert a green fluorescent marker gene into it to test the efficacy of potential anti-smallpox drugs, the committee also made at least six other research recommendations, according to a WHO spokesman, including at least two that some researchers find controversial. Posted on 11/20/04; 3:57:14 AM Edit

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Thursday, November 18, 2004

Disease Surveillance – Global health alert network adds languages

Associated Press – A global system designed to spot bioterrorist attacks or new disease outbreaks became even more global Wednesday – it now gathers information in six more languages. More information from the Public Health Agency of Canada. Posted on 11/18/04; 5:51:40 AM Edit

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Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Anthrax – Anthrax Scare

Slate – Did the military secretly doctor its anthrax vaccine? A review and refutation of the claims made in the book “Vaccine A: The Covert Government Experiment That’s Killing Our Soldiers-and Why GI’s Are Only the First Victims.” Posted on 11/17/04; 5:00:00 AM Edit

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Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Public Policy – Flaw in federal program deters applicants for bioterrorism fund

Boston Business Journal – More descriptions of what is wrong with Project Bioshield. Posted on 11/16/04; 5:06:51 AM Edit

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Saturday, November 13, 2004

Smallpox – Warning Links Dryvax, Heart Inflammation

Associated Press – Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc. will add black box warnings linking its smallpox vaccine to heart inflammation, the government announced Friday. Posted on 11/13/04; 5:56:06 AM Edit

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Friday, November 12, 2004

Smallpox – W.H.O. Panel Backs Gene Manipulation in Smallpox Virus

New York Times – An advisory committee to the World Health Organization has recommended that Russian and American scientists be allowed to manipulate a gene in the smallpox virus for the first time to speed up discovery of drugs effective against the virus, the agency said today. More from Reuters. Posted on 11/12/04; 5:36:44 AM Edit

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Thursday, November 11, 2004

Anthrax – Standards for Anthrax Tests Developed

Associated Press – Scientists working for the government have developed standards to measure the accuracy of anthrax detection tests, hoping to steer first responders away from tests that have delivered too many false readings. Posted on 11/11/04; 5:52:49 AM Edit

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Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Anthrax – Anthrax kills Ugandan park hippos

BBC – An anthrax outbreak has killed at least 180 hippos in a national park in south-western Uganda, reports say. Posted on 11/10/04; 4:37:31 AM Edit

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Tuesday, November 9, 2004

Public Health – U.S. Short on Bioterror Resources

Washington Post – The United States remains woefully unprepared to protect the public against terrorists wielding biological agents despite dramatic increases in biodefense spending by the Bush administration and considerable progress on many fronts, according to government officials and specialists in bioterrorism and public health. Posted on 11/9/04; 6:11:17 AM Edit

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Anthrax – HHS to buy 5 million doses of licensed anthrax vaccine for stockpile

CIDRAP – The Department of Health and Human Service said last week that it plans to buy up to 5 million doses of the controversial anthrax vaccine currently used by the US military and put it in the national stockpile for civilian use. Posted on 11/9/04; 6:09:58 AM Edit

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Monday, November 8, 2004

Disease Surveillance – The Flu Hunters

New York Times Magazine – For Keiji Fukuda and Tim Uyeki, stalking the flu bug is riveting, if disconcerting, work. But what keeps them up at night is the idea that global politics may prevent them from knowing until it’s too late that a pandemic is brewing. Posted on 11/8/04; 3:50:17 AM Edit

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Friday, November 5, 2004

Anthrax – U.S. Awards Anthrax Vaccine Deal

Washington Post – The government awarded its first contract under the Project Bioshield program yesterday — an $877 million deal with a small California company to make 75 million doses of a newly developed anthrax vaccine. More information from CIDRAP. Posted on 11/5/04; 5:02:37 AM Edit

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Disease Surveillance – Surveillance system keeps a close eye on diseases in Hub

Boston Herald – A report from the National Syndromic Surveillance Conference. Posted on 11/5/04; 4:58:32 AM Edit

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Monday, November 1, 2004

History – Serratia has dark history in region – Army test in 1950 may have changed microbial ecology

San Franciso Chronicle – In 1950, government officials believed that serratia did not cause disease. That belief was later used as a justification for a secret post-World War II Army experiment that became a notorious disaster tale about the microbe. The Army used serratia to test whether enemy agents could launch a biological warfare attack on a port city such as San Francisco from a location miles offshore. Posted on 11/1/04; 3:51:20 AM Edit

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Sunday, October 31, 2004

Research – US says location of biolab is safe

Boston Globe – A federal draft environmental review of Boston University Medical Center’s proposed high-security biodefense laboratory says the facility as planned will be safe and have a negligible impact on the densely populated South End neighborhood around it. Posted on 10/31/04; 3:51:37 AM Edit

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Saturday, October 30, 2004

Anthrax – New Anthrax Test Offers Quick Results

Health Central – A look at the Anthrax Quick ELISA test. Posted on 10/30/04; 4:36:59 AM Edit

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Friday, October 29, 2004

History – Japan’s sins of the past

The Guardian – The memories of Japanese biological attacks on China in the 1940s are still fresh. Many Chinese want an apology. Posted on 10/29/04; 3:46:20 AM Edit

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Thursday, October 28, 2004

Anthrax – U.S. Barred From Forcing Troops to Get Anthrax Shots

Washington Post – The Defense Department must immediately stop inoculating troops with anthrax vaccine, a federal judge ruled yesterday, saying that the Food and Drug Administration acted improperly when it approved the experimental injections for general use. Posted on 10/28/04; 4:49:01 AM Edit

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Smallpox – Smallpox: A Disease of the Past or a Weapon of Tomorrow?

PR Newswire – Smallpox now represents a bigger threat than ever, according to a 2002 US Intelligence Review indicating potential interest of Al Qaeda in the virus. This fear has been endorsed by reports from Russian defectors concerning illegal production of virulent strains of the virus after all strains were supposedly destroyed. Posted on 10/28/04; 4:45:47 AM Edit

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Yersina Pestis – Plague in China’s Northwest Kills Eight

Associated Press – Eight Chinese villagers have died of plague in the country’s northwest, most of them infected after killing or eating wild marmots Posted on 10/28/04; 4:42:25 AM Edit

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Tuesday, October 26, 2004

Public Policy – Take action now on biological weapons before it’s too late, warns BMA

British Medical Association – More on how the British Medical Association paints a bleak picture of the global community’s ability to cope with advances in biological and genetic weapons technology. More from the BBC. Posted on 10/26/04; 5:16:24 AM Edit

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Monday, October 25, 2004

Vaccines – Vaccine production relies on quaint system

Associated Press – A firsthand look at the quaint system of producing flu vaccine, which is based on seasonal egg-laying and has harsh implications for what would happen if new batches had to be made in a hurry to fight a super-strain pandemic. Posted on 10/25/04; 1:53:33 AM Edit

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Public Health – U.S. Short on Bioterror Resources

Associated Press – Efforts to distribute the government’s stockpile of drugs and vaccines in the event of a biological attack would fall short in “the last mile” of distribution to state and local areas, according to a Democratic report critical of the Bush administration. Posted on 10/25/04; 1:51:22 AM Edit

