Month: April 2014

Image of the Day: Camp Funston

by juliadhomstad, posted in Images

Camp Funston

 

This photo depicts an influenza ward at Camp Funston in Kansas during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic. This flu outbreak occurred between 1918 and 1920 and was one of the most deadly in history, infecting approximately 500 million people and killing 3-5% of the world population (50-100 million.)

That’s killed 3-5% of the entire world–not just infected 3-5% of the world!

Many historical resources cover this worldwise pandemic, also known as “Spanish Flu”, its effects, it causes, and the lasting legacy. Two include flu.gov and John M. Barry’s The Great Influenza.

 

Microbes: The 21st Century Astronauts

by juliadhomstad, posted in News

By Alena M. James

The Third Commercial Resupply (CRS-3) mission was scheduled for launch on Monday, April 14, 2014. Taking off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the CRS-3 mission was to head to the International Space Station (ISS) at 4:58pm. However due to a helium leak on the launch vehicle, the launch has been postponed for Friday, April 18 at 3:25 p.m.

If the repairs are made by Friday, the space pioneering company, Space X will be given the opportunity to test its Falcon 9 rocket and its unmanned Dragon cargo capsule in transporting materials and supplies to the ISS.  The Falcon 9 rocket is not the only equipment requiring repairs. A critical computer onboard the ISS also failed to activate last Friday.  Although NASA confirms that the ISS Crew was not any danger with the broken computer, a spacewalk to repair the system has been scheduled for April 22, 2014.

The mission cancelled on Monday will transport materials astronauts can use to repair the computer system, as well as 5,000 pounds of additional supplies. Among these supplies are materials used by astronauts to execute more than 150 scientific investigations. Such investigations include laser optics tests to explore information exchange from space to Earth and National Institutes of Health funded immune system research projects.

Also onboard the unmanned mission will be more than 48 different types of bacterial strands sponsored by Project MERCCURI, which stands for Microbial Ecology Research Combining Citizen and University Researchers on the International Space Station.  Under the project, microbial samples were collected from stadiums, monuments, museums, retired space crafts, and other public sources throughout the United States. The purpose of sending the different types of microbes into space is to determine how the bacteria will grow in the absence of gravity.  In addition to determining the effects of the absence of gravity on microbial growth, Astronauts on board the ISS will collect their own bacterial samples residing on fomites board the station. This study will help to establish the microbial flora of the ISS by identifying the different types of bacteria present.

The study of microbes at zero gravity conditions is nothing new. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has conducted previous studies primarily investigating the virulent nature of pathogenic organisms in space. A study carried out in 2006 revealed Salmonellato express a higher degree of virulence when grown in a zero gravity environment.  According to the study 167 genes and 73 proteins were found to have been altered in structure—the likely cause for the higher degree of virulency. Salmonella strains grown in space were brought back to Earth and their effects tested on mice. The studies showed that mice from the experimental groups were subject to illness at a faster rate than the control groups.  NASA has also completed studies evaluating the effects of antigravity conditions on the human immune system. Their investigations show that the absence of gravity has an adverse effect on the human body and weakens the immune system. In essence, pathogens become stronger in the absence of gravity; while the human immune system becomes weaker. This finding may have grave implications for individuals hoping to travel to space or to be a part of the MarsOne human settlement scheduled for 2024.

Contrary to NASA’s pathogenicity studies, Project MERCCURI’s research focuses on non-pathogenic bacteria and examination of their microbial growth properties. Findings of the study are likely to provide greater insight into the ubiquitous nature of bacteria and make actors in space exploration more cognizant about the bacterial environment around them.

If repairs to the Falcon 9 rocket are successful and the launch continues as planned for Friday, the Dragon space craft is expected to dock at the station for four weeks. After four weeks it will return to Earth bringing with it supplies and experiments performed on the ISS.

 

MERCCURI is a project made possible by the collaborative efforts of microBEnet/UC Davis with the Science Cheerleaders, Space Florida, Nanoracks,  JPL-NASA, and SciStarter.com.

