Anthrax vaccine to be studied in Seattle Aug 11, 2008
The project aims to find better vaccines or drugs to protect against infectious diseases such as influenza, West Nile virus or bioterrorism agents such as anthrax. A major need for the military is to find a better vaccine against anthrax, a form of bacteria that can be used as an inhalation agent of warfare or terrorism. (Yahoo News -- Anthrax)
Anthrax suspect recalled at service Aug 10, 2008
Some people who knew Ivins have said they cannot believe the scientist who liked to work in his garden and volunteer for the American Red Cross was capable of bioterrorism that killed five people, sickened 17, and scared the nation a month after the Sept. 11 attacks. (AP). (Boston Globe)
When dinner makes you sick Aug 10, 2008
A big push for traceback came after passage of the 2002 bioterrorism law, which called for such a system. FDA officials devised ways to detect and respond to the threat of intentional contamination of the food supply by terrorists. (Boston Globe)
Memorial held for anthrax scientist Aug 10, 2008
Some people who knew Ivins have said they cannot believe that the scientist who liked to work in his garden and volunteer for the American Red Cross was capable of bioterrorism that killed five people, sickened 17 and scared the nation a month after the September 11 attacks. John Barnard, who worked with Ivins at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick between 1992 and 1994, said he does not believe the government's claims. (CNN -- US)
Anthrax case spurred field of germ-gene sleuthing Aug 9, 2008
The anthrax killer spurred a whole new branch of science that could give the nation a head start in the next emergency - whether it's investigating more bioterrorism or even a food poisoning outbreak ... Bioterrorism aside, such testing could trace culprits in food poisonings and other outbreaks more precisely than today's more limited genetic fingerprinting, she added. (Anchorage Daily News)
In Anthrax Case, Hindsight Shifts View of Ivins Aug 9, 2008
WASHINGTON -- One night in autumn 2001, as the U.S. reeled from the worst act of bioterrorism in its history, Bruce Ivins was alone in his cluttered Fort Detrick, Md. office, scrubbing phones, walls and furniture. (Wall Street Journal)
Grabbing the Torch Aug 9, 2008
" An considers the threat of bioterrorism after the suicide of Bruce Ivins, and the scientist suspected of carrying out the post-9/11 anthrax mailings. It notes, "So far, terrorists have generally opted for simpler, more spectacular tactics. But as the anthrax case indicates, it takes only one individual who prefers anthrax spores to fireballs. (Slate)
Universal Detection Technology Completes Contract to Provide Radiation Detection Equipment for the 2008 Beijing Olympics Aug 8, 2008
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 8, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Universal Detection Technology () (OTC BB: - ) (Frankfurt: - ), a developer of early-warning monitoring technologies to protect people from bioterrorism and other infectious health threats and provider of counter-terrorism consulting and training services, reported today that it has received and fulfilled a contract to provide radiation detection equipment for the 2008 Beijing Olympics ... Universal Detection Technology is a developer of monitoring... (Primezone Releases)
Anthrax investigation not yet finished Aug 8, 2008
The attacks killed five people and sickened 17 others, becoming the nation's worst case of bioterrorism. Investigators initially focused on another scientist, Steven Hatfill, who won a $5. (USA Today)
Scientist was sole anthrax killer, US says Aug 7, 2008
Even as Justice Department officials declared the worst act of bioterrorism in US history all but solved, scientists and legal specialists noted that the evidence is far from foolproof. Investigators were unable to place Ivins in Princeton, N.J., on the days the letters were dropped into a Nassau Street mailbox. (Boston Globe)
Remarks Prepared for Delivery by U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Taylor at Amerithrax Investigation Press Conference Aug 7, 2008
As you know, this investigation into the worst act of bioterrorism in U.S. history has been one of the largest and most complex ever conducted by the FBI. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has also made an extraordinary contribution to this investigation. Over the past seven years, hundreds of thousands of agent-hours have been dedicated to solving this crime. (PR Newswire)
EDITORIAL: Has FBI solved anthrax case? Aug 7, 2008
The testimony raises the question of why the Army allowed Ivins to work at its bioterrorism laboratory ... Almost seven years after the nation's only bioterrorism attack, the hope is that the FBI has finally found the killer. (New Haven Register, CT)
The case against Bruce Ivins Aug 7, 2008
Taylor presented an overview of the case against Ivins, 62, after the Justice Department released documents detailing the scientist's role in what Taylor called "the worst act of bioterrorism in U.S. history.". The anthrax-laced letters sickened 15 and killed two Washington postal workers, a New York hospital worker, a National Enquirer photo editor in Florida and a 94-year-old woman in Connecticut. (CNN -- US)
FBI Aggressively Probed Anthrax Suspect Aug 6, 2008
The anthrax scare may have been a mad scientist's attempt at bringing awareness to bioterrorism research. And, if that was the plan, "in a sick way it's begun to work," says Katie Couric. (CBS News)
