Topics in Clinical Biosecurity: Biothreat Agents

                             
 Listed below are all CBN articles on Biothreat Agents published since 2005

• 06-26-15: Novel Type H Botulinum Toxin Neutralized by Standard Antitoxin A new CDC study reveals that the newly discovered type H botulism toxin is in fact neutralized by the existing standard heptavalent botulism antitoxin.
• 03-06-2015: An Update on Bioterrorism-Related Conditions In the months and early years following these anthrax attacks, the US embarked on the important task of readying the nation for another biological attack
• 05-16-2014: Leveraging Social Media in a Sarin Attack A new paper details how mobile phone technology can be used in a setting far removed from traditional health care: the Syrian sarin attacks.
• 10-05-2012: Novel Coronavirus in UK and Saudi Arabia A novel coronavirus has been discovered and linked to 2 severe cases, one of which was fatal, in the UK and Saudi Arabia.
• 09-21-2012: Studying Tularemia in a US Locale Francisella tularensis is endemic in Missouri, where 121 cases (20% of the US total) were documented from 2000 to 2007.
• 05-25-2012: Additional Forensic Investigation of 2001 Anthrax Attacks FBI’s conclusion that USAMRIID scientist Dr. Ivins perpetrated the anthrax attacks of 2001 is largely built on an extensive microbial forensics investigation.
• 01-17-2012: Clinicians' Biosecurity Resource App Now Available CBR is a healthcare provider’s guide to clinical features, diagnostic tests, treatments, and infection control measures for potential dangerous biothreats.
• 11-18-2011: Analysis of 21 Years’ Data on Melioidosis Pneumonia Patient Outcomes This analysis of long-term patient outcome data offers insight into clinical presentation and management of melioidosis.
• 09-02-2011: Anthrax-like Disease Caused by Bacillus cereus Of the Bacillus species known to cause human disease, only B. anthracis is generally recognized as capable of causing fulminant disease.
• 08-05-2011: Invasion of Red Blood Cells by Francisella tularenesis A research team at the University of Pittsburgh has recently demonstrated that F.tularensis has the capacity to invade RBCs in a mouse model.
• 06-06-2011: E. coli Infection and Hemolytic-uremic Syndrome WHO announced (5/27/2011) investigation of large outbreak of HUS that began in 2nd week of May 2011; causative agent is uncommon and virulent strain of E. coli.
• 05-06-2011: Absence of Smallpox "Take" May Not Indicate Revaccination Failure This study demonstrates that it is not necessary to recall those without a take, even without of evidence at the vaccination site.
• 10-08-2010: Lassa Fever in Philadelphia Of the many diseases that can be imported into the US by travelers, viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are of particular concern.
• 09-17-2010: Hundreds of Cutaneous Anthrax Cases in Bangladesh More than 400 cases of cutaneous anthrax have been reported in Bangladesh. None have been fatal, and all have been linked to infected cattle.
• 09-03-2010: Typhoid Fever: A Reemerging Threat? Salmonella is known for causing gastroenteritis. Organisms of the Salmonella genus also cause the more serious illness typhoid (or enteric) fever.
• 07-30-2010: Is Rift Valley Fever Virus a Real Risk for the United States? With extensive travel occurring between SA and the U.S. during the World Cup, a reappraisal of the risk of RVFV disease in the U.S. is warranted.
• 01-22-2010: Anthrax Cases Among Heroin Users in Europe Illustrate Novel Risk Cases of anthrax in Scotland and Germany highlight a new risk—recreational heroin use. Only 1 prior case of anthrax infection in a heroin user has been reported
• 01-08-2010: Unusual Case of GI Anthrax in New Hampshire Raises Questions NH HHS announced that a female member of a drumming group was diagnosed with gastrointestinal anthrax, presumably contracted at an event on December 4.
• 03-20-2009: 3rd Generation Smallpox Vaccine LC16m8 Proved Safe and Immunogenic The JAMA published a study conducted by a team of Japanese researchers who vaccinated more than 3,000 Japanese military personnel from 2002-2005 with LC16m8.
• 02-20-2009: Longer Treatment Window for Botulism Optimal treatment of botulism requires administration of anti-toxin within 24 hours of symptom onset, which can occur as soon as 6 hours after ingestion of spores.
• 01-08-2009: Update on Smallpox Vaccine In the past few years, there have been several updates to the smallpox vaccine armamentarium. These developments are reviewed below.
• 12-05-2008: Long-lived Immunity after Smallpox Vaccination It has long been held that smallpox vaccination confers 5 to 10 years of protection for recipients, who may then require a booster to maintain immunity.