This Week in DC: Events

by juliadhomstad, posted in Events, Week In DC

April 14, 2014

International CBRNe Response: Identifying Challenges to Delivering Capabilities in the Asia-Pacific
Date: April 14, 8:30am – 4:30pm
Location: The Capitol Hilton, Congressional Room, 1001 16th St NW, Washington DC 20036

The conference will identify challenges to delivering CBRNe (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or high explosive) response capabilities in the Asia-Pacific. The program is designed to plan for future CBRNe events in the Asia-Pacific by distilling lessons learned from select historical cases and discussing obstacles and considerations for regional CBRNe response. Banyan Analytics is honored to feature a keynote by Charles A. Casto, Former Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regional Administrator, and Former Director of Site Operations in Japan after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station disaster.

Lt. Gen. Chip Gregson (USMC, Ret.), Chairman of Banyan Analytics, will moderate a panel discussion on planning for future CBRNe events in the Asia-Pacific. Panelists will include Colonel Peter Ahern (USMC), Former CBIRF Commander, II Marine Expeditionary Force; Dr. James Schear, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Partnership Strategy and Stability Operations; and Richard Love, Esq., Senior Research Fellow at the Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction at National Defense University.

RSVP at Banyan.Analytics@anser.org

Working with Russia: Best Practices for Times of Conflict
Date: April 14, 12:30pm
Location: Center on Global Interests, 1050 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20036

Suzanne Massie, adviser on Russia to President Ronald Reagan and “the woman who ended the Cold War,” will discuss strategies for dialogue with Russia in times of conflict and explore potential next steps for constructive U.S.-Russia relations after the crisis in Ukraine.

Nikolai Zlobin, President of the Center on Global Interests, will moderate the discussion.

Space is limited. Guests must RSVP to keickholt@globalinterests.org

Challenges to Further Nuclear Arms Reduction
Date: April 14, 2:00 – 3:30pm
Location: The Brookings Institution, Saul/Zilkha Rooms, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC 20036

Following signature of the New Strategic Arms Treaty (New START) in April 2010, President Obama called for negotiations on further nuclear arms reductions. Last June in Berlin, he proposed a one-third cut in the New START limit on deployed strategic warheads and called for bold reductions in tactical nuclear weapons. Russia to date has shown little enthusiasm for further nuclear reductions, citing concerns about missile defense, conventional Prompt Global Strike, the conventional forces arms control regime in Europe and third-country nuclear forces. Of course, the atmosphere for U.S.-Russian discussions of these issues has become more difficult following Russia’s military occupation of Crimea and increased East-West tensions.

On April 14, the Brookings Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Initiative and the Heinrich Böll Foundation North America will host a discussion on the challenges that inhibit further nuclear reductions. The panel will consist of Dennis Gormley, University of Pittsburgh; Götz Neuneck, University of Hamburg; and Nikolai Sokov, Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation. Brookings Senior Fellow Steven Pifer will moderate the discussion and questions from the audience. Copies of the recently released Heinrich Böll Foundation publication, “The Future of Arms Control,” will be available.

Register here.

Terrorism, Party Politics, and the US: Expectations of the Upcoming Iraqi Elections
Date: April 14, 12:30 – 2:00pm
Location: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Nitze Building—Room 517, 1740 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20036

Ahmed Ali, Iraq research analyst and Iraq team lead at the Institute for the Study of War, and Judith Yaphe, adjunct professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, will discuss this topic.

RSVP here.

April 15, 2014

Putin’s Russia: Time for Containment?
Date: April 15, 5:00pm
Location: The Burke Theater at the Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC 20004

Under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has clamped down on democracy at home, while exerting increasing influence abroad. In 2008, it invaded Georgia. It supports Syria’s dictator Bashir al-Assad. Earlier this year, Russia invaded, occupied and annexed Crimea–with scarcely a shot fired. And in a speech to the Duma, he cited other territories and Russian-speaking peoples that are separated from the Russian homeland. Yet Russia is an oil-and-gas driven economy, with declining demographics and rampant corruption. Is Putin’s Russia on the wrong side of history, a weak power that will eventually succumb to the greater forces of the 21st Century?  Or is Putin making history, and intent to continue to do so unless he is stopped? It is time again to contain Russia?

