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Today's Headlines: May 26, 2017
 
Biological Agents & Infectious Diseases

Notes from the Field: Measles Outbreak at a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Facility - Arizona, May--June 2016 ( MMWR) On May 25, 2016, a detainee at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Arizona who had been hospitalized with fever and a generalized maculopapular rash was confirmed to have measles by real-time polymerase chain reaction. A second case of measles in a staff member was confirmed by rPCR the next day. Go to article

Ebola Outbreak May Be Smaller Than Feared, WHO Indicates ( STAT) There are signs that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo may not be as big as was once feared, WHO officials indicated Thursday. Fourteen suspected cases have tested negative for the deadly virus, Alison Clements-Hunt, a WHO spokeswoman currently in Likati, the epicenter of the response, told STAT in an interview. Go to article


Global Health Security

Lessons Learned from the Final Ebola Outbreak in Guinea ( STAT) Lessons learned from the Ebola outbreak in Guinea emphasize the value of a strong local and tailored response to outbreaks, when possible. Guinea's fight against Ebola is a story of innovation, humility, and dedication. The country gave the world the wake-up call about the disease, and then offered solutions to take into the future. These include trained local responders, adequately staffed personnel at village health facilities, and a well-informed and engaged community. Go to article

Too Many Health Clinics Hurt Developing Countries ( Project Syndicate) Donors like the World Bank and the World Health Organization often urge developing countries to invest in national health systems. But while rushing to construct clinics and other medical facilities in even the remotest regions may seem like a straightforward approach to ensuring universal health coverage, that has not turned out to be true. Go to article

The Virus Hunters ( Scientific American) In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, teams of researchers are busy looking for the next deadly virus. The odds are not in their favor. Go to article

Russian-United States Vaccine Science Diplomacy: Preserving the Legacy ( PLOS: Neglected Tropical Diseases) US-Russia tensions over the hostilities in Ukraine, collapsed cease-fires and chemical weapons use in Syria, and accusations of alleged cyberattacks may require a diplomatic reset. To help ease growing strains and restore dialogue and cooperation, it is worth looking to a productive and extraordinary historical record of international scientific collaborations. Go to article

Two Years After MERS, Korea Still Struggles with Public Health System ( H5N1) Two years have passed since the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome threw Koreans into the fear of infectious disease, but Korea's public health system remains fragile. Although the government has made some improvements, the country has a long way to go before completing infectious disease-related governance by, for instance, training public health experts and supporting research activities. Go to article


Government Affairs & National Security

Trump's Proposed Budget Would Cut $2.2 Billion from Global Health Spending ( NPR: Goats and Soda) US aid for international family planning would be eliminated. Programs to combat HIV/AIDS in the world's poorest countries would be slashed by 17 percent. Efforts to fight malaria would be chopped by 11 percent. Those are just some of the cuts to global health spending called for by President Trump in the proposed budget he unveiled this week. Go to article

Preserving the Fogarty International Center - Benefits for Americans and the World ( New England Journal of Medicine) In his proposed budget for fiscal year 2018, President Donald Trump recommended eliminating the Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health. Although the NIH actually received increased funding in the fiscal year 2017 budget that was signed on May 5, the FIC - a leader of US global health research efforts for the past 50 years - may be vulnerable in upcoming negotiations over the 2018 budget. Go to article

HHS Secretary Tom Price MD, Addresses the 70th World Health Assembly ( Mission of the United States--Geneva Switzerland) Madame President, Director-General Chan, fellow Ministers, distinguished leaders, it is a true honor to make my first visit to the World Health Assembly. As just the third physician to hold the position of Secretary of Health and Human Services of the United States, being here today is a remarkable privilege. Go to article

