Welcome back to your favorite weekly dose of all things biodefense! We’ve got a lot of health security news to cover this week as microbes just don’t seem to take a break.
Outbreak Updates
The latest data from the DRC has reported four more suspected Ebola cases, which would bring the overall outbreak total to 59 cases (38 confirmed, 14 probable, and 7 suspected), and 28 deaths. You can find the timeline of Ebola response for the DRC outbreak here, that was released by the WHO. In the latest WHO statement on the outbreak, Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that “’It’s far too early to declare victory, but the signals are positive and we are cautiously optimistic,’. ‘We have new weapons and together with the government and our partners, we have acted with urgency to save lives. We will remain vigilant until this outbreak is over’.” You can also read the latest WHO situation report here. As the DRC works to contain the Ebola outbreak, the Nipah virus outbreak in India is ongoing, as 17 cases have been identified. Kenya is also currently facing a Rift Valley fever outbreak as 10 people were found to be sick and 5 have died. “The disease primarily strikes livestock by the mosquito-borne route. Though humans can be infected by mosquitoes, the virus is more commonly passed by contact with blood or organs of infected animals or drinking milk from sick ones. The disease is usually mild, but some patients experience a severe form.”
Workshop on Pandemics, Bioterrorism, and Global Health Security
Are you registered for the summer workshop on all things health security? From Anthrax to Zika, we’re talking vaccine development, bioterrorism, the Ebola outbreak, and more. Don’t miss the chance to attend this July 18-20 workshop in Arlington, where you’ll learn from the top minds in the field and chat with others passionate about global health security. Make sure to register before July 1st for an early registration discount. If you’re a GMU student or alum, returning workshop attendee, or large group, you can even get an additional discount!
Clade-X Policy Recommendations
Following the Clade-X pandemic tabletop last month, the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security has released their policy recommendations. If you missed the chance to observe the tabletop, make sure to check it out on YouTube or read through the resources here. The policy recommendations focus on a strong and sustainable global health security system, a robust, highly capable national public health system that can manage the challenges of pandemic response, etc. The Washington Post noted of the tabletop, “Even though many players in the scenario had decades of experience in health security and national and global policy and law, ‘there were still so many unanswered questions and capability gaps,’ said Beth Cameron, formerly senior director for global health security and biodefense at the National Security Council under President Barack Obama. Cameron, who was in the audience, is vice president for global biological policy at the Nuclear Threat Initiative.”
FEMA Wants Local Governments to Step Up
GMU Biodefense PhD alum Daniel M. Gerstein is pulling back the curtain on FEMA’s new strategic plan and the reality that its capacity doesn’t grow when there are high volumes of natural disasters. Gerstein notes of the FEMA Administrator Brock Long- “Long’s language signals that FEMA’s disaster policy, upon which so many communities may depend, is changing. FEMA’s recently released strategic plan reveals several important shifts in federal disaster relief policy. FEMA is streamlining its mission to focus on coordination with state and local stakeholders before disasters even strike in order to shorten disaster recovery times. Why the changes? 2017 was particularly full of disasters – there were 16 events that exceeded $1 billion in total damage. An estimated $306 billion in losses made 2017 the most expensive year ever for natural disasters. Three hurricanes in succession in August and September combined with the Western wildfires greatly stressed FEMA’s capacity to support these response and recovery operations.” Moreover, Gerstein underscores that this approach is central to getting the message across that FEMA is not a first-responder agency, but rather offers coordination and resourcing for catastrophic disasters.
Characteristics of a Pandemic- The Devil Is In The Details
GMU Biodefense doctoral student Saskia Popescu reviewed the Center for Health Security publication regarding the characteristics of microorganisms that are more likely to cause a global catastrophic biological risk. “The CHS findings pose critical questions as to how we handle global health security and pandemic preparedness, as well as what inherently makes a microorganism likely to cause a pandemic. Moreover, the report speaks to medical providers and those working on the frontline, which is a breath of fresh air for so many of us who are all too often given non-specific guidance that fails to meet the true demands of preparing for pandemics. ”
Book Reviews
Still in need for that book to read during a summer vacation? Here are reviews of two books for anyone interested in antibiotic resistance. First, a review of Superbugs: An Arms Race Against Bacteria, in which Jerome Groopman discusses the importance of understanding this growing threat and the origin of AMR. Groopman notes that “Fleming’s advice to use the antibiotic properly was widely disregarded, not by “the ignorant man” but by “negligent” medical professionals. Prescriptions of penicillin in suboptimal dosages led to the emergence of bacteria resistant to it.” Next, GMU biodefense doctoral student Saskia Popescu reviews Maryn McKenna’s book, Big Chicken, which reveals the truth about antibiotic usage in poultry. Popescu notes that “Showcasing the complexity of this microbial threat and the role of poultry, McKenna chronicles the efforts across the United States and Europe to understand novel outbreaks of common bacterial infections that began springing up in the 1950s and left medical providers struggling to find treatments, but also the scientific work done to provide proof of the problem.”
