Recent News

By Region: North America

Living History: Even with proven smallpox vaccines, 19th century Utahns balked

(Salt Lake Tribune) Smallpox arrived in Utah with an emigrant company in 1856. Epidemics of that disease would strike our citizens at least six times during the 19th century, killing thousands. Even with enforcement of vaccination laws, 15,000 Utahns died of smallpox between 1900 and 1925. Its deadly nature, the ease with which it spread, Read More »

December 6, 2011
| Filed under North America, Policy & Initiatives, and Public Health
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Op-Ed — The International Federation of Biosafety Associations: A Stakeholder in the BTWC

The International Federation of Biosafety Associations (IFBA) is a global community of research scientists, biosafety professionals, laboratory personnel, NGOs, academics and policy makers from around the world who recognize that biosafety and biosecurity are important elements within the framework of biological non-proliferation and strengthening global security. The IFBA’s mission statement (“safe, secure and responsible work Read More »

December 5, 2011
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, Biosafety, International, Policy & Initiatives, and Research
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Clinton Moves to Inject New Urgency into Bioweapon Concerns at Geneva Event

WASHINGTON — In a surprise announcement, a senior State Department official said on Thursday that Hillary Clinton would appear next week at an international conference on biological warfare prevention and preparedness — an event that even policy wonks had previously grumbled would likely prove dull and inconsequential. The U.S. secretary of State’s address — tentatively Read More »

December 5, 2011
| Filed under Europe, North America, Biological Weapons, Bioterrorism, International, and Policy & Initiatives
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Dealing with advances in science at the Seventh BTWC Review Conference

(Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists) Ahead of the Seventh Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) Review Conference, which will be held December 5-22 in Geneva, Switzerland, the United Nations published 26 advance papers produced by state parties to inspire serious and spirited discussion for the event — and at least six of these papers focused Read More »

December 2, 2011
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, Biological Weapons, Biotechnology, International, Policy & Initiatives, and Research
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Biosecurity Board Assessing Studies on Altered Bird Flu Virus

(GSN Daily News) A U.S. biosecurity panel is assessing whether two separate studies that altered the avian flu virus should be published given concerns that such information could be abused by terrorists to create a biological weapon, the Science Insider reported last week. Dutch molecular virology scientist Ron Fouchier submitted to the U.S. journal Science Read More »