See Also: Readout of Secretary Price's Second Day in Geneva for World Health Assembly (Mission of the United States--Geneva Switzerland) On Monday, May 22, Secretary Price participated in the opening activities of the 70th World Health Assembly. The Secretary participated in several events throughout the day - including one on antimicrobial resistance, a top concern for public health officials; an event sponsored by the US Delegation on international health regulations and how nations can and should assess their health security capacities; an event highlighting the critical role of public-private partnerships in addressing global health security; and an event on strengthening access to essential surgical and anesthesia care, particularly in underserved parts of the world. Go to article

See Also: Readout of Secretary Price's Third and Fourth Day in Geneva for World Health Assembly ( Mission of the United States--Geneva Switzerland) On Tuesday, May 23 and Wednesday, May 24, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, MD completed his participation in the 70th World Health Assembly by leading the US delegation in meetings with public health officials from Singapore, the WHO Africa Regional Office, Finland, Norway, the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office, and Brazil. These discussions wrapped up three days of meetings with many member state delegations to advance cooperation and collaboration on global health security, and other areas of important health collaboration. Go to article

US: The GOP Health Bill Would Make Zika the Newest Preexisting Condition ( H5N1) The controversial GOP health care bill that narrowly passed the House of Representatives this month could have devastating consequences for mothers and children infected with Zika, experts say. The mosquito-borne virus is just one on a nearly endless list of preexisting medical conditions--cancer, asthma, pregnancy--for which insurers could potentially charge higher premiums if Republicans get their way. Go to article


Medicine & Public Health

Integrating Environmental Monitoring and Mosquito Surveillance to Predict Vector-borne Disease: Prospective Forecasts of a West Nile Virus Outbreak ( PLOS: Currents Outbreaks) Predicting the timing and locations of future mosquito-borne disease outbreaks has the potential to improve the targeting of mosquito control and disease prevention efforts. Here, we present and evaluate prospective forecasts made prior to and during the 2016 West Nile virus season in South Dakota, a hotspot for human WNV transmission in the US. Go to article


Science & Technology

During a Hospital Stay, All Microbial Hell Breaks Loose Between You and the Room ( ars Technica) In the first few hours of a hospital stay, the microbes living on the walls and other surfaces of the hospital try to overthrow your skin microbiome. Then all hell breaks loose. Within 24 hours-and possibly as little as seven-your microbes rise up to beat back the invaders. Before the germ clouds settle, your microbiome has invaded the room. Go to article

Enhancing the Efficacy of Adenovirus-5 Vectored Ebola Virus Vaccines ( Global Biodefense) The US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Virology Division, Pathogenesis and Immunology Branch has been tasked by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to investigate a potential for enhanced efficacy adenovirus-5 vectored Ebola Virus vaccines. Go to article

High Infection Rates for Adult Macaques After Intravaginal or Intrarectal Inoculation with Zika Virus ( Emerging Infectious Diseases) Unprotected sexual intercourse between persons residing in or traveling from regions with Zika virus transmission is a risk factor for infection. To model risk for infection after sexual intercourse, we inoculated rhesus and cynomolgus macaques with Zika virus by intravaginal or intrarectal routes. In macaques inoculated intravaginally, we detected viremia in 75% of macaques and virus RNA in 100%, followed by seroconversion. Go to article


Other 21st Century Threats

Deputy, EMTs Exposed to Opioids Get Medical Treatment ( CNN) A Maryland sheriff's deputy and two emergency medical technicians received treatment for possible heroin and fentanyl exposure after responding to a drug overdose. Go to article


Clinicians' Biosecurity News, May 26, 2017
Asymptomatic Ebola: A Rare Event. There has been some controversy over the question of whether the viral hemorrhagic fever virus Ebola can--like many infectious diseases--cause subclinical illness. On the one hand, subclinical illness in which few to no symptoms are present could diminish the quoted morbidity and mortality rate of the disease or, on the other hand, provide the basis for resurgent epidemics. Prior studies of varying methodological quality have provided conflicting data. A new study published in Lancet Infectious Diseases attempts to answer this question definitively.  Read Now
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