Recent News

By Region: North America

Mock Terrorist Event To Take Place Wednesday At BNL

(WBIW) The Lawrence County Health Department in order to test emergency procedures involving a terrorist event using anthrax will conduct a point of distribution drill at the Bedford North Lawrence High School Gym on Wednesday morning. Anthrax was first introduced as a biological agent via chocolate candy. Anthrax exposure can be prevented or treated by Read More »

April 1, 2014
| Filed under North America, Bioterrorism, and Countermeasures
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Bioterrorism public health superbug

(Homeland Security News Wire) A new kind of single-dose vaccine that comes in a nasal spray and does not require refrigeration could dramatically alter the public health landscape — get more people vaccinated around the world and address the looming threats of emerging and re-emerging diseases. Researchers presented the latest design and testing of these Read More »

April 1, 2014
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, Biotechnology, Countermeasures, and Research
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Virus Continues to Plague Midwest

(The Scientist Magazine) Five years ago, a new disease reared its head in northwestern Missouri when two older men fell ill with what was later identified as a new virus, dubbed Heartland virus for the region of the country in which it was first found. Through field studies conducted in 2012, researchers identified Lone Star Read More »

April 1, 2014
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, and Public Health
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Brighter future for bacteria detection

(MIT News Office) Ever wonder why fruits and vegetables sometimes hit the shelves contaminated by pathogenic bacteria such as listeria, E. coli, and salmonella? According to Tim Lu, an assistant professor of electrical engineering and biological engineering at MIT, it boils down to the inefficient bacteria-detection assays used in the food industry. In some cases, Read More »

April 1, 2014
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Research
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Was Bomb And Anthrax Threat Directed At Fred Phelps?

(WIBW) A threat at a Topeka hospice facility last week appears to have been directed at Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps. Captain Scott Conklin of the Topeka Police Department said that an email was sent to a midland hospice employee that made reference to a bomb and anthrax.