This week’s Pandora Report covers the first severe H5N1 case in the US, growing numbers of mpox cases in the DRC, updates to the BSAT list, the killing of Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, and more. The Pandora Report will return from the holiday break on January 10.
Congrats to Our December Biodefense MS Grads!
Mpox Cases Rise Steadily
Mpox cases in Africa rose steadily in the last week with 3,095 more cases reported, 2,632 of which were in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Africa CDC reports that 31 more people have died, 29 of which were in the DRC. Nearly 70,000 cases have been reported in 20 countries is the region this year. Guinea has also moved recently from the controlled stage to active transmission. Read more about mpox’s spread in Africa here.
CDC Confirms First Severe H5N1 Case in the United States
The CDC announced yesterday that a patient has been hospitalized with a severe case of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection in Louisiana, marking the first instance of severe illness linked to the virus in the United States. The case was confirmed by CDC on December 13. The CDC’s press release on this matter explains that, “Partial viral genome data of the H5N1 avian influenza virus that infected the patient in Louisiana indicates that the virus belongs to the D1.1 genotype related to other D1.1 viruses recently detected in wild birds and poultry in the United States and in recent human cases in British Columbia, Canada, and Washington state. This H5N1 bird flu genotype is different than the B3.13 genotype detected in dairy cows, sporadic human cases in multiple states, and some poultry outbreaks in the United States. Additional genomic sequencing and efforts to isolate virus from clinical specimens from the patient in Louisiana are underway at CDC.”
An investigation is ongoing, but it has already been determined that the patient was exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks. No person to person spread of H5 bird flu has been detected at this time. This is the first case of H5N1 avian influenza in the US that has been linked to exposure to a backyard flock. The agency explains that, “A sporadic case of severe H5N1 bird flu illness in a person is not unexpected; avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection has previously been associated with severe human illness in other countries during 2024 and prior years, including illness resulting in death.”
APHIS Updates Select Agents and Toxins Registration List
The US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently completed it biennial review of the Biological Select Agents and Toxins (BSAT) list. As a result of this review, the agency is removing five select agents from the BSAT list, including Brucella abortus, Brucella suis, and Brucella melitensis, African horse sickness virus, and Peronosclerospora philippinensis. The agency explained in a press release that, “Removing regulatory barriers will greatly advance research on vaccines and diagnostics, which will improve our efforts to control these diseases in animal populations.” Furthermore, it explained that the delisting of the Brucella spp. does not change the already recommended biosafety levels for work with this species of bacteria.
Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov Assassinated by Ukrainian Security Forces
LTG Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s Chemical, Biological, and Nuclear Defense Troops, was killed this week just one day after Ukraine accused him of criminal activity in the “massive use of banned chemical weapons” in Ukraine. Kirillov and an aide died after an explosive device that was planted in a scooter by an entryway detonated as they passed by. According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU, chemical weapons have been used by Russia more than 4,800 times since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Read more: “Protecting Our Precious Bodily Tissues. The Favourite Conspiracy Theories of General Kirillov, Assassinated in Moscow,” Nikita Sologub, Mediazona
Trump Nominees, Surrogates Continue to Disappoint
Washington Post Does Deep Dive on Dave Weldon’s Anti-Vaccine Past
The Washington Post recently published a piece on President-elect Trump’s pick to lead the CDC, Dave Weldon, and his longstanding history with anti-vaccination rhetoric and beliefs. The piece explains how Trump came to select the 71-year-old former Army physician to lead CDC on the advice of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s equally troubling pick to lead HHS. The piece explains in part, “A Washington Post review of Weldon’s public comments, media appearances and congressional letters along with accounts of those who worked with him reveal a portrait of a politician and physician who emphasized the experiences of individuals while dismissing dozens of studies based on data from hundreds of thousands of patients that showed no link between vaccines and autism.”
Furthermore, “In Congress, Weldon was “absolutely and completely dismissive” of data showing vaccines were not associated with autism, recalled Josh Sharfstein, a former Democratic staff member on the House Government Reform Committee in the early 2000s when the Republicans who were in charge held regular hearings questioning vaccine safety.”
Despite this, Weldon has previously expressed support for coronavirus and influenza vaccines, offering them to patients who want them. Sharfstein, who is now Vice Dean for Public Health Practices and Johns Hopkins University and a former top FDA official, explained further that Weldon “…appeared to have a closed mind on the issue…He didn’t seem to understand that the core tool of population data analysis is one of the pivotal aspects of the work of CDC.”