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Sunday, October 24, 2004

Public Policy – Bioterror threat is growing, say medics

The Independent – The world faces a growing risk that terrorists will use new biological weapons created by genetic engineering, the British Medical Association will warn this week. Posted on 10/24/04; 2:36:01 AM Edit

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Anthrax – Six die in suspected anthrax case in Indonesia

Reuters – Six Indonesians died and eight were taken to hospital after eating goat meat in a suspected case of anthrax, a health official said on Saturday. Posted on 10/24/04; 2:34:41 AM Edit

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Saturday, October 23, 2004

Editorial Note – One last request for comments

Thanks to all of you who have sent your comments about the site. We’d still love to hear from a few more users who use BiodefenseEducation.org; specifically we’d love to learn how you use the site to help you in your daily work. Please take a minute to fill out our Comment Form — Thanks! Posted on 10/23/04; 5:15:08 AM Edit

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Friday, October 22, 2004

Yersinia Pestis – Breeding the Plague

Moscow Times – When the Black Death swept across Europe in the 14th century, it wiped out one-third of the continent’s population. Today, with terrorism spreading around the globe, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to call it a plague. Especially if plague were to become its weapon of choice, as it was for scientists in the Soviet Union. A review of the book entitled “Plague : The Mysterious Past and Terrifying Future of the World’s Most Dangerous Disease.” Posted on 10/22/04; 2:53:49 AM Edit

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Thursday, October 21, 2004

Disease Detection – Gene chip speeds pathogen detection

San Jose Mercury News – Affymetrix is using its sophisticated gene-chip technology to develop a test that will quickly alert researchers and emergency personnel to the presence of bioterrorist threats, such as anthrax or plague. Posted on 10/21/04; 5:20:32 AM Edit

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Anthrax – Five people treated in Namibia anthrax outbreak

Reuters – Five people in Namibia’s Caprivi strip region have been admitted to hospital with suspected anthrax, which has killed elephants, buffalo and zebras in the southwest African country. Posted on 10/21/04; 5:18:56 AM Edit

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Research – Fort Detrick gates getting high-tech security upgrade

Associated Press – Fort Detrick beefs up its security. Posted on 10/21/04; 5:17:28 AM Edit

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Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Editorial Note – Your Comments Are Requested

We are in the process of evaluating BiodefenseEducation.org, in order to help improve it for our users. Therefore, we would like to ask you to take a minute to fill out the Comment Form and share your thoughts with us. The more feedback we get, the better BiodefenseEducation.org becomes. Thanks in advance! Posted on 10/19/04; 8:33:57 PM Edit

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Saturday, October 16, 2004

Public Policy – Bioterror Defense Strategy Frustrates Industry

Associated Press – Project BioShield is falling short of the expectations set for it. However, many individuals are not surprised??? Posted on 10/16/04; 3:54:37 AM Edit

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Friday, October 15, 2004

Research – BU details security for planned biolab

Boston Herald – Boston University details the security it has planned for its proposed biodefense laboratory. Posted on 10/15/04; 4:40:21 AM Edit

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Wednesday, October 13, 2004

Smallpox – New Study on Smallpox in Monkeys Reveals Tactics of a Killer

NIH [Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences] – Results of a new study in monkeys offer scientists a rare glimpse of how, on a molecular level, the smallpox virus attacks its victims. The findings shed light on how the virus caused mass death and suffering, and will help point the way to new diagnostics, vaccines and drugs that would be needed in the event of a smallpox bioterror incident. More information from CIDRAP Posted on 10/13/04; 3:47:16 AM Edit

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Public Policy – US vulnerable to bioengineered pathogens (PDF format)

[Biosecurity and Bioterrorism] – The United States has improved its odds of defeating a biological attack from agents such as smallpox or anthrax, a report being released today concludes. But scientists and biotechnology specialists still think the nation is woefully ill-equipped to handle a more sophisticated — and, perhaps, more likely — terrorist attack using newer bioengineered germs or other unanticipated pathogens, according to the report by the Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Posted on 10/13/04; 3:45:48 AM Edit

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Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Smallpox – Topical cidofovir shows promise in treating vaccinia-infected mice

CIDRAP [Journal of Infectious Diseases] – The antiviral drug cidofovir is one of very few agents used to treat serious side effects of smallpox vaccination. In a recent study, a topical form of cidofovir worked better than an intravenous formulation to protect mice from the effects of vaccinia, the smallpox vaccine virus. Posted on 10/12/04; 2:59:52 AM Edit

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Anthrax – Prescriptions for antibiotics to prevent anthrax uncommon after the 2001 anthrax attacks

Medical News Today [Archives of Internal Medicine] – Prescriptions for antibiotics that could be taken in advance to prevent against anthrax were uncommon among concerned patients after September 11, 2001 and the 2001 U.S. anthrax attacks, according to an article in the October 11 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine. Posted on 10/12/04; 2:58:48 AM Edit

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Monday, October 11, 2004

Public Health – Quarantine: An idea whose time may have come again

American Medical News – This historic approach to infection-control may still have a role today, although the human rights implications are troubling. Posted on 10/11/04; 2:27:04 AM Edit

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Friday, October 8, 2004

Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers – Lassa fever case found in New Jersey

CIDRAP [Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report] – The first US case of Lassa fever since 1989 is a reminder that physicians need to consider exotic diseases when making diagnoses, noted the Oct 1 edition of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Posted on 10/8/04; 4:49:42 AM Edit

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Public Policy – Few attend BioShield II hearing

The Scientist – At a sparsely attended Senate hearing on potential improvements to the BioShield legislation signed into law in July, several pharmaceutical manufacturers pleaded for stronger liability protection, while an infectious disease expert urged a broadening of the provisions to encourage antibiotic development. Only a handful of senators attended the hearing off and on, as Congress is busily trying to finish its business before the election. Posted on 10/8/04; 4:49:22 AM Edit

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Thursday, October 7, 2004

Iraq – U.S. ‘Almost All Wrong’ on Weapons

Washington Post – The 1991 Persian Gulf War and subsequent U.N. inspections destroyed Iraq’s illicit weapons capability and, for the most part, Saddam Hussein did not try to rebuild it, according to an extensive report by the chief U.S. weapons inspector in Iraq that contradicts nearly every prewar assertion made by top administration officials about Iraq. Posted on 10/7/04; 5:51:33 PM Edit

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Wednesday, October 6, 2004

Smallpox – Significant progress in development of an animal model of smallpox that closely resembles human disease

News-Medical.net [Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences] – Scientists have made significant progress in developing an animal model of smallpox that closely resembles human disease, which will be necessary for testing of future vaccines and potential treatments. A study, published in this week’s online early edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to demonstrate that variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox, can produce lethal disease in monkeys. Posted on 10/6/04; 5:23:15 AM Edit

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Tuesday, October 5, 2004

Anthrax – Hatfill strikes back in Anthrax Case

NBC – For more than two years, Steven Hatfill has lived life in legal limbo. Publicly branded a “person of interest” in the anthrax case, he’s never been charged with any crime. Now Hatfill is striking back, in a libel lawsuit against one of his many armchair accusers. Posted on 10/5/04; 5:11:53 AM Edit