RSVP here.

Dark Skies: Space Weapons, Planetary Geopolitics, and Whole Earth Security
Date: April 15, 5:00pm
Location: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, The Rome Building, 1740 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20036

Daniel Deudney, associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University, and Scott Pace, professor of the practice of international affairs and director of the international science and technology program at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, will discuss this topic.

RSVP here.

April 16, 2014

Crimea and Beyond: Security Implications for Romania, Moldova and Transnistria
Date: April 16, 12:00pm
Location: Elliot School of International Affairs

Mark Gitenstein, Ambassador of the U.S. to Romania
Dennis Deletant, Visiting Professor at Georgetown University
Moderated by Eliot Sorel, Professor of Global Health and Psychiatry, GW

Recent events in Crimea raise significant security concerns in Central and Eastern Europe, the European Union, and the United States. The territorial safety and integrity of nation states have been challenged and has become a topic debated at the United Nations Security Council, the US Congress, the G7, and the EU. Ambassador Mark Gitenstein and Professor Dennis Deletant will discuss the security implications for Romania, Moldova, and Transnistria in light of recent events in the region.

RSVP here.

Iran: Nuclear, Human Rights and Terrorism Challenges

Date: April 16, 12:00pm
Location: Heritage Foundation, Lehrman Auditorium, 214 Massachusetts Ave NE
Washington DC 20002-4999

Iran long has posed major challenges to the United States, its allies and Middle Eastern stability. In recent years, Iran’s drive for nuclear weapons has been a primary focus for concern, but that issue should not eclipse all other issues. Iran remains the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism and continues to commit widespread human rights abuses against its own people.

Join us as a panel of experts discusses the latest developments in the nuclear negotiations, Iran’s human rights situation and Iranian support for terrorism.

Security challenges and Scenarios for Central Asia
Date: April 16, 4:00 – 5:30pm
Location: George Washington University, 1957 E Street NW, Voesar Conference Room, Suite 412, Washington DC 20052

Erlan Karin will discuss the diverse security challenges, both external and internal, that the Central Asian countries currently face. He will explore the presidential successions, possible scenarios, and present four different prospects for Central Asia, its stability and its interaction within the wider region.

Dr. Erlan Karin leads the Council of Direction for the Center for Security Program in Kazakhstan. Prior to that he was Chair of the Presidential Administration’s Department of Internal Policy (2008), and Secretary of the Nur-Otan Party (2013). He has directed several analytical centers such as the Central Asian Agency for Political Research and the International Institute of Contemporary Policies. He works on security issues, terrorism, the role of security services and questions of political succession.

RSVP here.

April 17, 2014

Security Issues on the Korean Peninsula
Date: April 17, 12:00pm
Location: Korea Economic Institute, 1800 K Street NW, Suite 1010, Washington, DC 20006

The Annual Conference of The International Council on Korean Studies (ICKS) Luncheon and Luncheon Speech Sponsored by the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI)   “Security Issues on the Korean Peninsula” General John H. Tilelli, Jr., USA (Retired), Co-Chairman Council on U.S.-Korean Security Studies (U.S. Council.)

RSVP here.

 

Coming Next Week…

Sabin Vaccine Institute 20th Anniversary Scientific Symposium

Date: April 25, 1:00pm
Location: Pan American Health Organization, Conference Room A (Ground Floor), 525 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC

In celebrating twenty years of advocating greater access to existing and new vaccines for the world’s poor, the Sabin Vaccine Institute will convene experts from around the world – leaders from industry, government, NGOs and academia – to examine key lessons from recent efforts to address pressing global health challenges and share insights on emerging immunization trends.

Full agenda available here. Register here.

Pandora Report 4.11.14

by juliadhomstad, posted in Pandora Report

Ebola is still raging in West Africa and experts are planning for a long battle, however, every week can’t be about Ebola. So let’s jump into it!

