In light of the recent discovery of live MERS in a Saudi Arabian camel, we thought we’d revisit the emergent pathogen. For this week’s image gallery then, the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome virus, in false color.
Month: November 2013
MERS Confirmed in Camel
For the first time since the virus’ emergence earlier this year, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has been confirmed in an animal host. The virus itself, rather than the antibodies against it, has been found in a camel belonging to a man also infected with MERS. Tests are currently underway to isolate the virus strains in the man and camel respectively. The Saudi Health Ministry is quoted as saying that if the strains are identical, it “would be a first scientific discovery worldwide, and a door to identify the source of the virus.” In three prior outbreak clusters, the first patient to become ill had prior contact with camels.
The presence of the virus in camels seems to support the most popular theory of the virus’ transmission, involving bats as the primary reservoir and camels as the main vector. However, it is still unclear what contributes to the virus’ selective infection within camels, as previous studies sampling the animals have returned negative for presence of the virus or its antibodies.
According to the most recent WHO numbers, there have been 153 laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS, including 64 deaths. The virus most commonly causes symptoms associated with severe respiratory illness (fever, cough, shortness of breath), but can also cause diarrhea, renal failure, and shock.
This Week in DC: Events 11.11.13
Our (slightly biased) pick for this week is “Blinking Red: Crisis and Compromise in American Intelligence After 9/11” featuring author Michael Allen, General Michael Hayden, and Chuck Alsup.
Tuesday, November 12
U.S. Health Partnerships in the Mekong
CSIS
8:00AM – 2:45PM
We wish to invite you to a day-long conference on November 12 on U.S. Health Partnerships in the Mekong, organized by the Global Health Policy Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the CSIS Sumitro Chair for Southeast Asia Studies. Registration will begin at 8:00am, with the opening of the conference at 8:30am. The conference will be held in CSIS’ new building at 1616 Rhode Island Avenue, NW (a short walk from Dupont or Farragut North metro stops.) The conference is an important opportunity to hear from several high-level U.S. officials on how the Mekong’s health challenges increasingly matter to U.S. national interests, and how accelerating U.S. engagement in the region reflects this shift. It is also an unusual opportunity to hear from diverse Mekong leaders, in government, university, non-governmental bodies and international organizations, on how they view both the region’s priority health challenges and the expanding opportunities for partnerships with U.S. agencies. Priority attention will be given to how investments in health address equity and broad developmental challenges. There will also be considerable discussion of health security, including artemisinin-resistant malaria and emerging infectious diseases.
NATO’s Deterrence and Collective Defense
Atlantic Council
9:00AM
Please plan to join the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security and the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies (IFS) for a conference on NATO’s Deterrence and Collective Defense. This event is part of the Atlantic Council and IFS project on NATO in an Era of Global Competition. This eighteen-month project examines new ways of thinking strategically about NATO’s future role in the context of emerging security challenges, global power shifts, and disruptive technologies. The first conference in this series, NATO in a New Security Landscape, which took place in June, covered emerging trends in the global security environment and identified key challenges that NATO must confront to maintain strategic relevance in the future.
Public Health in the Philippines: Progress and Challenges
CSIS
2:00PM – 5:00PM
The Sumitro Chair for Southeast Asia Studies is pleased to cohost a half-day conference focusing on public health in the Philippines. The conference will present an overview of the status of public health in the Philippines, the challenges of reproductive health, and will explore strategies in which the private sector, local leadership, and policy makers can respond. The forum will be followed by a reception at the Romulo Hall, Embassy of the Philippines. For more information please contact The U.S. Philippines Society.