The basics of anthrax Aug 5, 2008
Bioterrorism experts say anthrax is difficult to use effectively as a weapon on a large scale, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Still, a person can contract the disease in other ways, and it is important to recognize its different forms. (CNN -- Health)
UI researcher faces deportation Aug 4, 2008
News - Idaho State Journal. Katarzyna Dziewanowska was recruited by the university and worked 14 years but was told to stop in the spring of 2005 because of the immigration mess. (Pocatello Idaho State Journal, ID)
Anthrax case raises issues about risk level Aug 4, 2008
Until the anthrax attacks of 2001, Bruce Ivins was one of just a few dozen American bioterrorism researchers working with the most lethal biological pathogens, almost all at high-security military laboratories. Today, there are hundreds of such researchers in scores of laboratories at universities and other institutions around the United States, preparing for the next bioattack. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Therapist: Anthrax Suspect "Homicidal" Aug 3, 2008
" Right now all the relevant grand jury proceedings are under court seal. "If they declare the case closed that may then pave the way to unseal some of these documents and some of the evidence and we may get the opportunity to get a closer, more detailed look," McCrary said. After wrongly investigating Army scientist Steven Hatfill, the FBI more than a year ago began looking at Ivins, who worked at the same military lab. Ivins, a decorated scientist who was working on an anthrax cure, killed... (CBS News)
Anthrax case renews questions on bioterror effort Aug 3, 2008
Until the anthrax attacks of 2001, Bruce E. Ivins was one of just a few dozen American bioterrorism researchers working with the most lethal biological pathogens, almost all at high-security military laboratories. Today, there are hundreds of such researchers in scores of laboratories at universities and other institutions around the United States, preparing for the next bioattack. (International Herald Tribune)
Files outline fears over anthrax expert Aug 3, 2008
Two U.S. officials said victims and their survivors could be briefed as early as Tuesday on the final piece of the bioterrorism attacks that confounded the government. The Justice Department attributed the break in the case to "new and sophisticated scientific tools" that cost the FBI about $10 million. (AZCentral -- News)
The Anthrax Mystery Deepens Aug 3, 2008
Hatfill's name had been leaked to the media as a primary suspect during the years-long bioterrorism investigation. He was never arrested or charged, and when he sued the government for ruining his career, a federal judge found "not a scintilla of evidence" linking Hatfill to the mailings. (Time.com)
Anthrax scientist Bruce Ivins stood to benefit from a panic Aug 2, 2008
According to their still-pending application for a U.S. patent, the inventors hoped the additive would bolster certain vaccines' capacity to prevent infections "from bioterrorism agents.". From December 2002 to December 2003, the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency committed $12 million for additional testing of the experimental additive. (Los Angeles Times)
Health issues a weighty concern Aug 2, 2008
The department requested $61,839 to cover the costs of Fairfield's continued planning and response to bioterrorism, pandemic influenza and other public health emergencies. Leffert explained that the town expects to continue to develop the Local Bioterrorism and Public Health Emergency Response Plan along with its Mass Dispensing Plan. (Fairfield Minuteman, CT)
Anthrax attacks changed mail handling Aug 2, 2008
The bioterrorism attacks forced the closing of two major mail processing plants and contaminated 21 other postal facilities. The Postal Service also had to deal with more than 17,000 hoaxes that disrupted operations nationwide. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Politics)
New Hope For Answers In Anthrax Case Aug 2, 2008
Jones, one of the foremost anthrax experts in the world, said he talked to Ivins occasionally at bioterrorism conferences ... Ivins was a civilian working in the Army's main bioterrorism program. (FOX61, CT)
Will suicide close case on anthrax? Aug 2, 2008
The attack, the only major act of bioterrorism on U.S. soil, came in the jittery aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks ... But the prime focus steadily narrowed: first to the Army infectious-diseases laboratories, apparently linked to the letters by genetic analysis, then to Hatfill, a medical doctor who had become a bioterrorism consultant, and finally to Ivins, who worked in the same building as Hatfill ... But the FBI quickly narrowed its main focus on a different profile: a disgruntled U.S.... (Seattle Times)
Scientific Inquiry Aug 2, 2008
The paper says Ivins may also have been trying to scare the government into providing more funding for bioterrorism research in the panic-filled months after the Sept. 11 attacks. The the FBI focused its investigation on anthrax researchers instead of terrorist groups because it appeared the attacks weren't actually meant to be deadly, even though they would eventually kill five people. (Slate)
Sick food-safety system Aug 1, 2008
