Recent News

By Region: North America

Tackling Bioterrorism

(The Diplomat) The United States is vulnerable to an attack that could kill hundreds of thousands. But the big threat might not come from a nuclear device falling into the wrong hands, and certainly not from a brigade of suicide bombers. Instead, argues James Glassman in an article Forbes article this week, “terrorists could spray Read More »

April 9, 2012
| Filed under Asia/Pacific, North America, South Asia, Bioterrorism, Countermeasures, International, and Research
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Bioterrorism threat spurs authorities to invoke animal rule for J&J antibiotic

(MedCity News) An FDA advisory panel this week agreed that studies using monkeys demonstrated Levaquin’s effectiveness in treating pneumonic plague. The FDA can invoke the animal rule, which allows evidence to support the approval to be based entirely on animal studies, to provide a regulatory pathway when human studies aren’t possible, the paper said.

April 9, 2012
| Filed under North America, Countermeasures, Public Health, and Research
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Controversial bird flu experiments produced no killer virus, scientists say

(Washington Post) Two controversial research projects with the H5N1 bird flu virus haven’t produced a killer bug but have generated useful information, two researchers told scientists and bioethicists gathered here to talk about the benefits and pitfalls of manipulating deadly pathogens. “We can use this information to understand what’s happening in nature,” Yoshihiro Kawaoka of Read More »

April 6, 2012
| Filed under Europe, North America, Biosafety, International, Policy & Initiatives, Public Health, and Research
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Handling of Capitol threat bashed

(Indianapolis Star) A day after a mysterious white powder spilled from an envelope opened on the Iowa House floor, public safety officials and lawmakers said it appears the potential threat was not handled properly. Gov. Terry Branstad and others said on Wednesday that even though it was later determined the powder posed no threat, the Read More »

April 6, 2012
| Filed under North America, Bioterrorism, Countermeasures, and Public Health
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Congress mail threat suspect pleads not guilty to more charges

(Reuters) A registered nurse from the Portland area pleaded not guilty on Thursday to additional charges stemming from more than 100 threatening letters he is suspected of sending to members of Congress and the media in February. Christopher Carlson, 39, has been jailed without bond since his arrest at his home in Vancouver, Washington, on Read More »