Musk Shares False ‘Bioweapons Lab’ Tweet
This Wednesday, the infamous anti-LGBTQIA+ X account, Libs of TikTok, posted a screenshot of a portion of the resolution introduced by Speaker Mike Johnson aimed at averting a government shutdown on December 21. The bill would fund the government through March 14, but both President-elect Donald Trump and X owner Elon Musk have spoken out against the bill. The portion of the bill shared by Libs of TikTok reads:
SEC. 629. REGIONAL BIOCONTAINMENT RESEARCH LAB-ORATORIES.
(a) IN GENERAL—The Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”) shall make awards to establish or maintain, as applicable, not fewer than 12 regional biocontainment lab-oratories, for purposes of—
(1) conducting biomedical research to support public health and medical preparedness for, and rapid response to, biological agents, including emerging infectious diseases;
The Libs of TikTok account captioned the photo, “BREAKING: New Congressional Resolution bill includes funding for at least 12 new biolabs.” Must quote-tweeted it, adding “We’re funding bioweapon labs in this bill!” Musk’s post has been re-tweeted at least 60,000 times, yet the bill text says nothing about biological weapons. Furthermore, as noted by Politico, “The provision is part of a long-sought reauthorization of the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness and Response Act.”
Musk, who was recently denied a clearance and has done his best to insert himself into the Trump team, was named co-chair of the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) by Donald Trump. DOGE, which is a nod to the meme coin-Doge Coin-promoted by Musk, is a proposed presidential advisory commission that would be tasked with restructuring the federal government and removing regulations. Despite Musk’s only involvement with the government so far being receiving at least $15.4 billion in federal contracts in the last decade, he seems poised to play a prominent role in the incoming administration. That being the case, Musk should brush up on the United States’ role as a State Party to the Biological Weapons Convention, which prohibits states from developing, producing, acquiring, transferring, stockpiling, or using biological and toxin weapons.
“The United States Needs to Step Up Its Response to Bird Flu”
Biodefense MS alumna Sophia Hirshfield recently co-authored this feature from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The authors write in part, “Since the turn of the century, every presidential administration has highlighted gaps in U.S. public health capabilities, and every Congress has left them underfunded. The H5N1 outbreak has revealed the resulting and dangerous shortcomings in U.S. pandemic preparedness: lagging data, incomplete surveillance, sluggish coordination, considerable mistrust, and insufficient planning and stockpiling of vaccines and therapies. That poor performance cuts across political parties, the federal interagency, and state leadership. Multiple players have sought to downplay the threat: the dairy industry fears further economic setbacks, state leaders are wary of federal intervention, and the Biden administration did not want to aggravate relations during the 2024 election cycle.”
They continue, “It is not too late to change course. Strong interagency, interstate, and global coordination; better protections for farm workers; accelerated planning and investment in surveillance; and the development and promotion of better vaccines and therapies remain the essential elements to prevent the sustained spread of H5N1.”
“Syria Still Has Chemical Weapons: How to Get the Country’s New Rulers to Help Eliminate Assad’s Deadly Arsenal”
Biodefense Graduate Program Director Gregory Koblentz recently co-authored this article in Foreign Affairs. The article describes the threat posed by Syria’s remaining chemical weapons, calls up on the new Syrian government to eliminate these weapons, and provides policy recommendations to the United States and its allies and partners for how they can assist in the process of destroying these weapons and holding accountable members of the former regime who conducting chemical attacks.
Koblentz was also quoted in these articles about Syria’s CW:
- “The Race to Secure Syria’s Chemical Weapons,” Amy Mackinnon, Foreign Policy
- “Syria’s Hidden Stash of Chemical Weapons Hangs Over Post-Assad Transition,” Al-Monitor
- “Growing Concerns About Fate of Syria’s Secret Chemical Weapons Stashes,” Richard Stone, Science
“Researcher Daniel Gerstein on Security Threats Posed by Drones”
RAND Corporation Senior Policy Researcher and Biodefense PhD Program alumnus Daniel Gerstein discusses threats posed by unmanned aerial systems in this interview with C-SPAN.
“Chemical and Biological Defense Program Enterprise Strategy”
The Department of Defense released the 2024 Chemical and Biological Defense Program (2024 CBDP) Enterprise Strategy. “It replaces the 2020 CBDP strategy and positions the Department to ensure the total force to carry out its missions in the face of advanced chemical and biological threats…Taking its lead from the 2022 National Defense Strategy, this strategy prioritizes delivery of operationally relevant chemical and biological defense (CBD) capabilities at speed and scale, to sustain and strengthen U.S. deterrence against the People’s Republic of China as the pacing challenge and Russia as the acute threat. The new strategy reinforces other strategic guidance including the 2023 Strategy for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, inaugural National Defense Industrial Strategy, and the Biodefense Posture Review. It also calls for tighter integration of CBD capabilities with international Allies and partners to ensure our combined armed forces can deter or prevail against advanced chemical and biological threats.”
