TweetThe lead researcher of a controversial study that created a form of H5N1 avian flu that is transmissible in humans recently announced that he hopes scientists can resume their work in the coming weeks. Dutch researcher Dr. Ron Fouchier of … Read More

TweetA simulated emergency anthrax response drill was recently staged at Central Wyoming College in Riverton, Wyoming, in order to test the community’s mass inoculation system. The premise behind the drill was a simulated anthrax release. The event was not open … Read More

TweetAnthrax fears helped to end a plan to build 80 new homes on an undeveloped parcel of land in Shavington, United Kingdom. Wain Homes Developments had to cancel its plans after they were thrown out by Cheshire East Council’s strategic … Read More

TweetScientists from the U.K. recently developed a foodborne pathogen detection system that uses Firefly luciferase, the enzyme that causes firefly abdomens to light up. The device, known as Bioluminescent Assay in Real-Time, detects harmful bacteria, such as Listeria and Salmonella, … Read More

TweetA Native American remedy thought to have been used to treat smallpox victims in the late 19th century was recently rediscovered and found to be effective in killing the poxvirus. Smallpox has been eradicated, but possible treatments for the poxvirus … Read More

TweetRecent medical advances suggest that cures may be possible for infections hemorrhagic fevers caused by filovirues, including the potential bioweapon Ebola and Marburg viruses. The infections are currently considered incurable, and no treatment candidates have been tested in the field. … Read More

TweetThe U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently confirmed that the price tag for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility could exceed $1 billion. When DHS officials made the announcement at a conference in Washington, D.C., and it was clear that … Read More

TweetResearchers in the United States have developed a new test that could help track down terrorists by analyzing the chemical traces left by nerve agents. A terrorist attack using nerve agents, such as sarin, is considered a major potential threat, … Read More

TweetA new, inexpensive treatment was recently developed to convert ordinary silk fibers into a fabric capable of destroying bacteria, including armor-coated anthrax microbes. The scientists behind the silk, whose work was recently published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, said … Read More

TweetA federal judge in Washington state recently sent a man to Oregon to face charges for allegedly sending approximately 100 threatening letters containing a white powder to members of Congress and the media. A federal indictment against Christopher Lee Carlson … Read More

TweetAVI BioPharma, Inc., recently received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for post-exposure prophylaxis studies on a vaccine targeting Marburg virus infection. The FDA approved AVI BioPharma to begin safety and efficacy studies of the single oligomer vaccine, … Read More

TweetA man who sent police in Bettendorf, Iowa, a white powder he claimed was anthrax will not have to cover the state’s cost of testing the substance. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals recently vacated the $1,400 restitution order for … Read More

TweetSeveral letters filled with suspicious powder were recently sent to more Senate state offices, though the Senate’s top law enforcement official said the messages were tested and found to be harmless. The latest incidents followed a string of mailings to … Read More

TweetSeveral members of Congress received threatening letters this week at their home offices containing a suspicious powder. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Senate’s top law enforcement officer announced that, in all cases, the powder proved to be harmless, … Read More

TweetAn estimated 40 percent of pork producers in Ontario have completed the first stage of a national biosecurity training program that was launched in mid-2011. Interest in the National Biosecurity Training Program, which was developed by the Canadian Swine Health … Read More

TweetKansas Governor Sam Brownback and the state’s legislative leaders are attempting to regroup after the recently released 2013 federal budget failed to include funding for the construction of a new biosecurity lab. President Barack Obama’s 2013 budget proposal allocated no … Read More

TweetA Phoenix high school plans to host an emergency preparedness drill that will simulate a bioterrorist attack using anthrax. Approximately 300 volunteers will be needed to test point-of-distribution plans for dispensing medical countermeasures, according to AZCentral.com. Jim Lee, the director … Read More

TweetDr. Donald Donahue recently accepted an appointment as an advisory member to the American Academy of Disaster Medicine. Dr. Donahue is currently a Firestorm Expert Council Member and a fellow of the Center for National Preparedness at the University of … Read More

TweetA recently published workshop summary by the Institute of Medicine revealed that the goal of creating an integrated biosurveillance system in the United States to detect threats to human and animal health remains a long way off. A biosurveillance system, … Read More

TweetA group of 22 avian influenza experts are expected to meet soon at the World Health Organization in order to set limits on the creation of lethal viruses for the sake of research. The assembly was called on hurriedly in … Read More

TweetITT Exelis and Altapure, LLC., recently announced the joint introduction of a new advanced disinfection system, the Altapure nebulizer, designed to decontaminate military, medical and other critical equipment and infrastructure. The two companies began cooperating seven years ago to develop … Read More

TweetAn Indianapolis man was recently taken to Marion County Jail in Marion, Ohio, after threatening to mail a letter to the jail filled with anthrax powder. Jason Fancher first called the Marion County Sherriff’s office and said that they would … Read More

TweetA research team from the University at Texas San Antonio was recently granted a U.S. patent for a method to diagnose the presence of Francisella tularensis, the bacteria that causes the disease tularemia. While tularemia remains a rarely occurring natural … Read More

TweetA recently released study concludes that it cost approximately $320 million to decontaminate the buildings affected by the 2001 anthrax attacks. The report, published in the latest issue of the journal Biosecurity and Bioterrorism, was compiled by a team of … Read More

TweetA federal appeals court recently allowed a biological weapons research facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to continue operations, despite its opponents’ claims that the government failed to fully consider the possibility of a terrorist attack on the center. The … Read More

TweetIsrael recently announced that it considers the threat of Syria’s weapons of mass destruction falling into the wrong hands to be equal to the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear weapons development. The violent crackdown on Syrian civilian protestors has entered … Read More

TweetResearch on H5N1 avian flu viruses that have been modified to enhance their transmissibility in humans must be conducted with the highest degree of biosecurity, the Public Health Agency of Canada recently announced. The Canadian national health agency now requires … Read More

TweetJapan’s Ministry of Defense is contemplating the development of a system that can predict the spread of hazardous substances that could be released into the environment by terrorists or as the result of a natural disaster. The system would be … Read More

TweetThe U.S. Department of Defense will increase spending to combat the threat of biological weapons, such as the toxin ricin, in the wake of an assessment that a terror group might conduct a “limited” attack on U.S. soil within the … Read More

TweetU.S. researchers are using computer programs to find new, and substantially safer, means of decontaminating deadly chemical and biological agents. A team from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California recently demonstrated that they can reduce the number of hazardous … Read More