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Threats
A new drug called AQ-13 was shown to be effective against non-severe cases of malaria, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Tulane University.
Results of the study may prove to be significant as worldwide disease researchers are increasingly finding that the parasite... Read More »
A training event focusing on hazardous chemical incident response was recently held for Latin American and Caribbean first responders in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, managed by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
Part of the Exercise of Assistance and Protection for Latin... Read More »
Following a review of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) documentation on the effectiveness of six passenger aviation security countermeasures, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended that the agency explore methods to evaluate the effectiveness and cost of those... Read More »
Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC), vice chair of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Terrorism and Illicit Finance, recently sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin urging the exploration of sanctions against Qatar-based terrorism financiers.
Reps. Robert Aderholt (R-AL), David... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report exploring U.S. efforts to stop profits from drug trafficking from entering financial systems in the Western Hemisphere through money laundering.
The report describes U.S. agency oversight and monitoring of compliance with the... Read More »
A Russian hacker named Roman Seleznev has now pled guilty to a role in stealing credit card data and other personal information as part of a credit fraud ring known Carder.su.
To be specific, Seleznev, who has gone by the handles of Track2, Bulba and Ncux, pleaded guilty in two criminal cases to... Read More »
As the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) continues to lose territory, they have begun calling for more attacks on the West, resulting in a coordinated attack in Spain last month, according to September’s terror threat “snapshot” released by the House Homeland Security Committee.
Each... Read More »
As a direct result of a cyberattack that saw the largest terminal at the Port of Los Angeles closed in June, the House Committee on Homeland Security has advanced a new cybersecurity bill this week.
The Strengthening Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Coordination in Our Ports Act is a bill... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the United States Postal Service (USPS) should assess whether the costs of the new Electronic Advance Data (EAD) program outweigh the benefits.
In 2014 and 2015, USPS and CPB launched two pilot programs at the New York International Service Center (ISC)... Read More »
Available now to the buying public is Reactive Skin Decontamination Lotion (RSDL) from Emergent BioSolutions, a lotion that protects human skin against chemical warfare agents (CWAs).
Specifically, RSDL, which was previously only available to the military, is a patented, broad-spectrum liquid... Read More »
Artemisinin, a Chinese medicine used to treat malaria that often faces issues with an unstable supply, can be rapidly produced at an industrial rate by genetically engineering moss, according to a recent study conducted by researchers from the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education the University... Read More »
As people rebuild from the damage caused by hurricanes Harvey and Irma, they should also be aware of the public health risks related to flooding, including diarrheal infections and mosquito-borne illnesses.
“What people don't often realize is that there's a significant health risk from... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives recently advanced an amendment authored by U.S. Rep. John Delaney (D-MD) to fully fund the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC), reversing a decision by the Trump Administration to eliminate funding for the center in its proposed FY2018... Read More »
Seeking to overturn boundaries to the development of vaccines against pathogen outbreaks, the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) has announced a successful study of early immune response with serious implications.
DZIF scientists at the Heinrich Pette Institute and the University... Read More »
The General Services Administration (GSA) recently informed U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) that it provided funding for a feasibility study of the modernization of the Douglas Port of Entry (POE) for fiscal year 2017.
“GSA is taking a major step towards making the Douglas modernization... Read More »
ManTech International Corporation recently announced full operational capability of its Advanced Cyber Range Environment, a system that enables users to test and evaluate the cyber-preparedness of their networks and to train in the latest defensive cyber technologies.
With the new cyber range... Read More »
Researchers at Duke University recently developed a three-dimensional map of the complex molecular circuitry of Francisella tularensis, the bacteria that causes tularemia, in order to better understand how the pathogen becomes virulent.
"Now we have the coordinates for stopping one of the most... Read More »
Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health and Sanitation announced this week that half a million people in areas affected by floods and landslides will receive cholera vaccinations starting this month.
The two rounds of vaccines will come from the global stockpile funded by Gavi, the Vaccine... Read More »
Speaking at a recent meeting of the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Switzerland, Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü highlighted the successes of the OPCW and reaffirmed its resolve to eliminate all chemical weapons through the Chemical... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) recently secured $5 million from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to assist Montana-based law enforcement agencies in their efforts to strengthen security along the state’s 540-mile international border with Canada.
"Terrorists and criminals will find... Read More »
Nonhuman primates were recently protected against Lassa fever by using three types of monoclonal antibodies eight days after they became infected with the virus, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB).
While the virus is known... Read More »
Sandia National Laboratories recently developed a software application for mobile and traditional computing devices analyze gamma radiation data collected at the scene of an emergency involving radiation.
Sandia’s InterSpec team includes software developer and physicist Will Johnson and... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced over $11.1 million in grants under three different programs for the state of Nevada in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017.
“Ensuring our state has what it needs to thwart potential terror attacks and protect our tourism economy is critical,... Read More »
The gradual increase of the earth’s surface temperature enhances the metabolism of mosquitoes and increases the risk of dengue fever outbreaks, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Liverpool, the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) and the National... Read More »
Officials with U.S. Border Patrol recently announced the selection of Rodolfo Karisch as the Tucson Sector’s new Chief Patrol Agent and Commander of Joint-Task Force-West, Arizona.
In his new role, Karisch will now oversee the operations of more than 3,900 border agents and related support... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently announced that it awarded four contracts for concrete prototypes of a southern border wall, which will help deter illegal crossings where they are constructed and allow CBP to evaluate new designs.
Caddell Construction Co., (DE), LLC based in... Read More »
Federal authorities are warning potential donors for Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts to be on the lookout for scammers.
The call comes from multiple branches of the federal government, with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) sending warnings... Read More »
Legal representatives from Ghana, Djibouti, and Benin recently participated in an Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)-sponsored internship program aimed at providing insight for drafting country-specific national legislation related to the implementation of the Chemical... Read More »
Scientists, engineers, and technicians from the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Nuclear/Radiological Advisory Team (NRAT) recently conducted advanced maritime training aboard the Maersk Detroit in order to expand their advanced shipboard operational skill sets while on the... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the use of Vabomere, the first antibiotic drug in the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) portfolio, in order to help combat the rise of drug-resistant bacteria.
Specifically, Vabomere was approved to treat... Read More »
Almost 60 percent of U.S. small business owners are concerned about cybersecurity threats, according to the recently released MetLife and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index.
Survey results revealed that companies with 20 to 99 employees were more likely to be concerned, with one in... Read More »
The Alabama Department of Public Health recently announced the launch of a serious infectious disease response network in order to help identify and respond to potential outbreaks as they occur.
According to Mary McIntyre, chief medical officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health, the... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted accelerated approval to benzidazole for the treatment of Chagas disease in children aged 2 to 12 years old.
While the drug is one of the few treatments approved for use in adults, benzidazole now becomes the only approved treatment... Read More »
Start-ups and small biotech companies are the most-promising developers for new medical countermeasures for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats, but they face serious challenges, according to Battelle's Senior Market Manager for Medical and CBRN Products Russell Coleman.... Read More »
Gigi Gronvall, a senior associate at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, recently spoke about the role of synthetic biology in national security at Edgewood Chemical Biological Center’s 100th Anniversary Speaker Series at Aberdeen Proving Ground near Aberdeen, Maryland.
Gronvall is... Read More »
