October 25, 2016

The UPMC Center for Health Security hosted a Track II dialogue between India and the US that focused on biosecurity. The purpose of this meeting was to explore biosecurity perspectives of India and the US, examine policy frameworks for mitigating biological threats, share lessons learned and best practices for enhancing biosecurity, and foster partnership and engagement between the two nations. The meeting was attended by US and Indian experts in biosecurity, biosafety, biodefense, the life sciences, regulatory policy, global health security, and regional security.


Public Health & Healthcare Preparedness
RESEARCH
Guillain-Barré Syndrome and Healthcare Needs during Zika Virus Transmission, Puerto Rico, 2016.
 
To assist with public health preparedness activities, CDC researchers estimated the number of expected cases of Zika virus in Puerto Rico and associated healthcare needs.  (Emerging Infectious Diseases, 10/24/16)
 
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
Creation of a Healthcare-Associated Infectious Disease Modeling Network to Improve Prevention Research and Healthcare Delivery.
 
The purpose of this project is to support innovative transmission modeling research that will expand knowledge and develop tools to better understand the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), particularly those that are resistant to antimicrobials.  (Grants.gov, 10/21/16)
 
REPORT
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
 
Often called "the voice of CDC," the MMWR  series is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations.  (CDC, 10/21/16)
BLOG
Acute Medical Care: Navigating a Complex System.
 
Options for acute care in the U.S. are complex, even bewildering. For instance, acute care delivery occurs in many settings, including emergency departments, urgent care centers, retail clinics, doctors' offices, and by telemedicine.  (ASPR, 10/21/16)
 
BLOG
Taking Stock of Cyber Threats During National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
 
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which provides us in the public health emergency management community a time to think about how we prepare for and respond to cybersecurity incidents within the context of all hazards.  (ASPR, 10/21/16)
 
PRESS RELEASE
USAID Announces $14 Million in Additional Humanitarian Assistance for Hurricane Matthew Response.
 
With this funding, USAID is providing nearly $28 million for Hurricane Matthew relief efforts in Haiti, Jamaica, and The Bahamas, making the United States the single largest donor of humanitarian assistance to date.  (USAID, 10/21/16)
 
PRESS RELEASE
CDC Announces Supplemental Funding Opportunity for Continued Zika Response in 2017.
 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is announcing the availability of about $70 million in supplemental funding to states, cities, and territories to support continued efforts to protect Americans from Zika virus.  (CDC, 10/21/16)
 
PRESS RELEASE
CDC Restores Emergency Preparedness Funds to States and Territories.
 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has increased by $44.25 million the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) cooperative agreements for all-hazards preparedness efforts in 2016 and 2017. The funds will go to a total of 62 jurisdictions, including US states, cities, and territories.  (CDC, 10/20/16)
 
VIDEO
Measuring Infant Head Circumference: An Instructional Video for Healthcare Providers.
 
This video demonstrates how to measure the head circumference of an infant. Measuring head circumference is a primary way to determine the presence of microcephaly, which is important during this Zika outbreak. It is intended to help clinicians evaluate babies born to mothers infected with Zika virus.  (CDC, 10/20/16)
 
BLOG
US Army and Navy Forces Collaborate with African Partners in the Fight against Malaria.
 
The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center (KAIPTC), hosted a malaria diagnostics training course over the summer in support of the continuing East and West Africa Malaria Task Force (EWAMTF), efforts to assist African military partners in expanding their malaria programs.  (Armed with Science, 10/20/16)
 
NEWS
On Patrol with America's Top Bioterror Cop.
 
As a supervisory special agent in the weapons of mass destruction directorate in the FBI's Washington, D.C., headquarters, Edward You is effectively America's top biology cop. His job: track fast-moving developments in labs and make sure they don't lead to a bio-attack.  (MIT Technology Review, 10/20/16)
 

COMMENTARY
Wartime Lessons - Shaping a National Trauma Action Plan.
 
Researchers from the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences summarize recommendations for a National Trauma Action Plan that integrates the strengths of the military and civilian care sectors. (New England Journal of Medicine, 10/19/16)

 

REPORT
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Budget: Fact Sheet.
 