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Monday, October 4, 2004

Anthrax – Interest in Bioterror Issues Puts Doctor Under Scrutiny and His Life in Turmoil

New York Times – Kenneth M. Berry had become well known in some circles as a small-town emergency room doctor with a consuming interest in the threat of bioterrorism. He was also a bit of a puzzle, impressing some friends and associates with his high-placed biodefense connections while striking others as a self-appointed crusader. But on Aug. 5, in dramatic fashion, Dr. Berry seemed to become something more: quarry in the investigation of the deadly anthrax letter attacks in the fall of 2001. Posted on 10/4/04; 4:32:01 AM Edit

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Thursday, September 30, 2004

Smallpox – Topical Drug Best for Smallpox Vaccine Side Effects

Reuters [Journal of Infectious Diseases] – A variety of potentially serious infections can occur after immunization with the smallpox vaccine. Now, findings from an animal study suggest that a topical form of cidofovir, an anti-viral drug, is better than an intravenous form at treating such infections. Posted on 9/30/04; 2:46:45 AM Edit

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Clostridium Botulinum – Scientists develop rapid-fire tests for botulinum toxin

News-Medical.net [Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences] – Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a pair of rapid-fire tests for botulinum toxin. Posted on 9/30/04; 2:44:48 AM Edit

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Wednesday, September 29, 2004

Agroterrorism – Bioterrorism and the Food Supply

Directions – A look at how to protect the food supply from terrorists. Posted on 9/29/04; 5:13:35 AM Edit

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Friday, September 24, 2004

Public Policy – Britain urged to be ready for plague

The Times – A call for more microbiologists to be trained in Britain. Posted on 9/24/04; 4:18:58 AM Edit

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Public Policy – Bioshield Act Helps Propel Startups to Market

Small Times – A look at some of the practical problems with Project Bioshield, from private industry’s perspective. Posted on 9/24/04; 4:16:31 AM Edit

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Iraq – The women being held by US

Reuters – A look at the former head of Iraq’s biological weapons program that are being held by the US. Posted on 9/24/04; 4:14:45 AM Edit

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Anthrax – Botswana’s anthrax outbreak worsens

Agence France Press – An anthrax outbreak – which has killed close to 200 buffaloes and elephants and a hippo in Botswana – has spread to Namibia, where it is posing a serious threat to livestock. Posted on 9/24/04; 4:11:42 AM Edit

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Anthrax – Images of Anthrax Enzyme Help Researchers Understand Antibiotic Resistance, Suggest Design for Better Drugs

PR Newswire – Computer-generated images of a crucial anthrax bacterium enzyme are helping to solve the mystery of how slight mutations in the shape of this protein can make it resistant to the antibiotics called sulfa drugs. Posted on 9/24/04; 4:09:29 AM Edit

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Thursday, September 23, 2004

Public Health – Preparing for Vaccine and Drug Dispensing in a Bioterrorism or Public Health Emergency, Guidelines

Medical News Today – A new planning guide funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is designed to help communities nationwide make sure that all Americans have needed drugs and vaccines in the event of a natural epidemic or bioterrorist attack. Posted on 9/23/04; 4:33:45 AM Edit

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Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Disease Surveillance – Links between human and animal disease surveillance growing

CIDRAP – There is a growing national and international movement to link the monitoring of human and animal diseases. Posted on 9/22/04; 4:03:42 AM Edit

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Sunday, September 19, 2004

Public Policy – Administration backing off on Cuba’s germ warfare ability

New York Times – The Bush administration, using stringent standards adopted after the failure to find banned weapons in Iraq, has conducted a new assessment of Cuba’s biological weapons capabilities and concluded that it is no longer clear that Cuba has an active, offensive bio-weapons program. Posted on 9/19/04; 5:38:06 AM Edit

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History – Onetime biological warrior’s life poisoned by regret

Associated Press – A member of Japan’s Unit 731 in northeast China in the 1930s and ’40s, perhaps the most advanced biological weapons operation of its time, expresses his regret. Posted on 9/19/04; 5:36:05 AM Edit

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Thursday, September 16, 2004

Yersenia Pestis – Plague organism shed genes as it grew more lethal

CIDRAP [Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences] – The bacterium that causes plague, Yersinia pestis, may have acquired its lethal traits by shedding genes found in a closely related bacterium that is less dangerous, according to a recent study. Posted on 9/16/04; 2:39:57 AM Edit

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Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Public Health – Terrorism Response Plans May Fail

Health Central – A study by the New York Academy of Medicine finds many people will ignore terrorism response plans that are being formulated because the plans aren’t taking the public’s attitudes and fears into account. Posted on 9/15/04; 4:20:24 AM Edit

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Monday, September 13, 2004

Simulation – Playing for Keeps

GovExec – A look at the use of simulation as a training tool to teach the proper responses to a biological, chemical, or radiological attack. Posted on 9/13/04; 4:54:12 AM Edit

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Friday, September 10, 2004

Public Health – Terror attack manual specific to civic leaders gains widespread popularity

Medical News Today – Ten thousand top government officials across the country have now received How to Lead During Bioattacks with the Public’s Trust and Help, a publication of the Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) that gives decision-makers practical advice on how to handle the dilemmas that can arise in a public health emergency. Posted on 9/10/04; 4:36:08 AM Edit

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Research – Sharing information on germs outweighs danger

Associated Press – The value of freely sharing data on dangerous germs so vaccines and treatments can be developed outweighs the danger that bioterrorists may use the information to do harm, a scientific panel concluded Thursday. More from Reuters. Posted on 9/10/04; 4:32:40 AM Edit

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Anthrax – GAO: U.S. Underestimated Risks of Anthrax

Associated Press – Public health officials underestimated the health risks when letters containing anthrax spores were handled in five U.S. Postal Service facilities in 2001, delaying medical help to employees, a report released Thursday concluded. Posted on 9/10/04; 4:29:54 AM Edit

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Wednesday, September 8, 2004

Smallpox – Diluted smallpox vaccine still effective

Reuters [Journal of the American Medical Association] – Heavily diluted doses of existing smallpox vaccine remain effective, which means the U.S. stockpile of the vaccine can be stretched if needed. Posted on 9/8/04; 5:05:41 AM Edit

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Sunday, September 5, 2004

Vaccines – Compulsory vaccination against terrorist attack is unjustified

News-Medical.net [British Medical Journal] – The compulsory use of vaccines to prevent the effects of a bioterrorist attack seems to be based on an unproved threat, according to an editorial in this week’s BMJ. The BMJ editorial may be found here. Posted on 9/5/04; 3:14:16 AM Edit

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Thursday, September 2, 2004

Yersinia Pestis – Bubonic plague reappears in China

Reuters — Bubonic plague has killed one person and made another sick in China. Posted on 9/2/04; 4:01:07 AM Edit

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Tuesday, August 31, 2004

Public Health – Minorities worry public health system won’t respond fairly in a bioterrorist event