Blinking Red: Crisis and Compromise in American Intelligence After 9/11
Date: 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Location: Founders Hall, Arlington Campus of George Mason University
The National Security Law Journal in partnership with the Homeland and National Security Law Program at George Mason University School of Law, the Biodefense Program at George Mason University, and George Mason University School of Public Policy presents a conversation with author Michael Allen on his new book with a panel discussion and critique featuring General Michael V. Hayden (Ret.) former director of the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency and Mr. Chuck Alsup former Associate Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Policy, Plans and Requirements. Registration is complimentary, but attendance is limited and advance registration is required. Please register online at www.nslj.org.
Wednesday, November 13
New Strategies for Countering Homegrown Violent Extremism
The Washington Institute
(Webcast)
Countering violent extremism abroad and at home remains one of the most challenging and important priorities facing policymakers, law enforcement officers, and intelligence personnel. Since the September 11 attacks, hundreds of individuals have been implicated in more than fifty homegrown plots, and authorities continue to work tirelessly in thwarting such plans. Yet events such as the Fort Hood shooting and Boston Marathon bombing underscore the urgency of developing a preventive strategy for reducing homegrown violent extremism. To discuss how policymakers and law enforcement are addressing these difficult issues, The Washington Institute is pleased to host a Policy Forum luncheon with George Selim, J. Thomas Manger, Hedieh Mirahmadi, and Matthew Levitt.
Hearing: Examining Nuclear Negotiations: Iran After Rouhani’s First 100 Days
U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs
10:00AM
Chairman Royce on the Hearing: “Instead of toughening sanctions to get meaningful and lasting concessions, the Obama Administration looks to be settling for interim and reversible steps. A partial freeze of enrichment, as we’re hearing, is not a freeze. As called for in U.N. Security Council resolutions, all of Iran’s enrichment – the key bomb-making technology – should be ceased. We now run the risk of seriously weakening the sanctions structure painstakingly built-up against Iran over years. Once weakened, it will be harder to ratchet up the economic pressure on Iran than it will be for the Iranians to ratchet up their nuclear program.”
Joint Subcommittee Hearing: The Continuing Threat of Boko Haram
U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittees on on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations;on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade
1:00PM
Chairman Smith on the hearing: “Boko Haram, even given the breakaway group known as Ansaru, clearly is an organization dedicated to terrorizing Nigerians and now even foreigners. The group should be declared a Foreign Terrorist organization as they fit the entire definition, and our hearing is intended to demonstrate why this declaration has become imperative for our government to confirm.” Chairman Poe on the hearing: “Boko Haram has become more violent and radical in recent years. Spectacular attacks against international targets in Nigeria suggest they may take on a terrorist agenda outside the region. This should be of grave concern to the U.S. and our allies in the region.”
Thursday, November 14
Doomsday Clock Symposium
Bulletin of Atomic Scientists
Time: 9:00AM – 7:00PM
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists will convene its 5th Annual Doomsday Clock Symposium on Thursday, November 14, 2013, at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C. The daylong program, this year titled “Communicating Catastrophe,” is free and open to the public. Panelists will include scientists, artists, authors, and a psychiatrist. Following the Symposium at the AAAS, the Bulletin is cohosting a “Meet the Artist” event at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden featuring Japanese artist Yoshimoto Nara; Nara’s work is included in the Hirshhorn’s current exhibit, “Damage Control: Art and Destruction Since 1950.” Students and faculty are welcome to the Symposium and Hirshhorn events; please see the Symposium program on the Bulletin website. Attendance is free but registration is required – please register here. For more information about the symposium, including an agenda, please visit the website.
Armed Actors and Governance in Latin America and the Caribbean
GMU Terrorism, Transnational Crime, and Corruption Center; SPP
12:00 – 1:30PM
The Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) will host Professor Desmond Arias for a discussion of the role of different types of armed actors in policy making and governance processes in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Medellin, Colombia; and Kingston, Jamaica. His talk will show the varying effects of different types of armed dominance on local political and social life in each of these places. Professor Arias has recently joined the faculty of the School of Public Policy at George Mason University, and this will be his introductory lecture to the community.
