2011 Center for Biologic Counter-terrorism and Emerging Diseases Forum Updates
12 January 2011 Daniel R. Lucey MD, MPH Protecting our best weapon in treating malaria Dr Margaret Chan (Director-General of the World Health Organization) Statement at the launch of the Global Plan for Artemisinin Resistance ContainmentGeneva, Switzerland Ladies and gentlemen, The report we are launching today sets out a high-level plan to protect our most […]
2010 Center for Biologic Counter-terrorism and Emerging Diseases Forum Updates
21 January 2010 Daniel R. Lucey, MD, MPH 14 Anthrax cases (7 fatal) in Scotland include some with necrotizing fasciitis and Rx with Anthrax Immunoglobulin The number of injection drug (heroin) users in Scotland with laboratory-confirmed Bacillus anthracis infection is currently 14, with seven deaths. The Health Protection Scotland (HPS) website, updated on a daily […]
2009 Center for Biologic Counter-terrorism and Emerging Diseases Forum Updates
January 9, 2009 Daniel R. Lucey, MD, MPH No Statistically Significant Clinical Differences Seen with Oseltamivir-Resistant Influenza A (H1N1) in Norway in 2007-2008 Several media reports in the past week have commented on a possible increase in pneumonia and/or sinusitis in patients from Norway with the new oseltamivir (Tamiflu)-resistant influenza A (H1N1) virus. For example, […]
N-95 Respirator fit-testing required for US postal carriers to receive a “Household Antibiotic Kit” (doxycycline) for use during an Anthrax attack
On October 3, 2008 a letter was sent from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)/HHS Deputy Commissioner for Policy (Randall Lutter, Ph.D.) to the Director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)/HHS (Robin Robinson, Ph.D) in response to BARDA’s request for the FDA “to issue an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the pre-event provision […]
2008 Center for Biologic Counter-terrorism and Emerging Diseases Forum Updates
9 January 2008 Daniel R. Lucey, MD, MPH WHO posts 42 slides on containment strategy for the initial emergence of pandemic flu The World Health Organization (WHO) posted 42 powerpoint slides, dated 7 January 2008, that provide an easily readable overview of their latest update of the interim protocol to attempt rapid containment of the […]
2007 Center for Biologic Counter-terrorism and Emerging Diseases Forum Updates
4 January 2007 Daniel R. Lucey, MD, MPH US Funds Clinical Development of Peramivir, a Parenteral Neuraminidase Inhibitor Influenza Antiviral Drug On January 4 the US Department of Health and Human Services announced on their pandemic influenza website (www.pandemicflu.gov) that they had awarded a four-year contract for $102.6 million for further clinical development of the […]
WHO Recommends Indoor Spraying with DDT or other Insecticides to fight Malaria, in addition to Insecticide-Treated Mosquito Nets and Artemesinin Combination Therapies
15 September 2006 Today the World Health Organization (WHO) announced (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2006/pr50/en/index.html) they are giving “indoor use of DDT a clean bill of health for controlling malaria”. Unlike widespread policy of the past quarter century, the WHO will now promote “indoor residual spraying (IRS)” with insecticides, including DDT, as one of three main interventions against malaria, […]
Recent Advances In Vaccine Development for the Treatment of Dengue
17 February 2006 Dengue virus belongs to the Flavivirus family characterized by single stranded, positive sense RNA genome. Mutation rates in RNA viruses are exponentially greater than agents with DNA genomes due to the lack of proofreading mechanisms in the RNA dependant RNA polymerases of the former. This leads to the development of antigenic diversity because of […]
Feb 7th-14: Avian Flu outbreaks reported in Nigeria, Azerbeijan, Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Austria, Germany and Iran. Is this how quickly human flu will spread when the next pandemic hits?
14 February 2006 Over the course of one week from Feb 7-14 laboratory-proven H5N1 infection of animals was reported for the first time from five nations (Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Greece, Italy, and Bulgaria). Initial results for H5N1, pending official confirmation in a second reference laboratory, were also reported from Slovenia, Austria, Germany, and Iran. Fortunately, so […]
2006 H5N1 Virus Center for Biologic Counterterrorism and Emerging Diseases Update Forum
5 January 2006 Daniel R. Lucey, MD, MPH Turkey Reports Two Deaths Due to H5N1 Virus: The First Human Infections Outside China and SE Asia Over the past 24 hours (January 4-5) Turkey has reported the laboratory-confirmed fatal infection of two teenage siblings with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. The 14 and 15 year old […]