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New from the Center for Health Security
Infectious disease preparedness work focuses predominantly on a historical list of pathogens derived from biological warfare agents, political considerations, and recent outbreaks. That fails to account for the most serious agents not currently known or without historical precedent, write scholars from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in a new report on the traits of
microorganisms with high pandemic potential.
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Today's Headlines: May 21, 2018
Biological Agents & Infectious Diseases
Government Affairs & National Security
Global Health Security
Most Maps of the New Ebola Outbreak Are Wrong (
The Atlantic) On Thursday, the WHO released a map showing parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo that are currently being affected by Ebola. The map showed 4 cases in Wangata, 1 of 3 "health zones" in the large city of Mbandaka. Wangata, according to the map, lies north of the main city, in a forested area on the other side of a river. That is not where Wangata is.
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Mapping Ebola in the Hobbyist Zone... (
Virology Down Under) One of the most important parts of an early understanding of the risks attached to an infectious disease outbreak is knowing where it is. Which country? What part of the country? How remote is its location? How easy is it to access for the locals and for any help that may be coming? Could its location have played a role in exposure to an infected vector or reservoir? Are there hospitals or health centres?
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Medicine & Public Health
Science & Technology
Experimental MERS Treatments Enter Clinical Trial (
NIH) Enrollment has begun in an early-stage clinical trial testing the safety of 2 human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) designed to treat people infected with MERS-CoV. The trial is sponsored by NIAID, part of NIH, and is funded in part BARDA, part of ASPR, HHS.
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Physiological Temperatures Reduce Dimerization of Dengue and Zika Virus Recombinant Envelope Proteins (
Journal of Biological Chemistry) The spread of DENV and ZIKV is a major public health concern. The primary target of antibodies (Abs) that neutralize DENV and ZIKV is the envelope (E) glycoprotein, and there is interest in using soluble recombinant E (sRecE) proteins as subunit vaccines. However, the most potent neutralizing antibodies against DENV and ZIKV recognize epitopes on the virion surface that span two or more E proteins. Therefore, to create effective DENV and ZIKV vaccines, presentation of these quaternary epitopes may be necessary.
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Controlling Vector-Borne Diseases by Releasing Modified Mosquitoes (
Nature Reviews Microbiology)
Aedes mosquito-transmitted diseases, such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya, are becoming major global health emergencies while old threats, such as yellow fever, are re-emerging. Traditional control methods, which have focused on reducing mosquito populations through the application of insecticides or preventing breeding through removal of larval habitat, are largely ineffective, as evidenced by the increasing global disease burden. Here, we review novel mosquito population reduction and population modification approaches with a focus on control methods based on the release of mosquitoes.
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Other 21st Century Threats
Violence on the Front Line: Attacks on Health Care in 2017 (
Safeguarding Health in Conflict) The year 2017 was also catastrophic in terms of access to medical and humanitarian aid, as parties to conflict--both state militaries and armed groups--in several countries blocked the passage of aid, putting the health of millions of people at severe risk. Fifty-six health programs were forced to close directly or due to insecurity in 15 countries. That trend continued in early 2018, with the siege and bombing of dozens of hospitals and health facilities in eastern Ghouta in Syria.
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Clinicians' Biosecurity News, May 21, 2018
The Essential Elements of Pandemic Pathogens. To optimally prepare for pandemics, it is essential to possess some understanding of what types of pathogens are most likely to cause a pandemic. Traditionally, lists derived from prior outbreaks and biological weapons development are used to guide preparedness activities. However, such list-based approaches can lead to static thinking about biological threats, making an already surprise-laden field even more so. Reflecting this uncertainty and the need to be prepared for unknown and unlisted agents, the World Health Organization (WHO) has developed the concept of "Disease X.".
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Published by JHSPH Center for Health Security
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