Highlights include The START treaty, Chemical Weapons in Syria, H1N1 in otters and public outcry over Chilis (but not their baby back ribs.) Have a great weekend!

New START Data Show Russian Increase, US Decrease Of Deployed Warheads

With many Russia watchers nervously waiting to see if moves are made towards Ukraine, new data this week shows that Russia has actually increased their counted deployed strategic nuclear forces since September 2013 under the START treaty. Under the new treaty, by 2018, both Russia and the U.S. agree to no more than 1,550 strategic warheads on 700 deployed launchers. Russia has been under this limit since 2012—before the treaty was even signed—while the U.S. has yet to reduce below the treaty limits.

Federation of American Scientists– “Since the treaty was signed in 2010, the United States has reduced its counted strategic forces by 104 deployed launchers and 215 warheads; Russia has reduced its counted force by 23 launchers and  25 warheads. The reductions are modest compared with the two countries total inventories of nuclear warheads: Approximately 4,650 stockpiled warheads for the United States (with another 2,700 awaiting dismantlement) and 4,300 stockpiled warheads for Russia (with another 3,500 awaiting dismantlement).”

Another Chemical Weapons Attack in Syria?

 After Syria signed a chemical weapons dismantlement agreement in September 2013 (brokered by Russia, the U.S. and the UN), it appears they have reneged on their word. Reports from “credible” sources say that there have been chemical weapons attacks in the cities of Harasta and Jobar over the past couple weeks. With the eyes of the world on Russia and Ukraine, and U.S. naval destroyers loaded with tomahawk missiles departed from the Mediterranean, Assad may be benefitting from a lack of international oversight.

The Wall Street Journal-“There is no credible evidence to suggest that rebel groups in the Damascus area have acquired the materials or know-how to mount chemical weapons on conventional artillery pieces in their possession. It can therefore be concluded that unless the rebels theatrically fabricated the effects of a chemical attack, the Assad regime was likely responsible for carrying them out. Notably, on March 25, Syria’s U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja’afari distributed a letter specifically warning that rebels would use chemical weapons in Jobar in order to blame the government. But if any party in the conflict would be prone to such conspiracy, it would be the Assad regime, whose decades of tutelage under the Russian KGB made their Mukhabarat (secret service) frighteningly efficient at false-flag tactics meant to smear the opposition.”

Swine Flu From 2009 Pandemic Also Struck Sea Otters

Turns out, the H1N1 pandemic from 2009 didn’t only affect humans…it affected otters! New research shows that otters off the Western coast of the United States were also infected with H1N1 as it affected people throughout the U.S. Seventy percent of the otters tested in 2011 showed antibodies (demonstrating previous infection) for H1N1. Previous research also showed that elephant seals living off the coast of California had been infected with H1N1 too.

U.S. News and World Report-“‘Our study shows that sea otters may be a newly identified animal host of influenza viruses,” study-co-author and USGS scientist Hon Ip said in a government news release. “We are unsure how these animals became infected,” lead author and CDC scientist Zhunan Li said in the news release. “This population of sea otters lives in a relatively remote environment and rarely comes into contact with humans.” The study was published in the May issue of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.”

Chili’s cancels fundraiser with National Autism Association

Last weekend, my favorite mid-range American restaurant, Chili’s announced that they would be partnering with the National Autism Association for a benefit on Monday, April 7. However, outcry over the NAA—and its anti-vaccination stance—forced Chili’s to change its mind (and continue to keep my business.) It is a striking demonstration of the power of consumers and social media and strikes a victory for those in favor of vaccinations and the good they bring to communities and herd immunity.

CNN-“The Chili’s spokeswoman said that the NAA was originally selected for the fundraiser “based on the percentage of donations that would go directly to providing financial assistance to families and supporting programs that aid the development and safety of children with autism.”

Chili’s, which is owned by Brinker International (EAT), went on to say, “While we remain committed to supporting the children and families affected by autism, we canceled Monday’s Give Back Event based on the feedback we heard from our guests.”’