(image: Dell/Flickr)
November Biodefense Policy Seminar: Dr. Kathleen Vogel
November Seminar Title: Project BACHUS: Forecasting Bioweapons Threats with Experiment and Demonstration
Speaker: Kathleen Vogel
Date: Thursday, November 21, 2013, 7:20PM
Location: Meese Conference Room, Mason Hall, GMU Fairfax Campus
Dr. Vogel will describe a 1990s bioweapons threat assessment that involved setting up a mock bioweapons production facility as an “experiment”. The talk will discuss the difference between a scientific experiment and scientific demonstration and why it is important to interrogate what things are labeled as “experiments” and the implications that has for bioweapons assessments. Kathleen Vogel is an associate professor at Cornell, with a joint appointment in the Department of Science and Technology Studies and the Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies. Vogel holds a Ph.D. in biological chemistry from Princeton University. Prior to joining the Cornell faculty, Vogel was appointed as a William C. Foster Fellow in the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Proliferation Threat Reduction in the Bureau of Nonproliferation. Vogel has also spent time as a visiting scholar at the Cooperative Monitoring Center, Sandia National Laboratories and the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Monterey Institute of International Studies. Her research focuses on studying the social and technical dimensions of bioweapons threats and the production of knowledge in intelligence assessments on WMD issues.
The Pandora Report 11.8.13
Highlights include MERS in Spain and Abu Dhabi, a possible H1N1 fatality in Alaska, polio potentially spreading to Europe, and differing containment strategies for H5N1 outbreaks in Cambodia and Vietnam. Be sure to check out this week’s “Delving Deeper”, in which GMU Biodefense’s Yong-Bee Lim explores the threats and challenges of synthetic biology. Happy Friday!
MERS in Spain; Abu Dhabi
Both Spain and Abu Dhabi have identified their first cases of the Middle Eastern Respiratory Virus (MERS). The Spanish case involved a Moroccan citizen who lives in Spain and recently returned from hajj-related travel to Saudi Arabia. Health officials with Spain and the WHO are attempting to determine if the patient was treated in Saudi Arabia, whether she had contact with animals, and whether she flew commercially or by private plane (hopefully the latter). In Abu Dhabi, a 75-year-old Omani man has contracted the virus – it remains unclear where or how he became infected. In both cases, concerns over infection stemming from contact during the Muslim pilgrimage of hajj remain. If the two cases do involve hajj-related transmission, we may start to see similar cases popping up in regions with no prior incidence of the virus (North America, anyone?)
Spain reports its first MERS case; woman travelled to Saudi Arabia for Hajj
Vancouver Sun – “In its press release, the ministry said it is following up with people who were in contact with [the patient] to determine if others have contracted the sickness. That will likely involve tracking people who travelled on the same plane or planes with the ill woman, who journeyed back to Spain shortly before being hospitalized. The woman was already sick before she left the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a World Health Organization expert said Wednesday. ‘She became symptomatic while she was in KSA,’ said Dr. Anthony Mounts, the WHO’s point person for the new virus, a cousin of the coronavirus that caused the 2003 SARS outbreak.
Mers coronavirus diagnosed in patient in Abu Dhabi hospital
The National (UAE) – “The victim, who was visiting the UAE, began to suffer from respiratory symptoms last month and is now in intensive care. The diagnosis of Middle East respiratory syndrome was revealed by the Health Authority Abu Dhabi today, reported the state news agency Wam. The health authority is coordinating with the Ministry of Health and other organisations as it treats the patient. The authority said it had taken the necessary precautionary measures in line with international standards and recommendations set out by the World Health Organisation (WHO).”
A young adult patient in Anchorage has died from what is thought to be the 2009 strain of H1N1. According to Alaskan health officials, it is still too early to tell if H1N1 will be the dominant strain for their flu season – however, the majority of flu cases reported to health officials in the area involved the H1N1 strain. People, even sometimes young, healthy people, die of flu – get vaccinated.
