Recent News

By Region: North America

Scientists closer to universal flu vaccine after pandemic ‘natural experiment’

(ScienceDaily) Scientists have moved closer to developing a universal flu vaccine after using the 2009 pandemic as a natural experiment to study why some people seem to resist severe illness. Researchers at Imperial College London asked volunteers to donate blood samples just as the swine flu pandemic was getting underway and report any symptoms they Read More »

September 23, 2013
| Filed under Asia/Pacific, Europe, North America, Countermeasures, and Public Health
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Biodefense firms look to expand customer base beyond the federal government

(WashingtonPost) Biotechnology companies that have historically sold defense-related drugs and vaccines to the federal government are expanding their portfolios to include commercial products in an effort to diversify their business and improve valuations on Wall Street. The value of biodefense firms often lags that of their commercially focused counterparts because it is typically judged based Read More »

September 23, 2013
| Filed under North America and Research
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What’s superbugging you?

(WashingtonPost) You may be worried about a government shutdown, but I’m not. I’m not worried about a shutdown because we’re all about to die anyway. Superbugs are going to kill us.“Drug-resistant bacteria pose potential catastrophe, CDC warns” was The Post’s headline this week about a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that did indeed Read More »

September 20, 2013
| Filed under Europe, Middle East, North America, and Public Health
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How Far Are We From a Super-Pandemic?

(DiscoveryNews) Fall is flu season and this year, as usual, federal health officials are asking the public to get their annual flu vaccine shot. But scientists say there are much more deadly bugs lurking out there that could someday make the jump from local outbreak to a worldwide super pandemic that could wipe out people Read More »

September 20, 2013
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, and Public Health
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HHS replenishes nation’s supply of anthrax antitoxin

(HHS) The nation’s supply of anthrax antitoxin will be maintained until 2018 under Project BioShield contracts issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). Orders placed today will replenish the stockpile of anthrax antitoxin as doses currently in the Strategic National Stockpile expire. Read More »