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Today's Headlines: March 21, 2018

Biological Agents & Infectious Diseases

On the Trail of Lassa Fever in Southern Nigeria ( WHO) Nafissa Ikerodah is both a detective and diplomat of sorts. On a Saturday morning in early March, the Disease Surveillance Officer in Edo State area rushes to a household where a man has just died of Lassa fever. Go to article

Fearing New Outbreaks, Brazil Will Vaccinate Country Against Yellow Fever ( New York Times) Hoping to stave off another deadly outbreak of yellow fever, Brazil's government announced on Tuesday that it planned to vaccinate the entire country against the mosquito-borne virus by April 2019. Go to article


Domestic Preparedness

FEMA's Disaster Preparedness Plan is a Disaster for the US ( NRDC) FEMA, the federal agency primarily responsible for funding community rebuilding in the aftermath of a large-scale disasters, has removed any reference to climate change, including sea level rise and extreme weather, from its just-released strategic plan. Go to article

Unable to Prove They Own Their Homes, Puerto Ricans Denied FEMA Help ( npr) José López doesn't have a deed for the little house at the edge of a dairy farm where he was raised and still lives---only the stories his grandfather told him about how the house came to be. Go to article


Global Health Security

Vaccinating Against Poverty ( Project Syndicate) A new study shows that developing countries could reduce poverty by targeting higher vaccination rates in poorer and more marginalized communities. Moreover, by making affordable, quality health care available to everyone, regardless of their income, immunization programs are an important step toward universal health-care coverage. Go to article

US Investment in Global Health Security-A Good Return ( Contagion Live) Last summer, I wrote about why the GHSA matters for American clinicians and why health care workers and public health personnel need to know about this pivotal program. The vision of the GHSA "is to achieve a world secure from infectious disease threats, whether naturally occurring, accidental, or deliberately released;" a lofty goal; however, despite the importance of global health security and the GHSA, its future is in jeopardy as funding is set to run by the end of 2019. Go to article

Georgetown to Collaborate with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations US ( EurekAlert) The agreement marks one of the first formal collaboration between CEPI and an institution of higher learning. The new relationship paves the way for joint research opportunities and allows for exceptional training possibilities for current and future students and scientists. Go to article

The Global Quest to Eliminate Tuberculosis by 2030 Hinges on India's Success ( Quartz) World TB Day 2018 is turning out to be special--never in the history of tuberculosis control has there been greater political attention and commitment to tackling the infectious disease that causes nearly two million deaths a year. Go to article

Shortchanging Global Health Now Will Cost Us Later ( STAT News) The White House recently released a report outlining the progress and investments the US has made to make the world safer from the threat of epidemics. But the key to epidemic preparedness and response is the CDC, whose operations abroad will radically scale back due to looming funding cuts. Go to article


Government Affairs & National Security

Fighting Microscopic Threats Through International Collaboration: Health Ministers Use Lessons Learned from the 1918 Influenza Pandemic to Strengthen Pandemic Preparedness and Global Health Security ( ASPR) One hundred years ago, the 1918 influenza pandemic caused massive devastation, ultimately infecting over 500 million people and killing between 50 and 100 million individuals worldwide. During recent outbreaks of influenza, Ebola, and other emerging infectious diseases, we have learned how critical collaboration among countries and international organizations is for an expedited and more effective response. Go to article

Below the Radar, the US Is Making Steady Progress on the Climate-Security Nexus ( World Politics Review) From the homeland security folks who respond to national disasters to the armed forces planning for hostile encounters with state or nonstate adversaries, the US security community understands that climate change affects what they do, often profoundly. Go to article

The Threat of Chemical and Biological Weapons (Federal News Radio) This week on Fed Access, Andrew Weber, former assistant secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical & Biological Defense Programs under President Barack Obama, shared his concerns about a growing number of attacks around the world involving chemical and biological weapons. Go to article


Medicine & Public Health

100 Years After the Influenza Pandemic--Are We Prepared for Another Epidemic? ( The Hill) One hundred years ago this month, Private Albert Gitchell, a company cook at Camp Funston-Fort Riley Kansas, woke up with a high fever, chills, aches, pains and a sore throat. He staggered down to the military camp's infirmary and was admitted.  Go to article

Development and the Evaluation of a Novel High-Throughput Image-Based Fluorescent Neutralization Test for Detection of Zika Virus Infection ( PLOS: Neglected Tropical Diseases) ZIKV is an emerging arbovirus belonging to the genus flavivirus that comprises other important public health viruses, such as dengue and yellow fever. In general, ZIKV infection is a self-limiting disease, however cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome and congenital brain abnormalities in newborn infants have been reported. Go to article


21st Century Threats

Taming the Mighty Mississippi ( Washington Post) A picaresque tour of infrastructure reveals a struggle for control all along America's great river, full of questions about what it once was, doubts about what it will become and who will pay for any of it. Scroll down to continue. Go to article

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