 

(image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/ Dave Bezaire & Susi Havens-Bezaire)

Bioscavengers: The Ultimate Defense Against Nerve Agents

by juliadhomstad, posted in News

By Chris Healey

Bioscavengers are naturally-occurring proteins capable of effective nerve agent elimination. They are currently theoretical or in the early stages of clinical trials. However, they have the potential to revolutionize the prevention of nerve agent poisoning.

Discovered by German chemists researching insecticides in the 1930s, nerve agents were quickly recognized as a potential weapon. Nerve agents were produced and stockpiled by the Germans during World War II but were never used. Their first use during wartime occurred during the Iraq-Iran conflict in the 1980s. Iraq reportedly released nerve agents against Iranian troops and later against members of its Kurdish population.Nerve agents were recently used during Aum Shinrikyo’s Tokyo subway attack in 1995, and again in 2013 by the Assad regime during the Syrian Civil War.

The nervous system controls muscle contraction through release of neurotransmitters into neuromuscular junctions, which are media between neurons and muscle fibers. Acetylcholine is the primary neurotransmitter involved in muscle contraction.

Nerve agents bind and inactivate acetylcholinesterase, a regulatory protein of acetylcholine within neuromuscular junctions, thus preventing acetylcholine dismissal. Acetylcholine accumulation leads to salivation, sweating, abdominal cramps, muscle twitching, and flaccid paralysis. Death occurs from inadequate respiratory function as a result of neuromuscular junction disruption in the diaphragm.

Distinguishing prophylaxis from pretreatment is important in nerve agent countermeasure discussion. Pretreatment is any therapy administered before poisoning so that treatment after poisoning can be more effective. Prophylaxis is pretreatment that does not require additional intervention. In other words, prophylaxis eliminates the need for treatment after poison exposure.

The necessity of pretreatment limits the efficacy of conventional nerve agent treatments. Nerve agents rapidly cause irreversible damage within neuromuscular junctions. The presence of a pretreatment such as pyridostigmine, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, helps minimize damage before post-exposure treatment can be administered.

Atropine and oximes—post-exposure treatments for nerve agents—have limited efficacy. They are toxic if administered in the absence of nerve agents. Furthermore, they must be administered very shortly after nerve agent exposure to have any therapeutic effect. If administered following a pretreatment, and in a timely manner after nerve agent exposure, atropine and oximes can prevent death. Incapacitation, convulsions, and long-term neurologic damage, however, are unavoidable despite treatment.

Bioscavengers function as a prophylaxis. Damage to neuromuscular junctions only occur in the presence of nerve agents. In other words, bioscavengers eliminate the need for atropine and oximes, while nullifying any chance of long-term neurologic damage.

Although everyone possesses trace amounts of bioscavengers in their bloodstream, innate levels are too minute to ward off physiologically-significant nerve agent quantities. Bioscavengers must be extracted from enormous amounts of human plasma and administered in a concentrated regimen to counter nerve agent exposure. Harvesting bioscavengers from plasma is costly, inefficient, and impractical as a means of production. More efficient production methods, such as harvesting molecules from the milk of transgenic goats, are currently under investigation.

Current bioscavengers are considered stoichiometric, meaning each bioscavenger molecule can only eliminate one nerve agent molecule. To be effective, there must be enough stoichiometric bioscavengers in the bloodstream to eliminate the amount of nerve agent concurrently present.

The prophylactic nature of bioscavengers, compounded with the rapid effect of nerve agents, render them useless if administered after nerve agent exposure. Strict use as a prophylaxis limits therapeutic utility. For example, it would be impossible to administer bioscavengers to victims of a terrorist attack involving nerve agents prior to the event. However, bioscavengers would be extremely valuable to first responders as they potentially expose themselves to nerve agents in that situation. Furthermore, soldiers and others in war zones anticipating a nerve agent attack could administer bioscavengers to proactively neutralize that threat.

