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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) announced Tuesday that it would sponsor the development of radiation exposure tests.
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a component of... Read More »
The Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC), an initiative of more than 50 United Nations’ agencies, academic institutions, and nongovernmental organizations, recently announced the launch of a new strategy that aims to reduce deaths from cholera by 90 percent by 2030.
The effort, called... Read More »
At a recent hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Subcommittee, members examined how the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) is carrying out the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) national cybersecurity mission.... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. said on Wednesday it was awarded a contract valued at up to $25 million from the U.S. State Department to supply Trobigard, an intramuscular auto-injector treatment to be used in the event of chemical threats such as nerve agents, in countries outside of the United... Read More »
With the threat of chemical incidents growing worldwide, an international assortment of medical professionals gathered in Xi’an, China last month to train for the danger.
The event lasted from Sept. 18-22 and saw experts trained in advanced hospital care for victims of toxic or weaponized... Read More »
The Security Industry Association (SIA) announced Tuesday its endorsement of H.R. 3548, the Border Security for America Act of 2017 (BSAA), which would strengthen tactical infrastructure on the U.S. northern and southern borders.
SIA sent a letter to the House Homeland Security Committee last... Read More »
Maryland Lt. Gov. Boyd K. Rutherford visited Smiths Detections, Inc. (SDI) facility near Edgewood, Maryland this week where he was given a demonstration of technologies to detect and identify opioids to help protect first responders from exposure.
Smiths Detection develops and manufactures... Read More »
Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Tucson Office of Field Operations recently hosted a two-day conference for law enforcement personnel on the dangers of the synthetic opioid fentanyl.
Held at the headquarters of the Tucson Police Department, the event featured... Read More »
There is something to be said for adapting to modern technology, but the Los Alamos National Laboratory is taking that a step further – leveraging technology with a project that combines Brazilian social media and traditional clinical data to track the growth of infectious diseases.
Nick... Read More »
A collaborative effort aimed at bringing together a variety of health and security experts to chart the future of U.S. leadership in global health security was recently launched by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Officially slated to begin work in February 2018, the... Read More »
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and Applied Research Associates, Inc. recently partnered to advance the development of respirators that can be reused up to 100 times for use in public health emergencies.
Under the agreement, which spans 15 months for a total... Read More »
The World Health Organization (WHO) is stepping up its presence in Madagascar to contain an outbreak of plague that has infected more than 100 people and led to the death of a foreign national in recent weeks.
According to WHO, the plague has struck both port towns and the capital alike. Thus... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. said on Tuesday it completed the acquisition of raxibacumab, an antibody for treatment and prophylaxis of inhalational anthrax, from GSK.
Emergent said raxibacumab is the only fully human monoclonal antibody approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for... Read More »
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) recently announced it would provide funding through Project BioShield for manufacturing process validation, regulatory approval, and stockpile purchases for four Ebola vaccines and drugs.
The vaccines and drugs are the first for... Read More »
The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) recently delivered official notice of State Plans to governors regarding the nationwide broadband network for public safety personnel.
Governors have until Dec. 28 to choose to either accept the FirstNet/AT&T plan to deploy the network or begin... Read More »
A bipartisan bill that would require a report from the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy and Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on the security risks to the national electric grid was recently introduced to the House by U.S. Reps. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Elise... Read More »
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced it deactivated its emergency response for Zika virus on Sept. 29 in order to transition its efforts to normal program operations.
Beginning on Jan. 22, 2016, the CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as a... Read More »
Hamid Ali Rao, Deputy Director-General for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), recently participated in a ceremony marking the completion of the full destruction of 39,967 metric tons of chemical weapons previously possessed by the Russian Federation.
Largely... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced it will purchase a lyophilized, or freeze-dried, smallpox vaccine for use by women who are pregnant or nursing and for people of any age who have HIV or atopic dermatitis.
The vaccine, developed by Denmark-based... Read More »
More than $3.2 million in crystal meth was seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in two separate attempted smuggling incidents across the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge last week.
One incident involved a 40-year-old Mexican citizen crossing the bridge from Nuevo... Read More »
In response to the damage left by Hurricane Maria, more than 500 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) personnel were recently deployed to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to assist in medical and public health efforts.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is also... Read More »
A new report by the RAND corporation recommends that the United States, Russia, and China cooperate to hinder the proliferation of hypersonic missiles to reduce the risk of strategic missile-based war.
All three countries are currently developing hypersonic missile technology. Technologies such... Read More »
Since 2011, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has taken steps to enhance its foreign airport assessments and air carrier inspection including aligning program resources based on risk and resolving airport access issues, according to a recently published report from the U.S.... Read More »
With the awarding of a contract from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Bavarian Nordic A/S will be the sole source for the freeze-dried IMVAMUNE smallpox vaccine to the U.S. government.
The contract with BARDA, which operates as part of the U.S. Department of... Read More »
The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, made a statement Wednesday marking the destruction of the remainder of the chemical weapons possessed by the Russian Federation.
“The completion of the verified destruction of... Read More »
A bipartisan bill to reform the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) organizational structure and to advance new security technologies was recently introduced to the Senate by U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-SD), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA).
The bill,... Read More »
Members of the Qatar National Committee for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (NCPW) recently visited with leaders from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) to discuss potential collaborative efforts on developing Qatar as a leader in biosecurity ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
The... Read More »
A plan to protect subways in the event of a chemical or biological attack is ready to be put into place and implemented, scientists say.
Mark Tucker, engineer at Sandia National Laboratories, is leading a project to study how to decontaminate chemical and biological weapons attacks, such as... Read More »
Construction began Tuesday in San Diego on eight prototypes for the wall along the Southwest U.S. border, which are designed to deter illegal crossings and inform future design standards.
"We are committed to securing our border and that includes constructing border walls,” Ronald Vitiello,... Read More »
The Blue Campaign, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) effort to stop human trafficking, announced Tuesday a new training program to help aviation industry personnel detect and report potential human trafficking.
The training initiative utilizes an interactive online module that... Read More »
Testing for anthrax could soon become a lot quicker, as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced it is in the midst of researching a point-of-care diagnostic test that could determine infection within 15 minutes.
The test determines whether a patient has been infected with... Read More »
The Ebola virus uses the body’s natural defenses to speed the rate of infection and cause its lethal effects, according to a recent study conducted by researchers with the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB).
The study was in collaboration with the University of Washington... Read More »
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) began to implement new screening procedures for carry-on items at Clinton National Airport (LIT) this week to increase security for passengers.
TSA announced the new procedures earlier this year, which require travelers to place all electronics... Read More »
Antibodies taken from patients infected with dengue fever are effective in treating Zika virus infection in rodents, according to a recent study conducted by researchers from Imperial College London and the Washington University in St. Louis.
Found in multiple regions throughout the world,... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers stationed at the Washington-Dulles International Airport in Virginia recently intercepted an Ethiopian imposter using an immigrant visa.
After arriving from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the man presented officers with a diversity immigrant visa for... Read More »