Medical News Today [Biosecurity and Bioterrorism] – African-Americans and Asians are less likely to believe the public health system would respond fairly in a bioterrorist event, a new UCLA study shows. Posted on 8/31/04; 5:08:07 AM Edit

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Saturday, August 28, 2004

Anthrax – Postal Anthrax Retesting Said Unnecessary

Associated Press – Repeat testing for anthrax is unnecessary in facilities decontaminated following the 2001 anthrax attacks, a new analysis said Friday. Posted on 8/28/04; 5:14:42 AM Edit

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Friday, August 27, 2004

Public Health – HHS releases plan for coping with pandemic flu

CIDRAP – Federal health officials today released a lengthy plan for dealing with the potentially overwhelming threat of an influenza pandemic like those that occurred three times in the last century. Posted on 8/27/04; 5:02:56 AM Edit

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Wednesday, August 25, 2004

Anthrax – Inhaled Anthrax Vaccine Protects in Animals

Reuters – A powdered anthrax vaccine that people potentially could take by themselves protects rabbits against the deadliest form of the bacteria. Posted on 8/25/04; 4:11:07 AM Edit

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Tuesday, August 24, 2004

Public Health – New York Hospitals See Lack of Preparedness for Disaster

New York Times – Nearly three years after Sept. 11, and with New York bracing for the Republican National Convention, hospital officials across the city say they still lack much of the important protective clothing, decontamination facilities and essential drug supplies that could be needed to respond to a biological, chemical or nuclear strike. Posted on 8/24/04; 5:26:36 AM Edit

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Agroterrorism – Terror seen as threat to farmland

Los Angeles Times – A review of some measures being taken in the U.S. to prevent agroterrorism. Posted on 8/24/04; 5:23:39 AM Edit

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Sunday, August 22, 2004

Clostridium Botulinum – Certain symptoms may predict fatal foodborne botulism

CIDRAP [Clinical Infectious Diseases] – A distinctive group of symptoms-shortness of breath, impaired gag reflex, and absence of diarrhea-may be predictive of severe outcomes, including death, from foodborne botulism, a group of researchers reported recently. Posted on 8/22/04; 5:17:56 AM Edit

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Public Policy – US Drug Firms Eye More Lures for ‘BioShield’ Work

Reuters – A month after a new U.S. law encouraging the development of medicines to counter bioterrorism, some drugmakers are lobbying for more incentives to make products that may never be used. Posted on 8/22/04; 5:16:44 AM Edit

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Research – Fear follows plan to build more deadly-disease labs

San Francisco Chronicle – More on the concerns surrounding the BSL-4 lab to be built in Boston. Posted on 8/22/04; 5:15:34 AM Edit

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Saturday, August 21, 2004

Disease Surveillance – Special Guard WMD unit is reaction to world events

Associated Press – A description of the The 41st Civil Support Team which is made up of 22 Kentucky National Guard and Air National Guard troops, and which exists to detect weapons of mass destruction and the chemical or biological tools of terrorism. Posted on 8/21/04; 3:41:43 AM Edit

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Anthrax – Research adds to recent anthrax therapies

UPI [Chemistry and Biology] – U.S. researchers have discovered three unrelated compounds that inhibit two toxins in anthrax, one of the most feared agents of bioterrorism. More details from Eureka Alert Posted on 8/21/04; 3:35:25 AM Edit

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Research – Managing occupational exposures to potential bioterrorist agents

Medical News Today [Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine] – Laboratories working with biological threat agents must develop comprehensive programs in order to minimize the risk of occupational exposures, according to investigators at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in an article published this month in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Posted on 8/21/04; 3:29:29 AM Edit

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Anthrax – Report details anthrax leaks at Army lab

Los Angeles Times – An Army investigation into anthrax contamination outside secure labs at the United States’ chief biodefense research facility blames cavalier attitudes for the safety breach. Posted on 8/21/04; 3:28:10 AM Edit

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Friday, August 20, 2004

Anthrax – Wrangling Impedes Transfer of Civilian Anthrax Vaccine

New York Times – Judith Miller on how despite pledges two years ago to maintain a stockpile of drugs to protect Americans in the event of a bioterrorism attack, the federal government has so far set aside only 159 vials of anthrax vaccine for the civilian population – enough for only 530 people, according to congressional and administration officials Posted on 8/20/04; 3:13:40 AM Edit

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History – Biowarfare secrets of ’50s, ’60s buried at Fort Detrick

Baltimore Sun – From 1949 to 1969, at the jittery height of the Cold War, the biowarriors in the U.S. Army’s Special Operations Division aton tested the nation’s vulnerability to covert germ warfare – and devised weapons for secret biological attacks if the United States chose to mount them. Posted on 8/20/04; 3:11:36 AM Edit

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Wednesday, August 18, 2004

Anthrax – Vaccine Patch Protects Against Anthrax, in Mice

Reuters – Immunization through the skin, using a patch, protects mice against normally lethal inhaled doses of anthrax bacteria, according to a new report. Posted on 8/18/04; 3:11:24 AM Edit

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Monday, August 16, 2004

Decontamination – What might have happened next

BBC – The Prime Minister of Great Britain was attacked in the House of Commons with a substance that could have been a biological weapon. If the substance thrown in the House of Commons had been more dangerous than purple flour, what might the authorities – and the country – have done next? Posted on 8/16/04; 4:14:28 PM Edit

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Ricin – Protein Vaccine Fully Protects Mice From Lethal Aerosol Challenge With Ricin Toxin

Science Daily [Protein Engineering, Design, and Selection] – Scientists have developed an experimental vaccine against ricin, a potential biological threat agent, which fully protected mice from aerosol challenge with lethal doses of the toxin. The study was performed at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. Posted on 8/16/04; 4:05:22 PM Edit

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Sunday, August 15, 2004

Public Policy – Project BioShield: The first line of biological defense

AMA News – Billions of dollars back this initiative to spur development of bioterrorism countermeasures. But new vaccines and treatments are only one aspect of readiness. Posted on 8/15/04; 4:52:20 AM Edit

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Saturday, August 14, 2004

Smallpox – Under the Skin

The Guardian – A review of the book “The Life and Death of Smallpox.” Posted on 8/14/04; 4:50:43 AM Edit

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Yersinia Pestis – A plague on all your houses

The Guardian – A review of the books “Return of the Black Death: The World’s Greatest Serial Killer” and “The Black Death 1346-1353: The Complete History.” Posted on 8/14/04; 4:49:11 AM Edit

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Friday, August 13, 2004

Francisella Tularemia – Tularemia cases on Martha’s Vineyard puzzle experts

CIDRAP – More on the Tularemia cases on Martha’s Vineyard. Posted on 8/13/04; 4:04:31 AM Edit

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Thursday, August 12, 2004

Iraq – The Post on WMDs: An Inside Story

Washington Post – The Post analyses its coverage of the Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq issue; and like the New York Times, finds that its coverage was lacking??? Posted on 8/12/04; 1:12:57 PM Edit

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Tuesday, August 10, 2004

Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers – WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Sudan over

CIDRAP – The recent Ebola hemorrhagic fever outbreak in Sudan has ended after 17 cases with seven deaths, signaling a remarkably successful containment effort, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. Posted on 8/10/04; 4:20:12 AM Edit

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Monday, August 9, 2004

Research – When Bioterror Moves Next Door

Boston Globe – It will be one of the safest and most hazardous places on earth, right in the heart of Boston, a laboratory to combat pathogens like Ebola, smallpox, and anthrax. Scientists are calling it a biosafety lab, but others warn that it’s a bioterror lab. So which is it? Posted on 8/9/04; 4:17:58 AM Edit

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Thursday, August 5, 2004

Yersinia Pestis – New book Plague, by Wendy Orent, tells terrific and terrifying tale

Associated Press – A review of the new book entitled “Plague: The Mysterious Past and Terrifying Future of the World’s Most Dangerous Disease.” Posted on 8/5/04; 3:01:51 AM Edit

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Sunday, August 1, 2004

Research – Who really controls BU’s biodefense lab?