A catalytic bioscavenger is a theoretical concept that improves upon stoichiometric limitations by exploiting enzymatic behavior. Instead of a one-to-one ratio, whereby a bioscavenger eliminates itself by binding to a nerve agent, catalytic bioscavengers would be capable of eliminating many nerve agents over time. In other words, catalytic bioscavengers would not only be able to eliminate large amounts of nerve agent during a single exposure, but would also maintain functionality through multiple exposures. Catalytic bioscavengers would eliminate therapeutic re-administration for continued nerve agent protection following initial exposure. While enzymatic utility may be frivolous for use in first responders, that function would be advantageous to those in situations involving multiple nerve agent attacks.

Methods to create catalytic bioscavengers are under investigation. Researchers are studying the protein structure of stoichiometric bioscavengers to see how it can be altered to form an enzyme. Once appropriate alterations to its chemical composition have been identified, genetic instructions can be created to produce desired results in a transgenic organism.

Image of the day: Infographic!

by juliadhomstad, posted in Images

Everyone loves a good infographic, and the nice folks at SecurityDegreeHub.com sent this to me, as readers of the Pandora Report would likely find it interesting. Enjoy!

Bioterrorism
Source: SecurityDegreeHub.com

Increasing Refugees, Increased Risk of Communicable Diseases

by juliadhomstad, posted in News

by Alena M. James

Since the start of the Syrian crisis three years ago, refugees have fled to camps in Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, and Lebanon. Last week the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported the number of refugees from Syria to Lebanon has passed one million.  According to the report, this influx has stretched Lebanon’s social and economic infrastructure thin in public services such as electricity, water, sanitation services, education, and the public health sector. Tourism, trade, and investment within the country has also decreased significantly. The increase in the population has led to decreased wages among competing workers.  Lebanese residents find themselves struggling financially; while the refugees find themselves struggling to build better lives.

The competition for depleting resources is not the only concern facing both residents and refugees.  A high influx of refugees into any state can lay the ground for increases risk of communicable diseases or outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases. With small Lebanese communities overwhelmed by the drastic increase in the population, public health services struggle to provide adequate health care, antibiotic treatments, immunizations, and other medical aid to those in need. Not only are critical public health services overextended, but the high volume of individuals seeking services creates the ideal transmission grounds for microbial organisms and viral agents.

In overcrowded populations with limited health resources, the risk of spreading diseases is incredibly high and transmission can occur in a variety of mediums. Direct or indirect contact, the release of respiratory droplets, ingestion of contaminated food and water sources, contact with mechanical  or biological vectors are all various modes by which pathogenic agents spread from person to person.

Direct contact occurs from direct exposure to the pathogenic source, for example, when a patient is bit by a rabid dog and develops rabies. Indirect contact occurs via exposure to septic fomites, for example, when an unsterilized syringe is used to dispense a treatment or drug intravenously into a patient.  Respiratory droplets allow illnesses like the common cold, influenza, and measles to spread at a rapid pace through sneezing or coughing on and around others. Ingestion of contaminated water and foods lead to major gastrointestinal complications and other illnesses. Mechanical vectors, like insect bodies, indirectly spread diseases. For example, flies feeding on fecal material can pick up and spread pathogens, via their feet, after landing on a patient’s untreated injury or open wound. Biological vectors like mosquitos transmit viral, bacterial, and other parasitic organisms to patients. The chances of these transmission modes being employed by pathogens remain high among densely packed populations lacking in substantial health care resources.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, there are several diseases that migrants to Lebanon are susceptible to if the proper vaccinations are not sought. Such diseases include Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid, Polio, and Rabies. Refugees from Syria also pose a dangerous risk of transmitting communicable diseases if they have not received proper immunizations before fleeing from their country. Malnourished refugees deprived of food and clean water are at risk of developing weakened immune systems which makes them even more susceptible to virulent pathogens.

Despite the three-year Syrian conflict, many humanitarian workers continue to immunize children against preventable diseases. UNICEF in particular is actively working towards the vaccination of more than 20 million children against Poliomyelitis. Last October, the WHO confirmed at least 10 cases of children infected with Polio in Syria. This past weekend UNICEF re-launched its campaign to help control the spread of this virus among other states impacted by Syrian refugees.  Iraq, Turkey, Jordan also pledged to join the campaign due to the threat of incidences of the virus occurring in their countries.  So far Iraq has reported one case of the disease while the UN has reported 27 cases among Lebanese children.

