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Center for Biosecurity in the News: 2010

Links appear for content that is available online indefinitely. 

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May 2010

May 20, 2010
New strategy may be last shot to get rid of polio, by Maria Cheng. Associated Press.
In response to the unveiling of a new strategy to eradicate polio, Dr. D.A. Henderson comments, “I'm not sure how the new strategy differs from the ones adopted in 2007, 2004, and 1999.”

May 17, 2010
Growing public interest in genetic science sparks some bio-security concerns, by Stew Magnuson. National Defense Magazine.
Dr. Gigi Kwik Gronvall comments about do-it-yourself biology, “I would take a wait-and-see approach to DIY-bio. There are many more positive aspects to it than negative.”

May 11, 2010
The death of a disease, by D.A. Henderson. Global Health Magazine.
Dr. D.A. Henderson authors an article that recounts the World Health Organization’s global smallpox eradication campaign.

May 5, 2010
The man who defeated smallpox, by David Hoffman. Foreign Policy.
Dr. D.A. Henderson discusses the World Health Organization’s global smallpox eradication program and his book titled Smallpox—The Death of a Disease.

April 2010

April 22, 2010
WMD chairs analyze house WMD bill, by Mickey McCarter. Homeland Security Today.
A study conducted by the Center for Biosecurity of UPMC is mentioned in this article.

April 20, 2010
The fire next time, by William Matthews. Government Health IT.
Surveying the current state of biosurveillance efforts, Jennifer Nuzzo notes that there are “hundreds of separate surveillance programs that serve a range of purposes. Many are duplicative or have overlapping missions, and most are not interoperable.”

April 13, 2010
Bioterrorism decontamination could cost trillions, report warns. Global Security Newswire.
Article refers to a report on decontamination published by the Center for Biosecurity of UPMC.

April 12, 2010
A campaign shows signs of progress against polio, by Celia W. Dugger. The New York Times.
Dr. D. A. Henderson is quoted in this article.

April 6, 2010
Guinea worm a greater challenge than smallpox, by Madison Park. CNN.
Dr. D. A. Henderson comments about Guinea worm eradication efforts: "I am persuaded that the Guinea worm effort is entirely possible…It's going to be difficult because most of the problem is in southern Sudan where there is lot of hostility and fighting."

April 2, 2010
Obama administration scraps quarantine regulations, by Alison Young. USA Today.
Ms. Jennifer Nuzzo comments about proposed federal quarantine regulations and the U.S. government’s decision to withdraw and revise them: "They probably learned during H1N1 that this hope of preventing diseases from entering the country by stationing people at airports is unrealistic."

April 1, 2010
Plan expert: CDC made 'serious mistake' on N95s. Hospital Infection Control.
Dr. Eric Toner discusses the practicality of CDC's recommendation that healthcare workers wear N95 masks during the H1N1 pandemic: "There were not enough — and still are not enough — N95 respirators to be used in the way that the guidance recommended . . . There was no opportunity for hospitals to buy enough N95s to follow the guidance. So even if they wanted to [follow the guideline] there was no way to do it. The CDC made a judgment that N95s were the highest degree of protection. I wouldn't necessarily argue with that, but what good is making a guideline that can't be followed?"

April 1, 2010
Other duties suffered but IPs rose to occasion. Hospital Infection Control.
Dr. Eric Toner discusses how the H1N1 pademic affected hospitals' infection control activities: "Typically, infection control departments in hospitals can be one person or sometimes two . . . If they are doing a lot of work with a pandemic they don't have time to do other things."

April 1, 2010
HHS unveils strategy for disaster response. Emergency Department Management.
Dr. Eric Toner remarks about the National Health Security Strategy and the need for greater coordination of disaster planning: "In my hospital I worked on my response plans, but I did not know what others were doing, what the state or the federal government was doing," Toner says. "We need more local collaboration — collaboration that's really transparent — with other hospitals, and then close planning and exercise work with our state, neighboring states, and the federal government."

April 1, 2010
H1N1 pandemic legacy may be mandatory flu shots for health care workers. Hospital Infection Control.
Dr. Eric Toner talks about the safety of the H1N1 vaccine: "They put in a monitoring process that didn't exist before, but in terms of testing the vaccine they used the same procedures and methodologies they use each year."

  
March 2010

March 9, 2010
Security experts urge better preparation for health catastrophes, Daily Herald (Chicago).
The Center for Biosecurity of UPMC is mentioned in this article.

March 5, 2010
Biggest swine flu regret for us: vaccine chaos, by Maggie Fox. Reuters.
The Center for Biosecurity of UPMC is mentioned in this article.
  

February 2010

February 22, 2010
Tragedy of individual Haitians risks overshadowing chronic health problems, by Alfred Sommer. Washington Post.
Dr. D. A. Henderson is mentioned in this article. 

February 5, 2010
Health agency plans summit on U.S. biological threat preparations, by Martin Matishak. Global Security Newswire.
Dr. Eric Toner discusses the development of countermeasures against bioterrorism threats, "What we've not been able to do is get those countermeasures through what's called the advanced development phase to a drug that can then be licensed. We're batting zero in that regard."
  

January 2010 

January 19, 2010
Analysis: swine flu is not just a hoax by big pharma, by Debora Mackenzie. New Scientist.
Dr. D.A. Henderson comments about the 1957 flu epidemic, "A quarter of Americans had flu, and there were excess deaths. But for one watching from close range, it did little more than disrupt school football schedules."

January 17, 2010
Delaware health: officials warn of swine flu resurgence; Asian flu of 1957 serves as a cautionary tale, by Hiran Ratnayake. The News Journal. (Wilmington, DE)
Dr. D.A. Henderson notes the similarities between the 1957 flu pandemic and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, "It was remarkably similar to the one we're seeing today… It's almost like you're running the same film a second time."

January 8, 2010
Budget strips more than $600 million from Bioshield program, by Martin Matishak. Global Security Newswire.
Dr. Brad Smith offers insight on federal funding for Project Bioshield, "From a company's perspective, if they're going to enter into this long-term investment of their time and resources, I think it's appropriate for them to have some confidence that the government will actually have money available to buy [WMD countermeasures]."

Press Contact: Molly D'Esopo  
Phone 443-573-3307
Fax 443-573-3305
Email: molly_desopo@upmc-biosecurity.org