Recent News

By Region: North America

Global Warming and the Effect on Seasonal Influenza

(Global Biodefense) Researchers from Arizona State University have found that above average warm winters tend to be followed by more severe epidemics of influenza with earlier onset. The findings suggest that expedited manufacture and distribution of influenza vaccines after warm winters has the potential to mitigate the severity of future influenza epidemics. The team of Read More »

February 1, 2013
| Filed under North America and Public Health
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UNC study may lead to treatments that are effective against all MRSA strains

(EurkaAlert) In the last decade, a new strain of MRSA has emerged that can spread beyond hospital walls, putting everyone at risk of contracting the dangerous bacterial infection. This particular strain of MRSA – known as USA300 – contains a chunk of genes not shared by any other strains, though it is unclear how this Read More »

February 1, 2013
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, Public Health, and Research
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House investigators seek BioWatch documents

(LosAngelesTimes) Leaders of a House committee probing BioWatch, the nation’s troubled system for detecting biological attacks, complained Thursday that administration officials had blocked them from seeing documents held by two senior federal scientists known to have been privately skeptical of the nationwide program. The materials are of particular interest to congressional investigators, in part because Read More »

February 1, 2013
| Filed under North America, Biosafety, Countermeasures, and Policy & Initiatives
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Without Fanfare, CDC Reports Sharp Decline in Foodborne Illnesses

(Food Safety News) Wouldn’t you think that a one-third decline in reported foodborne illnesses would be a cause of celebration at the agency responsible for educating us about unsafe food? Well, if not a celebration, at least a slight smile, a teeny bit of self congratulation, maybe a soft exhale? The U.S. Centers for Disease Read More »

January 31, 2013
| Filed under North America, Public Health, and Research
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Bacteria may be used to cure cancer

(DNA) Bacterial Robotics, a developer in the synthetic biology industry, is planning to start Phase 1 trial of a project in Bangalore that aims to use bacteria to treat tumors and cancers. The company, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio (the US), specialises in identifying markets for developing and deploying BactoBots and ViruBots—microscopic organism-based robots that can Read More »