“The 2024 Seoul and Tokyo Biosecurity Dialogues”
Christopher East discusses dialogues held by the Council on Strategic Risks in November in this blog post, writing in part “On 18th and 20th November 2024 in Seoul and Tokyo respectively, the Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) convened dialogues with biosecurity experts from the Republic of Korea, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and NATO, concluding with a series of practicable recommendations for the governments of the Republic of Korea and Japan.”
“Securing Benchtop DNA Synthesizers”
Max Langenkamp recently published this report with IFP: “This report examines the present and future of benchtop synthesizers and provides quantitative forecasts. The concrete threat model in the report helps characterize the threat of attack and leads to certain technical mitigations. Modern cryptographic methods can enable secure and centralized screening, even for air-gapped devices…The current benchtop policy would benefit from a security certification system, as well as standardized processes for benchtop and reagent screening. Such safeguards manage to mitigate risk while enabling innovation.”
“DNA Sequencing, Synthesis and Screening in Biosecurity”
From the Cluster for National and Technical Science Arms Control Research: “The second CNTR Fact Sheet by Liska Suckau (CNTR/PRIF) provides an overview of the characteristics of DNA sequencing, synthesis and screening in biosecurity. It compares different sequencing methods and gives a basic overview of DNA synthesis. In addition, it highlights the technologies’ potentials and risks and outlines various application possibilities.”
CNTR Monitor 2024 Perspectives on Dual Use
From CNTR: “The CNTR Monitor is an annual open-access publication and the core product of CNTR’s research. It highlights technological innovations and developments in the natural sciences that are relevant to peace and security. In addition to analyses of individual technologies and reports on research and development (R&D) activities, the Monitor also explores opportunities for arms control and outlines options for political regulation.”
This year’s edition includes articles like “Technological Implications of AI in Biorisk,” “Implications of Technological Advancements for Biosecurity,” and more.
“Toward a Safer and More Secure US Bioeconomy”
Watson et al. recently published this comment in Nature Biotechnology, writing in part “To enhance the safety and security of the US bioeconomy, a new public–private partnership should be established to facilitate information sharing and threat analysis among industry, government and academia, and to develop and deploy safeguards.”
“Scientists Urge Halt to Research on Creating Synthetic “Mirror” Bacteria That Could Evade Human Immunity, Disrupt Ecosystems”
Matt Field breaks down concerns about research using mirror molecules in this piece for The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, writing in part “Although the capability to create organisms or bacteria that utilize mirror molecules remains at least a decade away by many estimations, 38 authors of an article published in Science Thursday said that investigation into creating such “mirror life” should not be pursued. The authors said they “were initially skeptical that mirror bacteria could pose major risks,” but have since grown “deeply concerned.”’
“A Framework for Effective Risk Assessment of AI-Biotechnology Convergence”
Lakshmy Ramakrishnan recently authored this issue brief for the Observer Research Foundation: “Advances in disruptive technologies have enabled scientists to engineer biological systems and create more efficient and sustainable products for a range of purposes. The convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) with biotechnology has contributed to the development of therapeutics and vaccines, helped address food security, aided in generating innovative processes to mitigate the effects of climate change, and expanded the bioeconomy. However, there are concerns that AI-biotechnology tools can be misused to create harm, with catastrophic global consequences. This brief advocates for a nuanced approach to assess the risks associated with the convergence of AI with biotechnology and its potential for misuse and recommends a coordinated strategy.”
“U.S. Government Support for Global Health Security – Protecting Lives and Safeguarding Economies”
The Biden administration recently released its final annual global health security report-“U.S. Government Support for Global Health Security – Protecting Lives and Safeguarding Economies”. The report highlights progress in global health security and identifies remaining challenges in this area. A White House press release on the document’s announcement explains, “The Biden-Harris Administration has advanced a bold agenda to prevent the devastating toll of outbreaks and pandemics, including investing more than $3 billion in strengthening global health security (GHS) since 2020. These investments have helped to: prepare countries around the world to more effectively prevent, detect and respond to biological threats; build stronger and more effective regional and global institutions to support health emergency preparedness and response; and respond rapidly to numerous outbreaks – from Ebola to mpox – to limit the health and economic impacts on the American people, as well as people living around the world. U.S. leadership in global health security is built on decades of investments in global health and research and development, as well as strong partnerships with other countries, regional and multilateral institutions, civil society, and the private sector.”
ICYMI: In Conversation with Jon Finer: Recent Developments in the Biden Administration’s WMD Policies
Watch the recording of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s December 19 event here: “As the United States approaches the expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) in February 2026, there are critical questions about the future of nuclear arms control, strategic stability, and global nonproliferation efforts.”