UPI – More concern about Boston University’s proposed biodefense lab. Posted on 8/1/04; 2:20:46 AM Edit

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Friday, July 30, 2004

Anthrax – Anthrax Attack Can Now be Detected Quickly

Health Central [Lancet] – An article in the Lancet claims that anthrax can be differentiated from other pulmonary infections clinically through a combination of clinical symptoms and x-ray findings. More details from CIDRAP Posted on 7/30/04; 4:14:28 AM Edit

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Anthrax – Anthrax blamed for mystery chimp deaths

BBC – The cause of death of nine chimpanzees who died mysteriously at the Tai National Park in Ivory Coast between 2001 and 2002 has been found to be anthrax – a development that has put the bacteria on the list of extinction threats to Africa’s great apes. Posted on 7/30/04; 4:09:27 AM Edit

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Wednesday, July 28, 2004

Public Health – Studying bioterrorism

The Scientist – When Georgetown University launches its Master of Science in Biohazardous Threat Agents and Emerging Infectious Diseases this fall, it will be the second such degree-granting program in the Washington, DC, area to capitalize on the region’s multiple research institutions, such as the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick and the National Institutes of Health. Posted on 7/28/04; 4:17:05 AM Edit

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Monday, July 26, 2004

Public Policy – Bioshield Too Little For Drug Industry

Washington Post – Bioshield, which was signed into law last week and which the government has billed as the first step in creating a biodefense industry in the United States, has received a largely lukewarm response from the companies it was designed to help. Posted on 7/26/04; 4:26:51 AM Edit

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Friday, July 23, 2004

Anthrax – Anthrax kills African apes

Reuters – Anthrax has killed apes in tropical rainforests in Ivory Coast where it has never been seen before and could pose a threat to humans. Posted on 7/23/04; 3:27:27 AM Edit

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Public Policy – BioWar: Balancing rights and needs legally

United Press International – A look at the CDC’s proposed Model State Emergency Health Powers Act, and what effect it could have on a bioterror event. Posted on 7/23/04; 3:25:30 AM Edit

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Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Francisella Tularemia – New Tularemia Case Confirmed; Disease in Fifth Year on Island

Vinyard Gazette – For the fifth summer in a row, tularemia continues to surface on Martha’s Vineyard. Posted on 7/21/04; 4:52:24 AM Edit

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Anthrax – FBI Anthrax Probe Closes Some Army Labs

Associated Press – FBI agents combed laboratory suites at Fort Detrick, looking for evidence in the 2001 anthrax attacks. Posted on 7/21/04; 4:50:58 AM Edit

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Tuesday, July 20, 2004

Simulation – Ridge, Governors Examine Terror Scenarios

Associated Press – Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge gave governors a taste of terror Monday, playing out a simulated tabletop bioterrorism attack and likely responses – from trying to keep the public informed and calm to carrying out massive vaccinations. Posted on 7/20/04; 5:01:09 AM Edit

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Thursday, July 15, 2004

Anthrax – Hatfill sues New York Times over anthrax columns

Associated Press – A bioterrorism expert who was named by government authorities as a “person of interest” in the 2001 anthrax attacks has sued The New York Times, saying the newspaper ruined his reputation by pointing to him as the culprit. More from the Washington Post Posted on 7/15/04; 3:32:32 AM Edit

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Public Policy – Congress OKs Bioweapons Vaccines Money

Associated Press – The Project Bioshield Act passes Congress. Posted on 7/15/04; 3:25:34 AM Edit

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Agroterrorism – The Danger of Agro-terror

StrategyPage – Does “agricultural terrorism” pose a real threat? The answer is yes, and not only to the United States and the rest of North America, but to the entire planet. Posted on 7/15/04; 3:23:01 AM Edit

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Wednesday, July 14, 2004

Francisella Tularemia – Tularemia ‘probable’ on Vineyard again

Cape Cod Times – It is high on the government’s list of potential bioterrorism agents, but you’re far more likely to encounter tularemia while mowing a lawn. Posted on 7/14/04; 3:28:52 AM Edit

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Yersinia Pestis – Prairie Dogs Yield Bioterrorism Insight

NPR – In a typical year, several people in the United States come down with an unusual disease: the plague. It’s often transmitted by fleas that carry it from prairie dogs or other rodents. But there’s another possible source of plague infection — bioterrorist attacks. The plague ranks high on the list of biological weapons that might be used in a terrorist attack; a single bacterium in the lungs can trigger the disease. So scientists are searching for a way to quickly determine if a case is natural or criminal. For answers, they’re turning to prairie dogs living outside Flagstaff, Ariz. Posted on 7/14/04; 3:27:31 AM Edit

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Tuesday, July 13, 2004

Smallpox – New Report Outlines Steps Needed to Lessen Smallpox Threat

Medical News Today [Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences] – The best approach for averting the deadly spread of smallpox following release of the virus by terrorists may rest with the establishment of a major collaborative research effort to develop new antiviral drugs that would involve the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, universities and government agencies, according to a new report from the National Academies. Posted on 7/13/04; 5:11:25 AM Edit

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Saturday, July 10, 2004

Disease Emergence – The Continual Challenge Of Emerging Infectious Diseases

Science Daily [Nature] – Emerging infectious diseases, which have shaped the course of humanity and caused incalculable suffering and death, will continue to confront society in unpredictable ways as long as humans and microbes co-exist, write authors from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health in a review article published in the July 8 issue of the journal Nature. Posted on 7/10/04; 5:31:05 AM Edit

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Friday, July 9, 2004

Public Policy – Building a Forward Line of Defense – Securing Former Soviet Biological Weapons

Arms Control Today – Preventing a biological weapons attack-long a terrifying battlefield danger and now a serious threat to civilian populations as well-is a major contemporary global security priority??? In the past few years, the United States has responded to the threat from biological weapons by pouring more than $14 billion into attack response preparedness and biodefense programs under the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies. However, neither the United States nor its key allies have taken the step of creating an effective forward line of defense against bioterrorism by rapidly accounting for and securing known stockpiles of pathogens on foreign shores. Posted on 7/9/04; 3:36:49 AM Edit

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Anthrax – 3-D imaging of anthrax toxin complex reported