Approximately 500,000 Syrian refugees to Lebanon have been children–who are at the greatest risk of acquiring polio if no vaccination has been administered. The war in Syria and the displacement of refugees has made it difficult for medical personal to provide vaccinations needed to control the spread of this and other communicable diseases.  The continued fighting in Syria is likely to lead to more bloodshed, the displacement of more refugees, the depletion of public service resources in several states, and the spread of more communicable diseases if efforts to resolve the conflict are not soon reached.

 

Image Credit: AP Photo/Bilal Hussein

This Week in DC: Events

by juliadhomstad, posted in Events, Week In DC

April 7, 2014

Afghan Elections: What’s at Stake?
Date: April 7, 10:00 – 11:00 am
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

On April 5, Afghans head to the polls as the country attempts its first-ever peaceful and democratic transfer of power. The election comes at a critical time for Afghanistan, which is struggling to fight a Taliban insurgency amid the withdrawal of international military forces. The Taliban has repeatedly threatened to disrupt the election process, and in recent days has launched a series of attacks on election facilities and foreign nationals, including the deaths of 2 Western journalists. Many international election monitors have left the country, and Afghan officials have announced that nearly 750 polling centers will be closed on election day. Yet many Afghans have vowed to defy the threats and vote anyway.

Join this conversation by phone, while scholars and professionals discuss the election results—to the extent that they are known—and their implications with three on-the-ground experts.

Toll-Free Conference Line: 888-947-9018
Conference Line: 1-517-308-9006
Passcode: 13304

April 8, 2014

National Security and Foreign Policy Priorities in the FY 2015 International Affairs Budget
Date: April 8, 10:00am
Location: U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Dirksen Senate Office Building 419, Washington DC 20515

Witness, the Honorable John F. Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, will present testimony at this committee meeting chaired by Sen. Menendez.

Financing Global Health in an Era of Austerity
Date: April 8, 12:00pm
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC 20036

Please join us for the launch of the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)’s Financing Global Health 2013 report, to be held on Tuesday April 8, 12:00-2:00 PM at CSIS (1616 Rhode Island Ave NW).

Dr. Christopher Murray, Director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), will lead off with a presentation of findings from IHME’s newest report, Financing Global Health 2013: Transition in an Age of Austerity and a new journal article on health financing in Health Affairs. Dr. Murray will highlight how some donors have scaled back their funding while others have been increasingly generous. Using data from the latest Global Burden of Disease study, he will also compare current funding allocations to disease patterns around the world.

Following Dr. Murray’s presentation, there will be a roundtable discussion, moderated by Dr. J. Stephen Morrison, Senior Vice President and Director of the Global Health Policy Center at CSIS that will feature Dr. Christopher Murray and Dr. Ariel Pablos-Mendez, Assistant Administrator for Global Health at USAID. The roundtable discussion will be focused on the policy implications of IHME’s report.

Lunch will be served from 12:00-12:30pm. Register here.

Subcommittee Hearing: Is al-Qaeda Winning? Grading the Administration’s Counterterrorism Policy

Date: April 8, 10:00am
Location: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 2172 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515

The following witnesses will testify on the subject of al-Qaeda and the administration’s policy on counterterrorism:

Panel I:

The Honorable Joseph Lieberman, Former United States Senator

The Honorable Jane Harman, Director, President, and Chief Executive Officer, The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Former Member of Congress

Panel II:

Seth Jones, Ph.D., Associate Director, International Security and Defense Policy Center, RAND Corporation

Frederick W. Kagan, Ph.D., Christopher DeMuth Chair and Director, Critical Threats Project, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research

Mr. Benjamin Wittes, Senior Fellow, Governance Studies, The Brookings Institution

China’s Hypersonic Weapons Development

Date: April 8, 12:30- 2:00pm
Location: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1779 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC 20036

China tested a hypersonic gliding weapon for the first time on January 9. Although details of the test are murky, it confirms a long-suspected Chinese interest in developing hypersonic weapons. The United States is interested in similar technologies and conducted its first successful boost-glide test in November 2011. What are the implications of the Chinese test for U.S. security? How should the United States respond? Could a new arms race in hypersonic technology emerge? And, if so, can anything be done to prevent it? James M. Acton, Michael D. Swaine, Phillip C. Saunders, and Lora Saalman will discuss these questions. Michael McDevitt will moderate.