Alaska Dispatch – “The hospital sent out an email Wednesday informing employees of the death of a young adult who had tested positive for what in-depth results could reveal as H1N1. The email also noted that some of the patients admitted to the medical center during the past week who tested positive for flu are ‘seriously ill’…It’s the time of year when flu cases increase, although flu is difficult to predict, said Donna Fearey, a nurse epidemiologist in the infectious disease program with the state of Alaska. There’s no way to know how severe the flu will be or how long it will last, she said.”
Polio emergence in Syria and Israel endangers Europe
In an article published in the Lancet today, two German scientists argue that the outbreak of wildtype poliovirus 1 (WPV1) in Syria, as well as the discovery of the virus in Israeli sewage, may pose a serious threat to nearby Europe. The vast majority of polio infections are asymptomatic – only one in 200 cases results in acute flaccid paralysis. Therefore, the flood of refugees streaming out of Syria and seeking asylum in European countries may serve as a large pool of asymptomatic carriers, resulting in the virus’ silent spread. Following polio’s eradication in Europe in 2002, many states limited their vaccination campaigns, resulting in large, unprotected populations, and a recipe for reintroduction of the crippling disease. This is why we should all care about eliminating polio from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria – because the one thing an asymptomatic virus can do well is spread.
The Lancet – “It might take more than 30 generations of 10 days (5) —nearly 1 year of silent transmission—before one acute flaccid paralysis case is identified and an outbreak is detected, although hundreds of individuals would carry the infection. Vaccinating only Syrian refugees—as has been recommended by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (6)—must be judged as insufficient; more comprehensive measures should be taken into consideration. Oral polio vaccination provides high protection against acquisition and spreading of the infection, but this vaccine was discontinued in Europe because of rare cases of vaccination-related acute flaccid paralysis. Only some of the European Union member states still allow its use and none has a stockpile of oral polio vaccines.2 Routine screening of sewage for poliovirus has not been done in most European countries, (2) but this intensified surveillance measure should be considered for settlements with large numbers of Syrian refugees.”
H5N1 Epidemics in Cambodia; Vietnam
Both Cambodia and Vietnam are experiencing small outbreaks of H5N1, with the Cambodian outbreak infecting over 23 humans and the Vietnamese outbreak concentrated mainly within farm animals in two regions. To date, twelve of the 23 Cambodian cases have resulted in fatalities, compared with just two cases of human H5N1 in Vietnam. Vietnamese containment of the virus is attributed to the prevalence of larger, commercial farms, in which culling can occur quickly and effectively. This is unfortunately not the case in Cambodia, in which farming is largely sustenance-driven. The differing methods of spread and containment in two otherwise similar countries help shed light on what practices can be undertaken to limit the virus’ reach.
Cambodia Daily – “But managing [the virus] in backyards, we are dealing with free-range poultry who run around villages and transmit it from one poultry to another,” he said, adding that 80 percent of Cambodian poultry are kept in people’s backyards. In all 23 avian influenza cases reported this year, the victims had contact with dead or sick animals. The Cambodian government also does not provide compensation for farmers whose poultry needs to be killed, which many experts say provides a disincentive to report sick birds.”
Tuoitre News (Vietnam) -“The southern Tien Giang Province People’s Committee on Wednesday declared an epidemic of the H5N1 avian flu in two communes, where the disease spread widely with most of the 557 affected ducks having died. The declaration was issued by deputy chairwoman of the Committee, Tran Thi Kim Mai, who asked the local Veterinary Sub-Department and other concerned agencies to take measures to control and drive back the epidemic in accordance with the Ordinance on Veterinary. All concerned agencies are required to tighten control over poultry-related activities and absolutely ban transporting of poultry into or out of epidemic areas, the authorities said.”