CIDRAP [Nature] – Scientists have developed a three-dimensional molecular image of how anthrax toxin breaks into human cells, which should help the effort to design drugs to shut the toxin out, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Posted on 7/9/04; 3:33:16 AM Edit

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Wednesday, July 7, 2004

Agroterrorism – Ridge, Veneman mark launch of food and ag security centers

CIDRAP – The launching of separate national research centers for food security and foreign animal diseases was hailed by Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman in a ceremony at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis today. Posted on 7/7/04; 5:08:30 AM Edit

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Anthrax – U.S. Shows Anthrax Probe Details to Judge

Associated Press – The Justice Department on Tuesday revealed details of its anthrax investigation to a federal judge who is considering a lawsuit brought by Steven Hatfill who is described as a “person of interest” in the case. Posted on 7/7/04; 5:06:24 AM Edit

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Research – Monthly Check For Latest Biodefense-Related Articles in MEDLINE

Search through the last 3 months of MEDLINE for articles with the following MESH terms: Biological Warfare, Bioterrorism, Bacillus Anthracis, Anthrax, Smallpox, Yersinia Pestis, Botulism, Clostridium Botulinum, Tularemia, Francisella Tularensis, Hemorrhagic Fevers, Viral Posted on 7/7/04; 5:04:12 AM Edit

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Saturday, July 3, 2004

Research – Fear in the Air

Boston Magazine – Depending on who you believe, a new bioterror laboratory planned by Boston University will be a boon to the city — or a catastrophe beyond imagining. Posted on 7/3/04; 3:37:28 AM Edit

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Friday, July 2, 2004

Smallpox – Mice May Help Protect Humans in Bio Attacks

Reuters – Australian scientists have identified the immune response that determines why some mice are infected with mousepox and others are not, a discovery that could lead to better protection for humans in a bio-terror attack. Posted on 7/2/04; 4:17:13 AM Edit

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Thursday, July 1, 2004

Public Policy – New buffer for bioterror’s tempest

Christian Science Monitor – Project Bioshield is the latest piece of America’s homeland defense. But first, the US has to entice firms to take on the work. Posted on 7/1/04; 5:03:43 AM Edit

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Anthrax – Pentagon to Expand Its Anthrax Vaccinations

New York Times – The Pentagon announced a major expansion of its vaccination program with a new order on Wednesday requiring that anthrax and smallpox vaccine be administered to all soldiers and essential civilians in the Middle East and, for the first time, to troops in South Korea. Posted on 7/1/04; 5:00:29 AM Edit

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Wednesday, June 30, 2004

Anthrax – Genes for anthrax toxin found in another microbe

CIDRAP [Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences] – Researchers recently discovered a strain of the common soil bacteria Bacillus cereus that was genetically equipped to make the deadly toxin produced by the closely related microbe Bacillus anthracis, or anthrax. Posted on 6/30/04; 5:19:50 AM Edit

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Tuesday, June 29, 2004

Public Policy – NHS ‘couldn’t cope with attack’

BBC – Britain’s National Health Service would struggle to cope if terrorists launched a major attack in the UK, it has been claimed. Posted on 6/29/04; 4:34:17 AM Edit

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Research – In a Lonely Stand, a Scientist Takes on National Security Dogma

New York Times – In 2004, a scientist who speaks out against government efforts to thwart terrorism does not win any popularity contests in Washington. The story of Dr. Richard H. Ebright, a molecular biologist with an intimate understanding of the science underlying the use of deadly germs as weapons. Posted on 6/29/04; 4:31:00 AM Edit

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Monday, June 28, 2004

Research – Bioterror fight may spawn new risks

Baltimore Sun – The federal government has responded to the threat of bioterrorism with a spending blitz that has already surpassed the annual cost of the Manhattan Project to build the first atom bomb. But as illustrated by a recent mishap in which a Frederick lab inadvertently shipped lethal anthrax across the country, the biodefense push might be creating new hazards even as it seeks to make the country safer. Posted on 6/28/04; 5:09:27 AM Edit

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Public Health – Public health worker shortage could imperil terrorism preparedness

CIDRAP – America’s growing shortage of qualified public health workers could undermine terrorism preparedness, according to a recent report from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO). Posted on 6/28/04; 5:05:59 AM Edit

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Friday, June 18, 2004

Public Health – Public health preparedness grants to total $849 million

CIDRAP – The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today it will award a total of $849 million to states, territories, and four major cities in this year’s package of public health preparedness grants. BiodefenseEducation.org is taking a break and will next be updated Monday, June 28th. See you then! Posted on 6/18/04; 3:59:41 AM Edit

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Thursday, June 17, 2004

Smallpox – Pilot study to probe cardiac effects of smallpox vaccine

CIDRAP – In an effort to shed some light on a potential side effect of smallpox vaccination, researchers are launching a federally funded pilot study of the effects of smallpox vaccines on cardiac cells in mice. Posted on 6/17/04; 4:44:46 AM Edit

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Wednesday, June 16, 2004

Anthrax – Significance of the discovery of anthrax toxin genes in a naturally occurring microbe other than Bacillus anthracis

Medical Science News [Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences] – A discussion of the significance of the discovery of anthrax toxin genes in a naturally occurring microbe other than Bacillus anthracis. Posted on 6/16/04; 4:42:33 AM Edit

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Monday, June 14, 2004

Research – Biodefense Boondoggle?

Technology Review – Government grants for biodefense research have skyrocketed since the 2001 anthrax attacks; is it too much of a good thing? Posted on 6/14/04; 4:47:13 AM Edit

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Sunday, June 13, 2004

Research – US military offers cash for bio defence

BBC – The American federal government has gone on the offensive in courting the biotech industry to develop products that will protect the nation and the modern soldier in the battlefield. Posted on 6/13/04; 4:24:39 AM Edit

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Saturday, June 12, 2004

Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers – Ebola haemorrhagic fever in south Sudan – update 5

WHO – As of 10 June 2004, the health authorities of Yambio County have reported a total of 30 cases, including 7 deaths of Ebola haemorrhagic fever (case fatality, 23%) in Yambio, Western Equatoria, south Sudan. Posted on 6/12/04; 4:52:41 AM Edit

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Public Health – CDC issues bioterrorism-response guidebook for coroners

CIDRAP – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published a guidebook to help medical examiners and coroners detect and respond to bioterrorism. Posted on 6/12/04; 4:46:52 AM Edit

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Anthrax – FDA approves generic versions of Cipro

Reuters – The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a raft of generic versions of the antibiotic Cipro, which gained fame during the anthrax crisis as providing possible protection against the toxin. Posted on 6/12/04; 4:44:35 AM Edit

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Friday, June 11, 2004

Research – NIH official touts progress on biological defenses

Global Security Newswire – The United States has made progress in developing several new treatments and vaccines against a variety of biological weapons agents, with some set to be introduced into U.S. defenses by the end of 2005, according to Anthony Fauci, the head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Posted on 6/11/04; 5:16:07 AM Edit

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Anthrax – Researchers unaware they had live anthrax