Four years ago, the Bush administration and industry lobbyists successfully thwarted a plan to toughen regulations on tracing food supplies as part of the nation's new bioterrorism laws. They complained that detailed recordkeeping and monitoring would be too cumbersome and costly. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Opinion)
Town debates joining Regional Health District Aug 1, 2008
Committee Secretary Sally Greaves spoke in favor of the health district, citing its superior bioterrorism emergency preparedness, lower annual cost and full-time health director. Member Carole Ketelsen spoke against the district, citing negligible savings and loss of local control. (Pictorial Gazette, CT)
Salmonella traced to Mexico Jul 31, 2008
The fact that it took more than two months and more than 1,300 illnesses to trace the cause of the outbreak "is extremely troubling," especially considering the attention and funds focused on the process under the Bioterrorism Act, said Cardoza, the subcommittee chairman. "Clearly serious flaws continue to exist in the methodology used by some states to collect primary epidemiological data," he said. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Amid Salmonella Case, Food Industry Seems Set to Back Greater Regulation Jul 31, 2008
Current rules, adopted under the Bioterrorism Act of 2002, require that produce processors and distributors keep track of where food goes and comes from, but only one step forward and one step back in the supply chain. Those rules do not apply to farms or restaurants. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Francisella Tularensis: Stopping A Biological Weapon Jul 29, 2008
(July 1, 2008) Scientists have identified a cell type believed to play a role in controlling the early infectious process against Francisella tularensis, a respiratory pathogen and bioterrorism agent that is the. (Dec. (Science Daily)
Sanofi-Aventis to buy Acambis for $551-million Jul 28, 2008
The U.S. has been worried that smallpox might resurface as a result of bioterrorism. Sanofi Pasteur delivered more 1. (Globe and Mail -- Business)
Food lobby reaps woes Jul 27, 2008
Under pressure in 2003 and 2004, the White House agreed to dilute record-keeping proposals by Food and Drug Administration safety experts for a bioterrorism law to cope with a major foodborne illness. "If the FDA had been given the resources and authority years ago that it requested to solve these kinds of problems, I think we would have solved this already," said William Hubbard, a former FDA associate commissioner. (Albany Times Union)
Depositions Taken In Anthrax Case Jul 25, 2008
Hatfill, a physician and bioterrorism specialist, worked from 1997 to 1999 in the Army's infectious diseases laboratory at Maryland's Fort Detrick. Hatfill alleges that Justice officials leaked discrediting and false information to the media about him that caused him great harm. (Yahoo News -- Biological and Chemical Weapons)
Prescription for addiction: Health Department to create drug abuse focus group Jul 23, 2008
But following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, she said, those efforts shifted to bioterrorism, and the county eventually turned the role of monitoring substance abuse over to the Office of Planning and Grants, which is less public-health oriented, and more planning-and-grant oriented, she said. Oliver said he hoped to get the issue back on track, with the focus team providing the initial thrust. (Missoulian, MT)
Killer Kevlar: Clothing That Shields From Germs Jul 22, 2008
But amid increased threats of bioterrorism, there's a growing need for new protective clothing that can also provide multiple protection against a wide variety of dangerous microorganisms. The scientists developed a special process to coat Kevlar samples with acyclic N-Halamine, a potent germ-fighting substance. (Science Daily)
Breakthrough In Fight Against Deadly Superbug: Early Detection Method Greatly Increases Chances Of Survival Jul 22, 2008
8, 2007) Amid continuing concerns that anthrax might be used as a bioterrorism weapon, government researchers report development of a faster, more sensitive blood test for detecting the deadly toxins produced. (Apr. (Science Daily)
CDC: Offline generators caused germ lab outage Jul 20, 2008
The Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, has been examining the concerns raised by West and others as part of its probe of the safety of U.S. labs working with potential bioterrorism agents. To reach staff writer Alison Young, call 404-526-7372. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- World)
Salmonella scare hit state growers hard Jul 19, 2008
Beckman said his group wants to know why the FDA investigation took so long, given that Congress enacted the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, which requires food-handling companies to keep detailed records allowing tracing of food through the distribution chain. "The trace-back investigation should not have taken as long as it did," Beckman said. (San Francisco Chronicle)
São Paulo Jul 17, 2008
First, Steve Kurtz found his wife dead, then he was plunged into a Kafkaesque bioterrorism probe. Now he's turned the experience into art. (Time.com)
Dismissal of Suit Over Anthrax Stories Upheld Jul 15, 2008
Hatfill, a bioterrorism expert who formerly worked at the Army Medical Institute of Infectious Disease at , alleged that columns by published in 2002 defamed him and caused him emotional distress. He has denied involvement in the mailings of anthrax-laced letters that killed five people and infected 17 others in the month after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. (Washington Post)