Register here.

April 9, 2014

New Avian Influenzas in East Asia: Global Health Security and Policy
Date: April 9, 8:30 – 11:30am
Location: Georgetown University, ICC Auditorium, Washington DC 220057

The SFS Asian Studies Program, as part of its Public Health in Asia Initiative, is teaming up with the Georgetown Medical Center’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology to host a panel discussion with regional, policy, and health experts on the new avian influenzas in East Asia and their global health policy implications.

Full event schedule and registration information available here.

April 10, 2014

International Humanitarian Action: Changing Responses to Conflict and Crisis
Date: April 10, 10:00 – 11:00am
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

From South Sudan to Syria, armed conflict throughout the globe has led to massive humanitarian needs. During a crisis, food relief, critical medical care, and access to safe water and basic sanitation facilities all require a humanitarian as well as a diplomatic response. No one is better placed to help us understand these complex shifts than Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Please join us as he talks with Jane Harman, President of the Wilson Center to give a first-hand update on the key challenges the ICRC faces.

RSVP here.

Pandora Report 4.4.14

by juliadhomstad, posted in News, Pandora Report, The Lighter Side

It’s been a busy week in the biodefense world, between the continuing outbreak of Ebola in Western Africa and the realization that the Black Death may actually have been pneumonic plague rather than bubonic plague, so let’s take a moment this Friday to slow things down.

Highlights include Ebola travel restrictions, a possible source for the Ebola outbreak, and how to protect yourself during the most serious pandemic of all—the zombie pandemic. Have a great weekend!

When planning your vacation to Guinea, keep this in mind…

As of April 1, the number of suspect Ebola cases in Guinea has risen to 127 with 83 deaths (for a case fatality rate of 65%) according to the WHO. Liberia now has eight suspected cases with five deaths. Sierra Leone has had only two deaths after two bodies were repatriated after dying from Ebola. In neighboring Mali, the government has instituted thermal scans for those travelling to Mali as well as restricting movement within the capital city of Bamako. Meanwhile, Senegal has closed their border with Guinea and Saudi Arabia has suspended visas for Muslim pilgrims coming from Guinea and Liberia. Despite all of this, the WHO does not recommend travel restrictions.

Philippine Daily Inquirer—“The international health agency said there was not enough reason to push for the imposition of travel restrictions in response to the Ebola outbreak. “WHO does not recommend that any travel or trade restrictions be applied with respect to this event,” it said in a statement.”

And while on vacation, here are some foods to avoid…

In another response to the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, officials have taken an unusual step of banning the consumption of bats as food—including grilled bat, bat soup and “other local delicacies.” It has long been suspected that bats are somehow instrumental in the spread of Ebola either as a vector or a reservoir for the disease.

CBS News—“‘We discovered the vector [infectious] agent of the Ebola virus is the bat,” Remy Lamah, the country’s [Guinea] health minister, told Bloomberg News. “We sent messages everywhere to announce the ban. People must even avoid consumption of rats and monkeys. They are very dangerous animals.’”

The good news is, in the event of a serious pandemic, you may have new protection!

Just in time for the Walking Dead finale last weekend, the American Chemical Society released new research related to the chemistry of death, and how that chemistry can shield us from the flesh and brain eating horde of zombies.

Science is a serious subject and pandemic possibilities are crises in the making…but that doesn’t mean science can’t be fun for a general audience!

Zombie Apocalypse Survival Chemistry: Death Cologne

Dana Perkins @ George Mason University

by juliadhomstad, posted in Events

 

On Monday, March 31, 2014, Dana Perkins was the featured speaker at the George Mason University Biodefense Policy Seminar.

Ms. Perkins’ full biography is available here.