Biological Agents & Infectious Diseases
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) - Malaysia (
WHO) The case, a 55 year old male who resides in Malaysia, traveled as a member of a pilgrimage group to KSA from 13-23 December 2017. The case reported a history of exposure to dromedary camels (drinking unpasteurized camel milk and direct contact with a camel) while visiting a camel farm in Riyadh on 20 December 2017. The case developed symptoms on 24 December, was treated and hospitalized in Malaysia. Currently the case is asymptomatic and in hospital.
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Brucellosis Outbreak: 21 Confirmed and Dozens of Suspected Cases (
Outbreak News Today) In a follow-up on the brucellosis outbreak reported in students and teachers from the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences of the National University of Asuncion, the Institute of Tropical Medicine has confirmed 21 cases to date, according to a Ultima Hora report (computer translated). In addition, 76 suspected cases have recently been reported after clinical consultation with patients presenting with some symptoms.
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West Nile Virus and Other Nationally Notifiable Arboviral Diseases - United States, 2016 (
MMWR) Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) are transmitted to humans primarily through the bites of infected mosquitoes and ticks. West Nile virus is the leading cause of domestically acquired arboviral disease in the continental US. Other arboviruses, including La Crosse, Powassan, Jamestown Canyon, St. Louis encephalitis, and eastern equine encephalitis viruses, cause sporadic cases of disease and occasional outbreaks.
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Domestic Preparedness & Response
Global Health Security
Anti-Yellow Fever Campaign to Vaccinate 19 Million in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Bahia (Folha
De S. Paulo) In an attempt to contain the proliferation of the yellow fever virus in Brazil, starting in February, approximately 19.7 million people are expected to get vaccinated against the disease in the states of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Bahia. The timetable and the campaign's new strategy, which will contemplate 75 municipalities, were released by the Ministry of Health on Tuesday (the 9th). The goal is to avoid the proliferation of the disease in areas that hadn't yet recommended taking the yellow fever vaccine.
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Here's Why Global Health Suffers in a Fractured World (
World Economic Forum) The world is today more fractured than at any time since the Cold War, with a new fortress narrative now emerging. But is it really possible for countries to reap the benefits of globalization and shun the responsibilities that come with a globalized economy, while avoiding the consequences of doing so?
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A Bangladeshi Prescription for Cholera (
Project Syndicate) Despite having the expertise to keep cholera in check, the world is losing the battle to contain the disease, especially in regions where conflict persists. Countries like Bangladesh, which have vast experience confronting cholera and other waterborne illnesses, can play a leading role.
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Medicine & Public Health
Science & Technology
mRNA Vaccines - a New Era in Vaccinology (
Nature Reviews) mRNA vaccines represent a promising alternative to conventional vaccine approaches because of their high potency, capacity for rapid development and potential for low-cost manufacture and safe administration. However, their application has until recently been restricted by the instability and inefficient in vivo delivery of mRNA.
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Y Combinator Is Launching a Biotech Track (
Tech Crunch) Y Combinator is pulling the curtains off of a new experiment, YC Bio. The idea is to fund early-stage life-sciences companies that are still in the lab phase, YC President Sam Altman wrote on the YC blog today. YC Bio's first area of focus will be on healthspan and age-related disease.
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A Universal Flu Shot May Be Nearing Reality (
Science News) One of the planet's deadliest viruses makes an annual pass through the US with little fanfare. It rarely generates flashy headlines or news footage of health workers in hazmat suits. There's no sudden panic when a sick person shows up coughing and feverish in an emergency room. Yet before next spring, this season's lethal germ will probably have infected millions of Americans, killing tens of thousands. Still, it's often referred to as just the flu.
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The Bright Side of Synthetic Biology and Crispr (
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists) Long-standing fears surrounding synthetic biology have recently been rekindled by the discovery of the gene-editing technique Crispr. As with previous advances in biology, Crispr is sometimes characterized as a blueprint for bioweapons development or bioterrorism, and it has elicited calls for increased control and regulation of science.
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Other 21st Century Threats
A Radical New Scheme to Prevent Catastrophic Sea-level Rise (
Atlantic) Geo-engineering, its most enthusiastic advocates will tell you, isn't only possible. It's already happening. We know, they say, because we're doing it-we just call it global warming. As humanity dumps billions of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every year, we've engineered a different climate system: one that is hotter, wetter, and more unwieldy than what people have lived in since the dawn of agriculture.
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