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New Report

By Eric Toner, Jennifer Nuzzo, Ali Khan, Anita Cicero, Crystal Boddie, Matthew Shearer
From June 20-July 2, 2016, a six-person External Assessment Team from the UPMC Center for Health Security met with governmental leaders in Taipei, Taiwan to conduct an independent assessment of Taiwan's capabilities under the Internal Health Regulations (2005) and its related progress toward the "Protect, Detect, and Respond" goals of Global Health Security Agenda.  Read the Report
 
Today's Headlines: October 26, 2016  
 
Zika Virus

Zika Virus 'Not Controllable': CDC Director's Grim Warning ( USA Today) The director of the CDC delivered a grim assessment Tuesday of the government's ability to contain Zika, saying it's too late to stop the dangerous virus from spreading throughout the US. Go to article

More Zika-Linked GBS Cases Expected in Puerto Rico ( CIDRAP) In the latest Zika developments, a new study projected the impact that Zika-related Guillain-Barre syndrome will have on Puerto Rico's health system, as Florida Health gets a large donation and researchers unveil a new study initiative called ZikaPLAN. Go to article

Scientists are Bewildered by Zika's Path across Latin America ( Washington Post) Nearly 9 months after Zika was declared a global health emergency, the virus has infected at least 650,000 people in Latin America and the Caribbean, including tens of thousands of expectant mothers. Go to article

Mosquitos to be Infected with Bacteria in Fight Against Zika Virus ( The Guardian) Mosquitoes in 2 large areas of Brazil and Colombia are to be infected with bacteria that deprive them of the ability to transmit viruses, in an attempt to check the spread of Zika, which has been held responsible for brain damage in thousands of babies. Go to article

From Discovery to Outbreak: The Genetic Evolution of the Emerging Zika Virus ( Emerging Microbes & Infections) Zika virus was initially isolated from a rhesus monkey in Uganda in 1947. Thereafter, ZIKV was identified in both mosquitoes and humans, and mosquitoes are the transmitting vector of ZIKV.  Go to article

How Relevant is Sexual Transmission of Zika Virus? ( PLOS: Medicine) Sexual transmission of Zika virus could be as important as transmission through bites from infected mosquitoes, if media attention is any indicator. Go to article


Biological Agents & Infectious Diseases

ECDC: Extensively Durg-Resistant (XDR) Tuberculosis Reported in Romania ( H5N1) Four cases have been detected in Oradea Municipality, Bihor County, Romania.  Three cases are students from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, in the same year of study, and the 4th case is a family contact.  Go to article


Global Health & Security

Military Attacks on "Hospital Shields": The Law Itself is Partly to Blame ( Just Security) From the war in Afghanistan and the US-backed Saudi intervention in Yemen, to the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the Syrian civil war, hospitals have increasingly been targeted by military forces. Go to article

Liberia: The Psychological Scars of Ebola ( Medecins Sans Frontieres) Two years after the peak of the Ebola outbreak in Liberia, survivors, as well as their families and health workers, are gradually rebuilding their lives. Go to article

Terrorists Hamper Polio Eradication Efforts in Africa ( National Geographic) Porous borders, shifting populations, and terrorism have led to the resurgence of the paralyzing disease in Nigeria. Go to article

Rethinking Humanitarian Aid in Civil Wars ( Project Syndicate) In recent months, nongovernmental organizations and journalists have accused the UN of bias toward Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime and failure to distribute humanitarian aid to rebel-controlled areas of Syria. Go to article


Medicine & Public Health

Characteristics and Outcomes of Pediatric Patients with Ebola Virus Disease Admitted to Treatment Units in Liberia and Sierra Leone: A Retrospective Cohort Study ( Clinical Infectious Diseases) Consecutive children under 18 years of age with RT-PCR-confirmed EVD were enrolled prospectively in 5 Ebola Treatment Units in Liberia and Sierra Leone in 2014/2015. Go to article

CMV is a Great Threat to Infants than Zika, But Far Less Often Discussed ( New York Times) Laura Sweet had no idea that she had contracted a virus that would leave her daughter, Jane, deaf by her 1st birthday. Go to article


Science & Technology

The Inexcusable Lack of Diversity in Genetic Studies ( Pacific Standard) Low numbers of minorities in medical genetic studies is bad for both science and society. Go to article

CRISPR Identifies Potential Gene Targets to Hobble HIV Infection ( Scientific American) Whether or not CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing can create superheroes as depicted on a new Netflix show, what it's indisputably good at is this: editing a lot of genes really, really fast. Go to article

Optimal Immunization Cocktails Can Promote Induction of Broadly Neutralizing Abs Against Highly Mutable Pathogens ( PNAS) The design of vaccination strategies that generate potent Abs directed against diverse strains of highly mutable pathogens, like HIV and malaria, will significantly impact global health. Such Abs are called broadly neutralizing Abs. Go to article

What Happens When the Media Sends Drone Teams to Disasters? ( iRevolutions) Media companies like AFP, CNN and others are increasingly capturing dramatic aerial footage following major disasters around the world. These companies can be part of the solution when it comes to adding value to humanitarian efforts on the ground. But they can also be a part of the problem. Go to article


21st Century Threats

Testing the Climate-Drought-Conflict Connection ( arsTechnica) Academics do not agree on the relationship between climate change and armed conflicts. Weather events driven by climate change, like droughts and extreme precipitation, might be societally destabilizing. Go to article

AIG Quadruples Limits for Terrorism Insurance to $1 Billion ( Bloomberg) American International Group Inc. lifted limits on property claims tied to acts of terrorism to $1 billion as clients ask for more protection in larger cities. Go to article

The Rising Threat of Agroterrorism ( International Policy Digest) The recent pattern of terrorist attacks remind us that terrorists are constantly looking for new ways to cause destruction to people and property, generate fear among the masses, and undermine the economy. Go to article
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