In case you missed it:
– Delving Deeper: Synthetic Biology and National Security Policy
– Fourth Case of H7N9 in China
(Image: Syrian refugees on the Turkish border, via Henry Ridgwell/VOA/Wikimedia Commons)
Event: Doomsday Clock Symposium
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists will convene its 5th Annual Doomsday Clock Symposium on Thursday, November 14, 2013, at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C.
The daylong program, this year titled “Communicating Catastrophe,” is free and open to the public. Panelists will include scientists, artists, authors, and a psychiatrist. Following the Symposium at the AAAS, the Bulletin is cohosting a “Meet the Artist” event at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden featuring Japanese artist Yoshimoto Nara; Nara’s work is included in the Hirshhorn’s current exhibit, “Damage Control: Art and Destruction Since 1950.” Students and faculty are welcome to the Symposium and Hirshhorn events; please see the Symposium program on the Bulletin website.
Attendance is free but registration is required – please register here. For more information about the symposium, including an agenda, please visit the website.
The day’s events will be streamed live through the Bulletin website. Students may also be interested in submission requrements for the Bulletin’s “Voices of Tomorrow,” a monthly essay, oped article, or multimedia presentation written or produced by a high school student, college undergraduate, or graduate student. For more information, please visit the website here.
Fourth Case of H7N9 in China
Chinese health officials have confirmed the fourth case of H7N9 in China in the last three weeks. The most recent case, involving a 64-year-old woman, was confirmed on October 30th in the Zhejiang province on China’s eastern shore. At this point, the scattered cases are in keeping with expected patterns of infection, and are not yet a cause for concern. It remains too early to tell if this is simply indicative of normal numbers of H7N9 cases due to cooler weather, or if another outbreak may occur. We’ll keep you posted.
(Image: A Chinese poultry shop, via Jing Photography/Flickr)
Image of the Week: Y. Pestis
We know we featured a gallery of plague pictures last week, but the one picture we failed to include was of the bacteria itself. Pictured below is the Yersinia pestis, the bacteria which killed millions by causing plague. While today plague in its bubonic form is easily treated, pneumonic plague has a 100% fatality rate unless antibiotics are administered within 24 hours.
(Image credit: NIAID)
Event: Blinking Red – Crisis and Compromise in American Intelligence After 9/11
“Blinking Red: Crisis and Compromise in American Intelligence After 9/11”
Speakers: Michael Allen, General Michael Hayden, Chuck Alsup
Date: Tuesday, November 12, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Location: Founders Hall, at the Arlington Campus of George Mason University.
The National Security Law Journal in partnership with the Homeland and National Security Law Program at George Mason University School of Law, the Biodefense Program at George Mason University, and George Mason University School of Public Policy presents a conversation with author Michael Allen on his new book with a panel discussion and critique featuring General Michael V. Hayden (Ret.) former director of the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency and Mr. Chuck Alsup former Associate Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Policy, Plans and Requirements.
Registration is complimentary, but attendance is limited and advance registration is required. Please register online at www.nslj.org.
Delving Deeper: Synthetic Biology and National Security Policy
By Yong-Bee Lim
Synthetic Biology and National Security Policy: Balancing Risk and Innovation to Address the Dual-use Dilemma
Mankind’s knowledge of technology, and the building blocks of life, has rushed forward in leaps and bounds over the past 50 years. Using various techniques and databases stored with genome data, analyses are now available to health practitioners and researchers to, among other things:
- Spot differences between virulent (capable of causing a disease) and avirulent (incapable of causing disease) strains of a pathogen
- Apply epidemiological information to estimate mortality/morbidity rates of pathogens
- Help create innovative new preventative and prophylactic measures to deal with pathogens ranging from naturally-occurring diseases to potential biological weapons
One new biological technology that has roused interest in the science and security fields is called synthetic biology (synbio). This multi-disciplinary science (which combines elements of scientific and engineering fields) seeks to create new biological systems, or recreate older systems with novel/ enhanced characteristics by using chemically-synthesized DNA as building blocks; in essence, this is a field that seeks to build living things (biology) from the ground up (engineering).