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), within the Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS), is the federal agency charged with supporting research designed to
improve the quality of health care, increase the efficiency of its delivery, and broaden access to
health services. 
(Congressional Research Service, 10/18/16)
 
BLOG
After Matthew: The Hidden Dangers of Hurricanes.
 
The aftermath is a treacherous time, with still-rising floodwaters, power outages, breaks in healthcare services, and increased risks for injury or illness. The mental and physical toll of a hurricane continues to mount even as it dispels and fades off into the ocean. We must remember that, although the storm has passed, danger remains present.  (CDC, 10/18/16)


NEWS
US Health Officials Outline Zika Spending Priorities.
 
US health officials outlined on Tuesday how they planned to divide up $1.1 billion in funds approved by Congress to fight the Zika virus, including repaying $44.25 million they were forced to borrow from a fund allocated for other emergencies.  (Reuters, 10/18/16)
 
NEWS
Army's Mobile Laboratory Unit Certifies for Global Mission.
 
The mission of the 1st AML is to deploy world-wide to perform surveillance, confirmatory analytical laboratory testing and health hazard assessments of environmental, occupational, endemic and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) threats in support of force protection and counter-weapons of mass destruction missions.  (Global Biodefense, 10/18/16)
 
RESEARCH
Acute Respiratory Disease in US Army Trainees 3 Years after Reintroduction of Adenovirus Vaccine.
 
Researchers from the US Army Public Health Center and the US Naval Health Research Center describe how implementation of a replacement vaccine against adenovirus types 4 and 7 led to dramatic and sustained decreases in acute respiratory disease (ARD) cases, supporting continuation of vaccination in this population at high risk for ARD.  (CDC, 10/17/16)
 
NEWS
A Threat to the Food System.
 
Tom Daschle and Richard B. Meyers explain why biological threats to our country's food production and security would have devastating economic, social and political impacts.  (US News & World Report, 10/17/16)
 
NEWS
Federal Prisons Not Testing All Inmates for Zika.
 
Federal prison authorities are not testing all arriving inmates for the Zika virus, including hundreds who are regularly shuttled into the US from Puerto Rico, where thousands have been infected, according to Federal Bureau of Prisons documents and staffers.  (USA TODAY, 10/14/16)
 
ANNOUNCEMENT
2016-2017 National Health Security Awards Program.
 
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) are pleased to announce the second annual National Health Security Awards Program. This national honor recognizes local health departments (LHDs) that have demonstrated significant accomplishments in implementing health security-related initiatives within their jurisdictions.  (NACCHO, 10/16)
 

Homeland Security & Disaster Preparedness
NEWS
Inside the Cyberattack that Shocked the US Government.
 
The Office of Personnel Management repels 10 million attempted digital intrusions per month-mostly the kinds of port scans and phishing attacks that plague every large-scale Internet presence-so it wasn't too abnormal to discover that something had gotten lucky and slipped through the agency's defenses.  (Wired, 10/23/16)
 
REPORT
Private Flood Insurance in the National Flood Insurance Program.
 
By law or regulation, federal agencies, federally regulated lending institutions, and government-sponsored enterprises
(GSEs) must require certain property owners to purchase flood insurance as a condition of any mortgage that these entities make, guarantee, or purchase. 
(Congressional Research Service, 10/12/16)
 
REPORT
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations: FY2017.
 
The Administration requested $40.62 billion in adjusted net discretionary budget authority for DHS for FY2017, as part of an overall budget that the Office of Management and Budget estimates to be $66.2 billion.  (Congressional Research Service, 10/7/16)
 

Science & Technology Policy
BLOG
Introducing FDA's Emerging Sciences Idea Portal: Please Help Us Predict the Future.
 
FDA's ability to achieve its mission relies on awareness and preparing pro-actively to address emerging issues and scientific advances that will affect the products FDA regulates five or more years in the future - well in advance of formal FDA regulatory submissions.  (FDA, 10/19/16)
 
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