Recent News

By Region: North America

Biological Weapons Under Review at the BTWC

(Stimson News) The Seventh Review Conference of the Biological and Toxins Weapons Convention (BTWC) is currently underway in Geneva, Switzerland, through December 22. At this meeting, countries are discussing a range of issues concerning the BTWC, which is one of two treaties that govern efforts by the international community to prevent an attack with a Read More »

December 20, 2011
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, Agents & Toxins, International, and Policy & Initiatives
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Scientists solve ricin riddle using new technology

(Cordis News) A protein that controls how the deadly plant poison and bioweapon ricin kills has finally been identified by a team of Austrian researchers in a new study. With a combination of stem cell biology and modern screening methods, the team were able to get …

December 20, 2011
| Filed under Europe, North America, Agents & Toxins, and Research
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Historic ‘Grand Challenge’ launched: Create low-cost devices for rapid disease diagnosis

(McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health) Grand Challenges Canada and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have teamed up on an unprecedented global effort to discover and develop affordable, easy-to-use tools to help developing country health workers rapidly diagnose diseases in rural communities. The expected result: more timely and appropriate treatment of illnesses in poor countries, Read More »

December 19, 2011
| Filed under Africa, North America, South America, South Asia, International, Public Health, and Research
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UW bird flu research seen as bioterror threat

(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) His work and similar research independently done by a Dutch scientist have raised concerns in science journals and on an NBC News report that aired Thursday night that touched on such controversial issues as bioterrorism and scientific freedom. …

December 19, 2011
| Filed under North America, Bioterrorism, Policy & Initiatives, and Research
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The Risk of Engineering a Highly Transmissible H5N1 Virus

(Editorial by Thomas V. Inglesby, Anita Cicero, and D. A. Henderson) Over the past 8 years, H5N1 avian influenza has sickened 571 people, killing 59% of them. To give some perspective, the fatality rate of the virus that caused the 1918 Great Pandemic was 2%, and that pandemic killed on the order of 50 million Read More »