Associated Press – At least six researchers may have been exposed to deadly anthrax after a shipping foul up led them to believe they were working with dead rather than live bacteria. Posted on 6/11/04; 5:13:42 AM Edit

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Anthrax – USPS hopes to install 100 anthrax detectors this year

CIDRAP – The US Postal Service (USPS) has begun installing anthrax-detection systems in major mail-processing centers and hopes to have the equipment in 100 facilities by the end of this year. Posted on 6/11/04; 5:12:22 AM Edit

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Thursday, June 10, 2004

Disease Emergence – Weapons Makers Turn to Medicine

Wired – A little more than a decade ago, Amir Maksyutov was developing virulent strains of influenza and other infectious agents for potential use as bioweapons against the United States. Today, he’s working on vaccines for HIV, flu and malaria. Posted on 6/10/04; 4:29:54 AM Edit

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Wednesday, June 9, 2004

Smallpox – Study may yield better smallpox protection

UPI – U.S. and international researchers have found a mechanism in mice that could lead to improved protection against smallpox for humans. Posted on 6/9/04; 4:15:01 AM Edit

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Public Policy – Biodefense research raises issues

Tri Valley Herald – Experts suggest a fine line between offense and defense when it comes to the purpose of current and future biodefense projects. Posted on 6/9/04; 4:08:07 AM Edit

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Anthrax – U.S. to Order Anthrax Vaccine

Washington Post – The US government expects to place a big new order for anthrax vaccine by late this summer. Posted on 6/9/04; 4:07:36 AM Edit

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Tuesday, June 8, 2004

Public Health – HHS to shift some biodefense funds from states to cities

CIDRAP – HHS wishes to shift money originally earmarked to protect states to instead protect cities. Posted on 6/8/04; 5:08:44 AM Edit

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Anthrax – Feds approve faster anthrax exposure test

CNN – The federal government has approved a test that promises to make it easier and faster for local agencies to determine if a person has had anthrax exposure. More details from CIDRAP. Posted on 6/8/04; 5:04:23 AM Edit

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Saturday, June 5, 2004

Research – Monthly Check For Latest Biodefense-Related Articles in MEDLINE

Search through the last 3 months of MEDLINE for articles with the following MESH terms: Biological Warfare, Bioterrorism, Bacillus Anthracis, Anthrax, Smallpox, Yersinia Pestis, Botulism, Clostridium Botulinum, Tularemia, Francisella Tularensis, Hemorrhagic Fevers, Viral Posted on 6/5/04; 3:01:27 AM Edit

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Friday, June 4, 2004

Public Policy – The Death of Disarmament in Russia?

Parameters – Does Russia still have an active offensive biological weapons program? Posted on 6/4/04; 3:17:26 AM Edit

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Thursday, June 3, 2004

Editorial Note – Request for User Comments

BiodefenseEducation.org is entering its sixth month of operation. Could we please ask you to take a minute and fill out our Comment Form so that we may improve the site and your user experience. Thanks in advance! Posted on 6/3/04; 4:04:51 AM Edit

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Research – Wanted: Drugs to Fight Bioterror

Wired – Amid new warnings about a possible summer of terror, the U.S. government is preparing to spend billons in project BioShield to coax pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs to fend off a biological or chemical attack. But experts say the infusion of cash may be little more than a good start. Posted on 6/3/04; 4:02:13 AM Edit

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Wednesday, June 2, 2004

Research – Scientists turn from bioterror research – some discouraged by strict federal rules

Copley News Service – Is doing biodefense research more hassle than it is worth, in terms of obtaining the necessary security clearnances? Many scientists are beginning to think so??? Posted on 6/2/04; 5:01:55 AM Edit

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Tuesday, June 1, 2004

Iraq – The Source of the Trouble

New York – Pulitzer Prize winner Judith Miller’s series of exclusives about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq-courtesy of the now-notorious Ahmad Chalabi-helped the New York Times keep up with the competition and the Bush administration bolster the case for war. How the very same talents that caused her to get the story also caused her to get it wrong. Posted on 6/1/04; 4:20:36 AM Edit

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Thursday, May 27, 2004

Iraq – The Times and Iraq

New York Times – The New York Times has said it failed to be rigorous enough in its coverage of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction in the run-up to the Iraq war. BiodefenseEducation.org will next be updated on Tuesday June 1. Posted on 5/27/04; 4:06:24 AM Edit

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Wednesday, May 26, 2004

Anthrax – Judge Sees Little Evidence To Support Anthrax Vaccine

Washington Post – A federal judge said yesterday he had significant doubts about whether the federal government has enough scientific evidence to show that the anthrax vaccine required for military personnel is either safe or effective. Posted on 5/26/04; 4:22:45 AM Edit

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Tuesday, May 25, 2004

Public Health – Doctors get guide to fight bio-terror risk

The Guardian – An easy-to-use colour guide to deliberately released diseases is to be issued to doctors by the British government this week. Posted on 5/25/04; 5:07:47 AM Edit

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Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers – Ebola virus kills four in Sudan

BBC – Health officials are investigating a new outbreak of the Ebola virus that has killed four people in Sudan. Posted on 5/25/04; 4:51:59 AM Edit

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Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers – Russian Scientist Dies in Ebola Accident at Former Weapons Lab

New York Times – A Russian scientist at a former Soviet biological weapons laboratory in Siberia has died after accidentally sticking herself with a needle laced with ebola. Posted on 5/25/04; 4:50:58 AM Edit

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Monday, May 24, 2004

Yersinia Pestis – Researchers reexamine bubonic plague

United Press International – Two researchers in Great Britain are challenging long-held views about one of history’s worst killers, the Black Death, and say it could return. Posted on 5/24/04; 5:22:14 AM Edit

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Anthrax – RAF planned kamikaze anthrax pigeon squadron

The Guardian – Military officials considered sending flocks of homing pigeons armed with biological warfare agents such as anthrax against enemy targets, a secret report for British intelligence chiefs said. Posted on 5/24/04; 5:18:20 AM Edit

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Saturday, May 22, 2004

Research – U.S. Bioweapons Research May Violate Law

Associated Press – Arms control advocates are warning the Bush administration that proposed research for a new Homeland Security center may violate an international ban on biological weapons and encourage other countries to follow. Posted on 5/22/04; 4:08:24 AM Edit

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Thursday, May 20, 2004

Public Policy – BioShield gets OK for chem attack prep

Associated Press – The discovery of sarin gas in Iraq and the use of anthrax and ricin against Congress spurred the Senate Wednesday to approve $5.6 billion for Project Bioshield to help prepare for possible germ or chemical attacks on American soil. Posted on 5/20/04; 5:14:33 AM Edit

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Wednesday, May 19, 2004

Public Policy – New Report Says Better Coordination of Resources Along Regional Lines is Essential to Bioterrorism Preparedness

AHRQ – Coordinating resources across local and state lines-also known as regionalization-may benefit some bioterrorism preparedness and response capabilities, but more research is needed to find the best ways of coordinating those resources, according to a new report released today by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. A summary of the report may be found here. Posted on 5/19/04; 5:14:04 AM Edit