• 11-07-2008: New Arenavirus Identified as Cause of Cluster of Illness and Death in South Africa and Zambia Through molecular diagnostic techniques, a previously unknown arenavirus has been identified as the etiologic agent responsible for 4 deaths in Africa
• 06-27-2008: Atypical Presentation of Cutaneous Tularemia Byington and colleagues describe cutaneous tularemia in two children who were initially misdiagnosed due to atypical presentations of the disease
• 04-14-2008: CDC Publishes Report on Meeting of Experts to Update Guidelines for Management of Anthrax On March 13-14, 2006, the CDC, in collaboration with the Southeastern Center for Emerging Biologic Threats, convened a meeting in Atlanta
• 03-14-2008: The Use of MedKits to Augment Rapid Distribution of Antibiotics after an Anthrax Attack Following an anthrax attack, many lives could be saved by timely distribution of antibiotics to exposed populations
• 09-28-2007: HHS Award Multiple Contracts for Anthrax Countermeasures Elusys Therapeutics, Inc., issued a press release announcing the award of a $12 million contract from the HHS’ BARDA/NIAID for advanced development of Anthim™.
• 09-14-2007: Symptoms of Anthrax in Children May be More Varied than Previously Thought A review of data suggests that the clinical presentation of anthrax among pediatric patients may be more varied that previously recognized.
• 09-07-2007: New Smallpox Vaccine Licensed On September 1, 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of ACAM2000TM, a cell based smallpox vaccine.
• 03-01-2007: Dilution of Smallpox Vaccine, Revisited There are currently three types of smallpox vaccine available for use in the U.S. in the event of a bioterrorism attack.
• 01-18-2007: Immunological Responses after Exposure to Anthrax Spores in the U.S. Capitol, 2001 Doolan and colleagues analyze the humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to B. anthracis among persons exposed and possibly exposed to spores.
• 10-23-2006: Smallpox Antiviral Effective in Animal Trials Antiviral drug candidate SIGA-246 demonstrated a high degree of protection against variola, the smallpox virus, in a primate trial conducted at the CDC.
• 09-22-2006: Anthrax Appraisal 5 Years Later: Top 10 Accomplishments and Remaining Challenges September 18 marked the 5-year anniversary of the mailing of the first letter laced with Bacillus anthracis in 2001.
• 07-20-2006: New Anthrax Countermeasure to be Acquired by HHS HHS announced a plan to purchase 20K treatment courses of ABthrax™ at a price of $165 MM with delivery to the Strategic National Stockpile set to begin in 2009.
• 06-16-2006: Safety and Immunogenicity of the Second Generation Anthrax Vaccine Candidate Vaxgen, Inc. reported the results of a phase 1 clinical trial designed to assess the safety and immunogenicity of their recombinant anthrax vaccine candidate.
• 04-21-2006: Large Botulism Outbreak in Thailand The April 14 edition of MMWR reports an outbreak of food borne botulism in rural Thailand, with 163 people affected, 42 of whom required mechanical ventilation.
• 03-17-2006: Could the Duration of Postexposure Antibiotic Prophylaxis Against Inhalational Anthrax be Shortened? The CDC recommends 60 days of postexposure antibiotic prophylaxis in unvaccinated persons after exposure to anthrax spores.
• 02-22-2006: Isolated Case of Naturally-Occurring Inhalational Anthrax in a New York City Resident The NYC DOHMH released an alert today regarding a single case of inhalational anthrax in a 44 year old man who makes drums from unprocessed animal hides.
• 12-29-2005: Lab Diagnosis of Y. pestis Recently, a 72 year old man presented to a hospital complaining of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and weakness for 2 day.
• 11-08-2005: Anthrax Staging System Experience with victims of the anthrax attacks of 2001 suggests that patients present in three, rather than two, distinguishable clinical stages.
• 07-13-2005: Anthrax Vaccine Candidate On November 2004, the U.S. DHHS awarded an $877.5 million contract to VaxGen, Inc. to supply 75 million doses of a second generation anthrax vaccine.
• 07-11-2005: Potential Anthrax Therapeutic A study published reports on a Phase I trial of a fully human monoclonal antibody against the Bacillus anthracis protective antigen.
• 06-14-2005: Ebola, Marburg Vaccine Researchers have developed a live-attenuated recombinant vaccine against Ebola and Marburg viruses found to be safe and effective in nonhuman primates.
• 06-06-2005: Disease Reporting Rules; Anthrax Anti-toxin This article focuses on two topics; the WHO issuing new rules on disease reporting, and promising results reported with new anthrax anti-toxin.
• 05-31-2005: Ebola; Pandemic Influenza On May 18, the WHO reported that an outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever was confirmed in the Republic of the Congo.
• 05-09-2005: Anthrax Meningitis While known to carry a very high mortality rate, meningitis has long been considered an infrequent manifestation of infection with Bacillus anthracis.
• 05-02-2005: Marburg Virus Originating in the northern province of Uige in October 2004, the outbreak was not diagnosed as MHF until March 2005.
• 04-26-2005: Anthrax Response; New Vaccines If a large scale aerosol attack with anthrax occurs over a large city, what would be the most effective response strategy?
• 04-12-2005: Marburg Situation Worsens While it is known that the number of Marburg cases and deaths continues to rise, at this point the true extent of the outbreak remains unclear
• 04-06-2005: Airborne spread of SARS; Marburg outbreak Two recent studies provide evidence for airborne (small droplet aerosol) transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in the hospital setting.