Although synbio has only been around for a decade, it potentially offers tremendous benefits for the world, including:
- Diminishing World Hunger: Scientists are looking to develop plants that produce more food per harvest by findings ways to increase photosynthesis (the ability of plants to convert sunlight and nutrients into energy).
- Producing Energy without Fossil Fuels: Synbio scientists are researching ways to use types of algae to secrete biodiesel and other fuels.
- Cleaning Environmental Damage: While microbes are already used at oil spill sites to clean up petroleum, synbio scientists are looking for ways to help these microbes do a faster job.
- Promoting Health: Synbio scientists are finding novel ways to approach issues with drug and treatment development. Synbio has actually been used to artificially engineer the rare chemical precursor to the antimalarial drug artemisinin, which has allowed larger quantities of artemisinin to be produced than ever before.
While synthetic biology comes with many potential benefits, it also comes with a number of risks. Like many technologies, synbio suffers from the “dual use dilemma” – a phrase that refers to how scientific procedures, materials, and knowledge may be used for both beneficial and harmful purposes. The same synbio technology that produces better medicines and environmental cleaning mechanisms may also contribute to the intentional modification of an existing disease or the creation of a novel, highly pathogenic biological agent by states or terrorist organizations.
Gaps and concerns in policies have already been highlighted in regards to synbio. In 2006, journalists from The Guardian were able to order a segment of the smallpox genome from a DNA synthesis company without offering any legitimate reason for the purchase. In 2010, the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) noted that the interdisciplinary nature of synbio may mean that practitioners are not biologists that are aligned with a university or institutional setting; therefore, individual practitioners of synbio such as engineering, materials sciences, or chemistry may not follow commonly accepted principles and practices of biological risk assessment and biocontainment. The fact that synbio has been used to recreate the Spanish Flu of 1918, as well as the SARS virus for research purposes highlights the potential danger of this technology in the wrong hands.
So what should be done about synthetic biology? It is clear that the potentials for misuse of synthetic biology constitute both a national threat. However, the potentials for positive good to come from synbio highlights a need to balance security with innovation in policy. While this is not a comprehensive list, U.S. policymakers should focus on addressing the following issues related to synbio:
- Dealing with access to genomic data: Synbio is a field that is primarily driven by genomic knowledge and information. The first step in recreating/producing a particular pathogen involves knowing the genomic code of a particular pathogen. Crafting policies that balance the restriction of this information while providing access to researchers is a key to foster both security and innovation.
- Dealing with regulatory policies related to the ordering of synthetic biology materials and products: Currently, places that receive federal funding must follow certain reporting requirements to the type and purpose of their research (including why they would purchase particular materials and products). Furthermore, HHS adopted codes of conduct that issued some customer and screening guidelines for the sale of synthetic genes in 2010. While this has proven successful so far, future policies that are crafted must continue to balance the restriction of the materials and products while providing access to researchers to foster both security and innovation.
- Enhancing and expanding good laboratory practices (including ethical training) for all practitioners of synbio: Raising awareness and good practices for practitioners of synbio would help contribute to a culture of responsible conduct of research that mitigates the risks of synbio misuse.
- Increasing funding and resources for biosurveillance and response capabilities: While preventative measures would be all that is necessary in an ideal world, mitigating the effects of the misuse of synbio is a necessity in modern times. Resources should be poured into state and federal entities (such as the CDC and the USDA) to both enhance epidemiological surveillance capabilities, as well as enhance response capabilities in the event of a biological incident.
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Yong-Bee Lim is a PhD student in Biodefense at George Mason University. He holds a B.S. in Psychology and an M.S. in Biodefense from George Mason University as well. Contact him at ylim3@masonlive.gmu.edu or on Twitter @yblim3.
(image: Martin Hieslmair/Ars Electronica/Flickr)
The Pandora Report 