NTI Presentation – Biosecurity By Design: Getting Ahead of Risk in the World of Designer Operations
GMU Biodefense doctoral student Carlos Alvarado is reporting on the NTI event this week regarding the rapid advances in biotechnology and what that means for biosecurity. Alvarado notes that Dr. Reshma Shetty, co-founder of Ginkgo Bioworks, began with posing a unique scenario for the audience – she “explained how technology and biology are very similar in the fact they’re both made form unique core codes. One of the slides within her presentation contained a photo of a desk with a plant, cell phone, tablet, computer, and other technological devices. She then asked the audience what is the most technological item in this picture, to which she stated the answer was the plant because the plant was self-replicating, self-cleaning, and self-sensing. She explained that with bio synthesis and bioengineering, Ginkgo Bioworks is working on developing these codes for specific bio synthesized organisms.” Overall, while the presentation mostly focused on the work of Ginkgo Bioworks, it did provide insight into the industry perspective for biosecurity and what such advances might mean for the future.
Medical Benefits Now Available for Vets Subjected to Chem-Bio Tests
Operation Whitecoat is an infamous example of American soldiers – conscientious objectors, who became the human guinea pigs for biological weapons, and now those soldiers are able to receive medical care. “About 6,000 of the soldiers that the U.S. Army tested potential chemical and biological substances on are still living and may be eligible for medical care. A recent class action lawsuit filed by the Vietnam Veterans of America required the U.S. Army to provide medical care to veterans who volunteered to contribute to the advancement of the U.S. biological and chemical programs.”
ISDS Presentation: Outbreak Observatory
Don’t miss out on the chance to learn about Outbreak Observatory at this presentation held by the International Society for Disease Surveillance (ISDS) on Wednesday, June 27th from 11am-noon EST. “During this presentation, researchers will discuss how Outbreak Observatory, a pilot project initiated by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, will facilitate the conduct of real-time operational research during outbreak responses, helping to improve outbreak preparedness and response capabilities.”
Preventing Pandemics – Spend on Surveillance
Where do we put the funds for pandemic prevention? Despite the inherent importance of these efforts, financial support for prevention is often problematic. Researchers are emphasizing that funding should be put towards surveillance, not prediction, as such efforts can easily be a double-edged sword in terms of public trust. Credibility issues arise for the public when predictions are wrong (H1N1 or Ebola). “In short, there aren’t enough data on virus outbreaks for researchers to be able to accurately predict the next outbreak strain. Nor is there a good enough understanding of what drives viruses to jump hosts, making it difficult to construct predictive models.” Fundamentally, the researchers argue, it is in the surveillance of human populations that is the most effective and realistic approach to fighting outbreaks. Efforts should focus on the vulnerable countries and locations, strengthen detailed screening of those symptomatic, etc. “This will best be achieved through an established global network of highly trained local researchers, such as the WHO Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN). Real-time tools for reconstructing and tracking outbreaks at the genomic level, such as portable sequencing devices, are improving fast. Information gathered during recent outbreaks has quickly had tangible impacts on public-health decisions, largely owing to data generation and analysis by many research teams within days of people being infected.” More and more, researchers are also underscoring the importance of including veterinarians in pandemic prevention, in fact, many say to follow the bats when looking for the next Ebola outbreak.
Stories You May Have Missed:
- Salmonella Outbreak Tied to Pre-Cut Melons – The CDC has announced that the culprit of this multi-state outbreak is pre-cut melon. “As of June 8, 2018, 60 cases of Salmonella Adelaide have been reported spanning 5 states; a little more than half (31) of these individuals have required hospitalization for their infections. To date, no deaths have been reported. The infected individuals range from 1 to 97 years in age, with a median age of 67, according to the CDC. Available data indicate that 65% of those who have fallen ill are female. The reported dates of illness range from April 30 to May 28; however, according to the CDC, Salmonella can take up to 2 to 4 weeks to diagnose and report. As such, any illnesses that have occurred after May 28 may not have been reported yet.”
Thank you for reading the Pandora Report. If you would like to share any biodefense news, events, or stories, please contact our Editor Saskia Popescu (biodefense@gmu.edu) or via Twitter: @PandoraReport
The Pandora Report 
One thought on “Pandora Report 6.15.2018”