“Join the Arms Control Association and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace for remarks from U.S. Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer on the Biden administration’s efforts to reduce nuclear dangers and adapt U.S. nuclear weapons and nonproliferation policy to an uncertain world, as evidenced by the rapid changes occurring in Syria. Finer will take questions from the Arms Control Association’s Executive Director Daryl Kimball.”
“Following Finer’s address, a distinguished panel will examine the implications of the looming expiration of New START. Madelyn Creedon, chair of the 2023 Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States, Adam Mount, senior fellow and director of the Defense Posture Project at the Federation of American Scientists, and James Acton, co-director of Carnegie’s Nuclear Policy program, will explore key considerations surrounding U.S. nuclear forces and requirements, arms control, and nonproliferation policy.”
ICYMI: “NTI | bio Proposes New Solutions to Prevent Bioweapons Development and Use”
“The dual-use nature of modern bioscience and biotechnology, combined with the significant resources available to many states, makes it challenging to prevent the development of biological weapons using traditional arms control measures and policy approaches. During the fifth session of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) Working Group meetings from December 2-13 in Geneva, Switzerland, NTI | bio presented solutions that could effectively reduce the risk of bioweapons development and use by states and other powerful actors.”
Read more here.
Understanding the Introduction of Pathogens into Humans- Preventing Patient Zero: A Workshop
“The past few decades have seen the emergence of several diseases with drastic public health and economic consequences. Understanding routes of pathogen emergence and transmission is critical to preventing and mitigating disease spillover and amplification. The National Academies Forum on Microbial Threats will host a hybrid public workshop to address gaps in understanding of disease emergence, with a focus on human-animal interaction and laboratory biosafety. The workshop will explore how applications of existing policy structures, emerging technologies, and actionable research can improve biosecurity measures and prevention of future disease emergence.”
This event will take place on January 15 and 16. Learn more and register here.
How to Avoid Human-Made Pandemics
From the Asia Centre for Health Security: “Studying viruses that could potentially cause outbreaks is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of pandemics. However, this type of research—especially when it involves collecting samples from the field and manipulating pathogens—can unintentionally lead to a pandemic if not managed carefully. Dr Lentzos will discuss her findings from the Pathogen Project, which brought together an international taskforce of scientists, biosecurity and public health experts, ethicists, and civil society leaders to seek consensus on this question: Can we agree on ways to manage research that carries pandemic risk as safely, securely and responsibly as possible?”
This event will take place on January 23 at 8 pm (GMT +8:00) via Zoom. RSVP here.
Preparedness in Rural Communities: National and State/Local Perspectives and Plans
From Penn State: “The COVID-19 pandemic and recent hurricanes have thrust the preparedness of rural communities into the national spotlight. At the federal level, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recently released national goals and plans for preparedness of rural communities. The overall objective of this virtual, 2-day mini-symposium is to identify opportunities in public health and agricultural preparedness and response in rural communities. The mini-symposium will focus upon national perspectives on Thursday, January 30 and the state/local perspectives on Friday, January 31. Speakers include representatives of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, the Department of Homeland Security, US Department of Agriculture, the USA Center for Rural Public Health Preparedness, and state/local leaders.”
This event will take place on January 30 and 31, from 11 am to 2 pm ET each day. Learn more and register here.
Rise of the Zombie Bugs: The Surprising Science of Parasitic Mind-Control
Johns Hopkins APL’s colloquium will feature Mindy Weisberger, author of the upcoming book Rise of the Zombie Bugs: The Surprising Science of Parasitic Mind-Control: “Zombies are all around us—insect zombies, that is. In Rise of the Zombie Bugs, Mindy Weisberger explores the eerie yet fascinating phenomenon of real-life zombification in the insect class and among other invertebrates. Zombifying parasites reproduce by rewriting their victims’ neurochemistry, transforming them into the “walking dead”: armies of cicadas, spiders, and other hosts that helplessly follow a zombifier’s commands, living only to serve the parasite’s needs until death’s sweet release (and often beyond).”
Learn more about this January 31 event here.
Cyberbiosecurity Summit
From Johns Hopkins APL and Bio-ISAC: “Advancements in biomanufacturing and biotechnology drive the science we need to thrive, everything from apples to vaccines. The Cyberbiosecurity Summit 2025 convenes leading experts in biotechnology, biosecurity, and cybersecurity to explore the intersection of these fields and discuss the strategies to create a safe, secure future for us all.”
This event will take place February 25-26 in Laurel, MD. Register here and review the call for sessions here (closes 12/12).
NEW: The Independent Panel Solicits Views and Insights on Pandemic Prevention, and Response Efforts
“The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, co-chaired by HE Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and RH Helen Clark, welcomes you to share your insights and expertise on the status of international and regional pandemic-related reform processes and initiatives, and how progress can be continued and accelerated in the months and years ahead.”
Learn more about this survey and submit by December 20 here.
The Pandora Report 