Latest Biosecurity Stories

RICHMOND, Va., Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Alliance Biosciences reached an agreement with the Nyumbani Children's Home in Kenya to provide engineering and biosafety guidance to Nyumbani's planned HIV/TB diagnostic facility. This project will provide a state-of-the-art facility for the Nyumbani orphanage to conduct better diagnostics for HIV and TB patients at the Children's Home, and in the surrounding Kenyan community. "It's not often that a private firm like Alliance Biosciences has...

The finding may lead to improved techniques for testing water and food supplies should botulinin neurotoxins be used as a bioterrorism weaponScientists at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (SFBR) have for the first time developed a highly sensitive means of detecting the seven types of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) simultaneously.The BoNT-detecting substances are antibodies -- proteins made by the body to fight diseases -- found in llamas. BoNT are about 100 billion times more...

Few of us have experience of being infected with Hendra virus. Given that 4 of the 7 people who have caught Hendra virus have died we'd probably like to keep it that way.That shouldn't be too hard."We know that around 50% of flying foxes have had Hendra virus at some time, yet it does not appear to cause them any problems. All indications are that, on rare occasions, Hendra virus spills over from bats to horses and then from horses to humans "“ there are no known cases of people contracting...

Hendra has given bats a bad name. Understandable given Hendra virus has killed people and horses, and scientists have discovered that Hendra virus is carried by bats. But it's not all the bats' fault."Flying-foxes or fruit bats are large, very mobile animals that can fly long distances, possibly 100s of kilometers overnight. They are also very social animals, and roost during the day in large communal groups. We are very aware of them because they are so visible at dawn and dusk when we see...

There has been a breakthrough in the fight against the deadly Hendra virus following the development of a treatment which shows great potential to save the lives of people who become infected with the virus.A scientific team from CSIRO and the US has demonstrated that administering human monoclonal antibodies after exposure to Nipah virus, which is closely related to Hendra virus, protected animals from challenge in a disease model.According to CSIRO's Dr Deborah Middleton, who led the...

The most effective way to prevent the deliberate misuse of biological select agents and toxins (BSATs) -- agents housed in laboratories across the U.S. considered to potentially pose a threat to human health -- is to instill a culture of trust and responsibility in the laboratory, says a new report from the National Research Council. Focusing on the laboratory environment will be critical for identifying and reducing concerns about facilities or personnel.Mechanisms for fostering a safe and...

Majority of funding goes to programs with both biodefense & non-biodefense goals BALTIMORE, Sept. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Since 2001, the U.S. government has substantially increased funding toward preparing the nation against a bioterrorist attack. For the past several years, the Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center has analyzed government spending on biosecurity. In an article published in the journal Biosecurity and Bioterrorism, author Crystal...

Porcine circovirus associated diseases cost pig producers around the world hundreds of millions of dollars each year.That's why Kansas State University virologists Dick Hesse and Bob Rowland have been working to create new vaccines to tackle such complex diseases."Circovirus and its associated diseases continue to emerge around the world," Hesse said. "Both porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome and circovirus are a worldwide problem and they continue to...

MANHATTAN, Kan., Aug. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Porcine circovirus associated diseases cost pig producers around the world hundreds of millions of dollars each year. That's why Kansas State University virologists Dick Hesse and Bob Rowland have been working to create new vaccines to tackle such complex diseases. "Circovirus and its associated diseases continue to emerge around the world," Hesse said. "Both porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome and circovirus are a worldwide...

Similarities Between 2 Pandemics Can Aid in Preparedness and Response BALTIMORE, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the U.S. prepares for a resurgence of H1N1 influenza this fall, much can be learned from looking at a previous pandemic that had similar patterns. In an article published today in Biosecurity and Bioterrorism, researchers at the Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) examined historical documents, published material, and newspaper...