St. Louis County hires Tenon Consulting to combat pandemics, disasters Jul 14, 2008
In an effort to combat pandemics, bioterrorism and natural disasters, the has selected Alpharetta, Ga. -based to lead a public/private emergency management initiative, the company said Friday. (St. Louis Business Journal, MO)
As Outbreak Affects 1,000, Experts See Flaws in Law Jul 13, 2008
And some food safety experts this week tied problems in tracing the source of the contamination to what they say are shortcomings in the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 ... Nor do they know the country or state where the tainted produce was grown, despite a rule issued by the Food and Drug Administration under the bioterrorism law that was intended to give federal officials a way to respond immediately to threats to the nation s food supply ... The purpose of the recordkeeping provision of the... (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Mimic Molecules To Protect Against Plague Jul 8, 2008
It can be transmitted from human to human in aerosols and is therefore listed as a Category A bioterrorism agent. "Yersinia pestis is successful in causing disease in mammals because it can dampen the normal non-specific immune response to infection," said Dr Scott Minnich from the University of Idaho, USA. "We found an intranasal therapy that stimulates the innate immune response and protects against pneumonic plague.". (Science Daily)
Memorial physician and bioterrorism expert recently featured in national publication Jul 7, 2008
An article written by Michael Allswede, DO, program director, Memorial s Emergency Medicine Residency and bioterrorism expert, is featured on the cover of the June 2008 issue of DomPrep Journal along with a candid photo of Memorial s trauma team ... He also frequently acts as a bioterrorism/medical consultant for ABC World News Tonight ... For the past four years, Dr. Allswede has been working with the International Crime Police Organization (Interpol) and the United Nations as a bioterrorism... (Somerset Daily American, PA)
Health Department proposes 27.2 percent increase for next year Jul 3, 2008
Morgan said the proposed emergency-preparedness coordinator would be paid through a state grant in the health department s bioterrorism fund ... The county would have to compensate about 22,000 for the other health-department salaries that once received partial bioterrorism grant funding ... Other proposed budget items discussed Tuesday include the following: Service maintenance contracts; a decrease in the county s bioterrorism grant funding; an advanced registered nurse practioner-qualified... (Leavenworth Times, KS)
Scientists Unravel Early Infectious Process Of Respiratory Pathogen And Bioterrorism Agent Jul 2, 2008
ScienceDaily (July 1, 2008) Researchers at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) have identified a cell type believed to play a role in controlling the early infectious process against Francisella tularensis, a respiratory pathogen and bioterrorism agent that is the cause of tularemia ... The organism is considered to be a life-threatening bioterrorism agent by... (Science Daily)
Whats Really Up With North Pole Sea Ice? Jun 29, 2008
Considering that it s currently the only hope in Heaven or Hell that humanity has of ever solving its current problems without resorting to bioterrorism, that would be a massively bad thing for humanity and Earth both. Re #135: Ken. (New York Times)
CDC faces challenge of aging work force Jun 28, 2008
The CDC's mission has expanded, he said, with the increased threat of bioterrorism and emerging global diseases. "We're being asked to do more with less, especially when it comes to having resources to hire full-time employees," he said. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- World)
Have trailer, will travel; CCH ready for worst Jun 28, 2008
When you think about National Security Bioterrorism grants, you probably don t think that too much of that money is going to Clay County ... In case of a bioterrorism emergency, there is a pod system. (Clay County Daily Advocate Press, IL)
US settles with anthrax mailings subject Steven Hatfill for $5.82 ... Jun 28, 2008
For months in the anxious atmosphere after Sept. 11, Hatfill was subjected to 24-hour surveillance and was widely identified as the leading suspect in the nation's first bioterrorism attack. However, he was never arrested or charged and a federal judge presiding over his lawsuit said recently that there "is not a scintilla of evidence" linking him to the mailings. (Los Angeles Times)
Anthrax vaccine to be studied in Seattle Jun 28, 2008
The project aims to find better vaccines or drugs to protect against infectious diseases such as influenza, West Nile virus or bioterrorism agents such as anthrax. A major need for the military is to find a better vaccine against anthrax, a form of bacteria that can be used as an inhalation agent of warfare or terrorism. (Yahoo News -- Anthrax)
Wilkes-Barre names new head for its health department Jun 25, 2008
Kross also is responsible for applying for grants for injury prevention, bioterrorism prevention, maternal and children s health, immunizations, HIV and AIDS testing, skin and colorectal cancer education and prevention, and heart disease and stroke prevention. The health department rents space on North Franklin Street inside the Kirby Health Center, which is undergoing renovations. (The Citizen's Voice, PA)
