Recent News

By Region: North America

Salmonella Strain Tied to Nursing Center Outbreak Likely Drug-Resistant

(Food Safety News) A skilled nursing and rehabilitation center in Blue Hill, Nebraska is ground zero for an outbreak of Salmonella Newport, a potentially drug-resistant strain of bacteria that in this case has caused 17 confirmed illnesses and 2 additional probable cases among residents, visitors and staff. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Read More »

August 15, 2012
| Filed under North America, Biosafety, and Public Health
Share

Grain growers warned to bolster biosecurity

(ABC News) The Department of Agriculture and Food says it is concerned Western Australian grain growers are risking outbreaks of pests and diseases because of inadequate biosecurity practices. The department asked more than 130 growers to undertake a biosecurity self-assessment, which it says shows too many farmers were not properly managing the movement of people Read More »

August 15, 2012
| Filed under Asia/Pacific, North America, Agriculture, and Public Health
Share

New On-Farm Biosecurity Standard Unveiled

(Portage Online) The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, along with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, have unveiled a new on-farm biosecurity standard for cattle producers across the country. The standard outlines on-farm practices designed to minimize the introduction and control the spread of endemic, emerging, and foreign infectious diseases in the Canadian herd. It’s based on four Read More »

August 15, 2012
| Filed under North America, Agriculture, Biosafety, and Countermeasures
Share

South Asia: Hot spot for cross-border diseases

(The Times of India) In South Asia, one of the world’s most densely populated regions, deadly diseases from animals, like the nipah virus, brucellosis, anthrax and even avian flu, cross international boundaries with ease. A fruit bat on the India-Bangladesh border could spread the deadly nipah virus when it licks the juice of the date Read More »

August 14, 2012
| Filed under Asia/Pacific, Middle East, North America, South Asia, Agents & Toxins, and Public Health
Share

Synthetic ‘upgrade’ for fruit fly’s DNA

(New Scientist) The genetic code of the fruit fly Drosophila has been hacked into, allowing it to make proteins with properties that don’t exist in the natural world. The advance could ultimately lead to the creation of new or “improved” life forms in the burgeoning field of synthetic biology. The four letters of the genetic Read More »