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Sunday, May 16, 2004

Anthrax – FBI agents revisit sources in anthrax probe

Hartford Courant – While Justice Department officials publicly express hope that a scientific analysis of the anthrax used in the 2001 letter attacks will help them find the killer, FBI field agents have recently revisited old and long-ignored leads. Posted on 5/16/04; 4:49:01 AM Edit

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Thursday, May 13, 2004

Smallpox – Study urges careful reply to bioterror

Agence France Presse – Mass vaccination in the event of a smallpox attack by terrorists may not be needed, provided the authorities detect the outbreak quickly and target individuals who are a potential transmission risk, a study says. Posted on 5/13/04; 4:45:25 AM Edit

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Anthrax – Responding to Detection of Aerosolized Bacillus anthracis by Autonomous Detection Systems in the Workplace

CDC – Businesses that install systems to detect airborne anthrax should have detailed plans to follow in case the pathogen turns up. To encourage such planning, the CDC has published this 16-page set of guidelines. The guidelines cover evacuation of buildings, decontamination and medical treatment for potentially exposed workers, laboratory confirmation of anthrax findings, and evaluation of potentially contaminated environments. Posted on 5/13/04; 4:38:09 AM Edit

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Tuesday, May 11, 2004

Clostridium Botulinum – Botulinum Toxin Structure Offers Clues for Vaccines/Treatments

Medical News Today [Biochemistry] – By deciphering the near atomic-level structure of the catalytic domain of botulinum toxin type E – one of seven neurotoxins that cause botulism, a disease that paralyzes victims by blocking nerve cells’ ability to communicate – scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory are one step closer to a potential vaccine or treatment. Posted on 5/11/04; 4:38:45 AM Edit

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Research – Boston debates dangers of scientific research in era of WMD

Christian Science Monitor – More on the debate over whether to build a controversial lab in a densely populated neighborhood. Posted on 5/11/04; 4:31:04 AM Edit

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Monday, May 10, 2004

Anthrax – Eight in Georgia get anthrax from beef

United Press International – There is an outbreak of gastrointestinal anthrax in the country of Georgia. Posted on 5/10/04; 5:12:09 AM Edit

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Wednesday, May 5, 2004

Research – Computers Combat Disease: New Modeling Grants Target Epidemics, Bioterror

NIH – A new initiative harnesses our nation’s computing skill to enhance our ability to respond to disease epidemics and bioterrorism. The initiative, called MIDAS, will develop powerful computer modeling techniques to analyze and respond to infectious disease outbreaks, whether they occur naturally, such as SARS, or are released intentionally in a bioterrorist attack. BiodefenseEducation.org will next be updated on Saturday. See you then! Posted on 5/5/04; 4:06:39 AM Edit

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Tuesday, May 4, 2004

Public Policy – Bioweapons issues can’t be resolved in time

Los Alamos Monitor – If forewarned is forearmed, it’s almost reassuring to hear a deeply pessimistic view of very troubling prospects on the global bioweapons front. Paul Kraemer, a retired microbiologist from Los Alamos National Laboratory, gave a nod to a recent effort by the National Research Council to sort out some of the stubborn issues that have arisen in the age of bioterrorism, but he suspects that most people have long ago clamped their hands over their ears, unable to understand, much less do anything about the hypothetical threat. Posted on 5/4/04; 4:17:42 AM Edit

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History – Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs: Biological and Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World.

Naval War College Review – Another review of this book, from a military perspective. Posted on 5/4/04; 4:13:59 AM Edit

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Sunday, May 2, 2004

Anthrax – ‘Better’ anthrax vaccine tested

BBC – Trials are set to begin on a new and potentially better anthrax vaccine. Posted on 5/2/04; 2:35:36 AM Edit

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Saturday, May 1, 2004

Overview – A Journalist’s Guide to Covering Bioterrorism

Radio Television News Directors Association and Foundation – This guide is intended to help reporters and producers prepare to tackle biodefense stories. Posted on 5/1/04; 2:59:33 AM Edit

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Public Policy – Bioterrorism Procedures Are Outlined

Washington Post – Yet another look at President Bush’s announcement yesterday. Posted on 5/1/04; 2:56:04 AM Edit

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Thursday, April 29, 2004

Public Policy – Bush administration catalogs biodefense gains, promises more

CIDRAP – The Bush administration today released a long catalog of what it considers the nation’s biodefense and public health preparedness gains over the last 3 years and promised more improvements to come. More on this story from the Associated Press. More on this story from the Department of Health and Human Services: Public Health Emergency Preparedness: “Transforming America’s Capacity to Respond” Transcript of a joint press conference describing this in more detail with the Assistant Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Posted on 4/29/04; 3:17:58 AM Edit

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Wednesday, April 28, 2004

Anthrax – Impact of Anthrax Lingers Year After Attack

Reuters – People who were infected with anthrax in the fall of 2001 continued to experience physical and mental health problems a year after the bioterrorist attacks, researchers report. Posted on 4/28/04; 4:25:02 AM Edit

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Smallpox – New pox vaccine uses genes only

Reuters – A vaccine using just four genes can protect monkeys against monkeypox and, in principle, its much more deadly cousin smallpox. More on this story from the Associated Press. Posted on 4/28/04; 4:20:29 AM Edit

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Public Policy – Bush Issues Directive to Bolster Defense Against Bioterrorism

New York Times – President Bush has approved a series of initiatives intended to enhance the nation’s defenses against a catastrophic biological weapons attack, senior administration officials said Tuesday. The steps include creation of a common surveillance system to collect and analyze information about bioterrorist threats. More on this story from the Associated Press. Posted on 4/28/04; 4:15:39 AM Edit

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Tuesday, April 27, 2004

Disease Surveillance – Army envisions radar to track terrorism

Associated Press – For the U.S. Army, Doppler radar isn’t just about more precise weather mapping and detecting wind shear. It also holds promise as an early warning system for airborne biological and chemical attacks. Posted on 4/27/04; 4:01:52 AM Edit

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Monday, April 26, 2004

Anthrax – Anthrax threat to MPs in House

Daily Telegraph – The UK has identified a credible threat against the House of Commons, that it may be attacked by anthrax or ricin. Posted on 4/26/04; 4:42:20 AM Edit

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Wednesday, April 21, 2004

Research – Boston U. Fires Back at Biolab Opponents

Associated Press – Boston University took aim on Tuesday at critics of a plan to build an infectious disease laboratory in a dense city neighborhood, saying the lab will be safe and will provide valuable research into contagious illnesses and possible bioterror agents. Posted on 4/21/04; 4:04:36 AM Edit

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Research – DOD exercise will help set plans for gas protection system

Government Computer News – The Defense Department will use computer modeling to design an advanced chemical and biological protection system for DOD facilities. Posted on 4/21/04; 4:03:05 AM Edit

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Research – University Labs Found Lax With Anthrax

Associated Press – Since the anthrax attacks in 2001, government inspectors have identified serious weaknesses in security at university laboratories that perform research on anthrax and other dangerous substances. BiodefenseEducation.org will next be updated on Monday, April 26. Posted on 4/21/04; 4:00:49 AM Edit

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