Questions arise over CDC germ lab Jun 22, 2008
11 proliferation of public and private bioterrorism labs poses public safety risks. "This is yet another incident that calls into question the CDC's self-inspection policy. I highly doubt that the CDC would accept duct-taped doors on the privately owned bio labs it inspects," Dingell said Friday. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Kennedy-Burr Bill Targets Potential Threats From Within Bio-Research Labs Jun 22, 2008
chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and , R.-N.C., who formerly headed the Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness Subcommittee, have introduced legislation (S 3127) to check that risk. The bill would reauthorize the , which regulates and keeps track of research on dangerous pathogens in labs around the country; it also would improve oversight at the labs, setting incident reporting and safety standards and improving worker training. (Yahoo News -- Terrorism & 9/11)
Profile of proposed Flora location Jun 21, 2008
UTMB has an established research program in infectious diseases directly relevant to bioterrorism and operates one of the few BSL-4 facilities in the nation. Battelle has a long history of successfully managing national laboratories, including West Jefferson BSL-3 laboratory, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center. (The Clarion-Ledger)
Effective health messages may yield vaccine compliance among ER workers Jun 18, 2008
In a new study published this month in Biosecurity and Bioterrorism, researchers from the Center for Preparedness Research and Planning and the Department of Public Health at Temple University found that by addressing ER workers' fears and concerns, they could craft persuasive messages to convince ER workers to get vaccinated ... This research was funded in part under an agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and the Pennsylvania Department of Health, in... (EurekAlert!)
Professor's health forces guilty plea Jun 17, 2008
Though health officials said the materials posed a low risk of infection, the case quickly was linked to bioterrorism and an indictment was brought. During the years that the case dragged on, supporters of the two men held rallies and fund-raisers to pay for their defense. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Could Winnie the Pooh and Star Wars save US foreign policy afterBush? Jun 17, 2008
In a departure from President George Bush's view that the war on terrorism can be won, Mr Danzig, a Pentagon adviser on bioterrorism, said that while the West could defeat individual terrorist groups and plots, it can never remove the threat posed by nuclear proliferation or bioterrorism. Mr Danzig said he learnt much from interviews with the jailed Aum Shinrikyo terrorists who released sarin nerve gas on the Tokyo metro in 1995. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
BIO chief talks about industry's concerns Jun 15, 2008
But since then, budgeted increases have fallen short of inflation, even as new research areas for the NIH were identified to deal with bioterrorism after 2001. Meanwhile, the rate of grant applications being approved by the NIH has dropped to about one in 10. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Business)
$6.7 billion for Foster City biotech firm Jun 14, 2008
Applied Biosystems, which provided some of the first automated DNA sequencing machines for the Human Genome Project, also sells equipment for bioterrorism detection, forensic investigations and paternity testing. Both companies supply research tools for studies of proteins and small molecules as well as for DNA and other genetics-related compounds. (San Francisco Chronicle)
More of this story Jun 12, 2008
If the critical infrastructure fails in the first phase of a pandemic, it will be impossible to protect the remaining population, the plan states, and extensive planning has been conducted and documented concerning mass vaccination and mass dispensing of medications in the event a bioterrorism event or an influenza pandemic occurs. The White County Local Health Unit is the lead agency for responding to pandemic influenza, and 35 percent of the county s population will likely catch the flu. (Searcy Daily Citizen, AR)
Brucella abortus S19 genome sequenced; points toward virulence genes Jun 6, 2008
Bruno Sobral, Executive and Scientific Director of VBI and co-author, remarked: "The complete genome sequence of strain S19 helps us understand the causal molecular agents of brucellosis." He remarked: "Brucella is able to pass from animals to humans with relative ease and poses a significant public health burden for workers in the livestock industry. It is also a possible agent for agricultural, civilian and military bioterrorism. This emphasizes the need for researchers to have a handle on the... (EurekAlert!)
India to test vaccine against anthrax Jun 5, 2008
Chettiar said, "Several countries in South-East Asia, US and Europe have started stockpiling Biothrax. It is essential for their bioterrorism preparedness, especially for its first responders like the military. The vaccine won't be used on humans at CDL which will only look at the quality control parameters and its pharmaceutical components." ... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, classifies agents with recognized bioterrorism potential into three priority areas ... (India Times, India)
