Secret of smallpox's success may lead to bioterror cure
In disease, as in war, offensive strategies can become weaknesses, if the defenders see the enemy coming and compensate for its weapons. By manipulating what is perhaps the most devastating trick in cellular weaponry of pox viruses like smallpox, Arizona State University virologist and Biodesign Institute researcher Bertram Jacobs believes that he can turn the biochemical machinery of the...Discovery could be key to bioterrorism defense
A collaborative research team from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), the Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have made a major breakthrough in efforts to combat two deadly viruses that could be engineered for use as bioweapons. The team isolated the functional receptor for the Nipah and Hendra viruses--naturally occurrin...Tiny avalanche photodiodes target bioterrorism agents
After the anthrax attacks in the United States in 2001 the threat of a larger and more deadly bioterrorism attack -- perhaps from smallpox, plague or tularemia -- became very real. But the ability to detect such biological agents and rapidly contain an attack is still being developed. In a significant finding, researchers at Northwestern University's Center for Quantum Devices have demonst...New vaccine platform may fight infections with causes from influenza to bioterrorism
The development of effective vaccines for people with compromised immune systems may be feasible after all, according to a team of researchers, who demonstrated their approach could protect against pneumocystis pneumonia in mice lacking the same population of immune cells that HIV destroys in humans. The vaccine platform developed by Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh researchers, working in colla...War on terror meets war on cancer
A scientific method that has been used to track the source of illegal drugs, explosives, counterfeit bills and biological warfare agents may have some new uses: detecting rapidly growing cancers and studying obesity and eating disorders. The method, known as "stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry," can determine where a substance was produced by "weighing" various forms or isotopes of an...Medical College lands $8.1M grant to detect bird flu, bioterror agents
The grant, which was awarded by the <a href="http...Diamond Film May Enable Critical New Sensors For Bioterror
MADISON - In this time of the chronic threat of terrorism and the possibility of war with an adversary who may be armed with biological weapons, high on the wish list of security agencies and battlefield commanders is a quick and easy way to detect the presence of dangerous biological agents. Now, with the help of a novel diamond film developed by chemists at the University of Wisconsin-...OpGen Database Helps to Reduce Bioterrorist Threat
MADISON, Wis. - The need to rapidly identify biological agents that could be used for bioterrorist attacks has led to the creation of a genome database map by One of the most inf...Wisconsin to Receive $25 Million for Bioterrorism
WASHINGTON - HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services has made available an additional $1.4 billion to increase the capacity of states, territories and metro areas to respond to terrorism and other public health emergencies. Wisconsin is scheduled to...Psychological consequence of terrorist attacks
The Terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon could affect the mental health of Americans over coming weeks and months. As the dust settles over New York and Washington, psychiatrists warn that people will start to feel the full psychological impact of the disaster. Keeping busy and trying to get the cities back to normal keeps anxiety and grief at bay. And the sheer sca...Doctors May Not Be Ready To Tackle Bio-terrorism
A research report published in the latest issue of Archives of Internal Medicine said that doctors might not be ready to deal with the threat of bio-terrorism that may be caused by smallpox, anthrax, botulism and plague//. More than one-half of 631 physicians tested were unable to correctly diagnose diseases caused by agents most likely to be used by bio-terrorists. However, test score...US is unprepared for a bio-terrorist attack
The US based Trust for America's Health (TFAH) has revealed that the country has progressed very little where national security is concerned, even after the 11 September 2001 attacks//. The disaster response systems are still in a poor condition in many of the states. Over 50% of the states in the US measured up to five or less of the 10 indicators of the report, and only Virginia, South...Ricin Vaccine protection against bio-warfare and bioterrorism
Professor Ellen S. Vitetta, University of Texas is in the process of developing an effective vaccine against Ricin. Ricin is a very potent lethal toxin obtained from castor // beans and is considered as the most deadly toxin at very minute concentration. The researcher as published her results from a trial on effective protection obtained from her ricin vaccine in the Proceedings of the N...Saving Infants From The Clutches Of Terror
The fact that terrorism is here to stay has made it necessary for health teams to be prepared for any eventuality. In such a scenario Rush University Medical Center has pioneered the use of a baby simulator in order //to train health care workers to respond quickly to infants in distress from any chemical weapons attacks initiated by terrorists. The Chicago Department of Public Health a...