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La visión de PGA es contribuir a la creación de un orden internacional basado en el imperio de la ley para un mundo más equitativo, seguro, sostenible y democrático.

Biological Security - Weekly Update - February 2022

The Weekly Biological Security Update is prepared by PGA's International Peace and Security Program and provided strictly for informational purposes only. Any opinions expressed in articles contained in this Update are not necessarily shared by PGA or any individual/s associated with PGA, nor does PGA, or any individual/s associated with PGA, vouch for the accuracy of the contents of these articles.

Country Topic Source
  Africa Africa's COVID-19 cases pass 11.17 mln: Africa CDC CGTN
  Africa CDC Reports Declining Continental COVID-19 Testing Morocco World News | Morocco Current Events, Latest News
  Canada Organ transplants from pigs: Medical miracle or pandemic in the making? The Conversation: In-depth analysis, research, news and ideas from leading academics and researchers.
  Canada Conservatives end boycott of Parliament's national security committee Winnipeg Free Press - Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
  Canada/Sierra Leone Navy brings gift from Maritimes to West African chimps CBC.ca - watch, listen, and discover with Canada's Public Broadcaster
  China Studies offer further evidence that the coronavirus pandemic began in animals in Wuhan market CNN - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
  DRC 'The response is like a big ship’: community feedback as a case study of evidence uptake and use in the 2018–2020 Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ReliefWeb - Informing humanitarians worldwide
  Japan Higher Viral Stability and Ethanol Resistance of Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus on Human Skin Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  Liberia Inside Liberia's fight to save pangolins from extinction Africanews | Latest breaking news, daily news and African news from Africa
  Singapore Singapore amends hijacking, aviation security laws amid high terror threat The Straits Times
  Global The Dual-Use Education Gap: Awareness and Education of Life Science Researchers on Nonpathogen-Related Dual Use Research Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. | Home
  United Kingdom One Health as a catalyst for sustainable development Nature
  United Kingdom New UKHSA laboratory will ‘define future pandemic response’ with pioneering COVID-19 vaccines and variants research Welcome to GOV.UK
  United Kingdom An Ebola-Like Fever Is In The U.K. Inverse
  United Kingdom 40 years on, Dark Harvest campaign over 'anthrax island' is back in spotlight The Herald - Scottish news, politics, sport and comment
  United Kingdom The Mystery of Anthrax Island airs on BBC Scotland The Herald - Scottish news, politics, sport and comment
  United Nations Le Conseil de sécurité de l'ONU prolonge le mandat du comité sur les armes nucléaires, biologiques et chimiques Centre d'Informations Internet de Chine
  United States US official: Russian invasion of Ukraine risks release of dangerous pathogens Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
  United States US says it can’t rule out Putin using chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine: ‘Nothing is off the table with this guy’ The Independent | Latest news and features from US, UK and worldwide
  United States There are no US-run biolabs in Ukraine, contrary to social media posts PolitiFact
  United States Building to a zoonotic early warning system RFD TV
  United States Oregon Legislature approves bill to ban selling certain wild animals for food Statesman Journal: Salem news, sports, entertainment. Serving Salem, Oregon.
  United States Even as omicron infections trend down, long COVID remains a threat to the military Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
  United States Cyber can now create biowarfare effects, without a bioweapon Breaking Defense - Defense industry news, analysis and commentary Breaking Defense - Defense industry news, analysis and commentary
  United States Three urgent priorities for the National Security Council to strengthen global health security and biodefense STAT - Reporting from the frontiers of health and medicine
  United States U.S. House Passes Sweeping Ban on Mink Farming Citing Cruelty and Contagion Risks Send Press Releases with GlobeNewswire
  United States Deer, mink and hyenas have caught COVID-19 – animal virologists explain how to find the coronavirus in animals and why humans need to worry The Conversation: In-depth analysis, research, news and ideas from leading academics and researchers.
  United States Michigan prisoner sent letter threatening anthrax attack to Kalamazoo federal courthouse, indictment says Michigan Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather
  United States Detailed analysis of the pathologic hallmarks of Nipah virus (Malaysia) disease in the African green monkey infected by the intratracheal route Home - PLOS
  United States A Counter-Terrorism Medicine Analysis of Drone Attacks Home | Cambridge University Press & Assessment
  United States Deadly, highly contagious bird flu found in Kalamazoo County worries nearby poultry farms Kalamazoo News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News | WWMT
  United States Learning From Catastrophe: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic for Preparing for and Responding to a Domestic Radiation Emergency Home - The Nuclear Threat Initiative
  United States Dr. Paul Farmer, who devoted his life to fighting deadly epidemics, has died. He was 62 Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos
  United States NTI, MSC initiate biological threat elimination exercise Homeland Preparedness News - The Leading Source
  WHO How the WHO might face future pandemics after COVID-19 CTV News | Canada News | Top Stories

Country Topic Source
  Africa Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing: Scaling up Rapid Antigen Self-testing Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing: Scaling up Rapid Antigen Self-testing – Africa CDC/
  Africa Africa CDC expects to become public health agency by July Africa CDC expects to become public health agency by July | Devex/
  Asia Asian firms top list of protein producers at risk of incubating next pandemic AFN
  Canada A brilliant scientist was mysteriously fired from a Winnipeg virus lab. No one knows why. Macleans.ca - Canada's magazine since 1905
  China Foreword: Insight on Infectious Diseases from the Perspective of One Health Insight on Infectious Diseases from the Perspective of One Health (chinacdc.cn)/
  China Recollection: Elimination of Schistosomiasis Japonica in China: From the One Health Perspective Elimination of Schistosomiasis Japonica in China: From the One Health Perspective (chinacdc.cn)/
  China China reports 2 more human cases of H5N6 bird flu China reports 2 more human cases of H5N6 bird flu - BNO News/
  Global Five questions about pandemics and climate change, answered laloyolan.com | Your home. Your voice. Your news.
  Global Future pandemics: failing to prepare means preparing to fail The Lancet | The best science for better lives
  Hungary/Bangladesh Hungarian researchers working on stopping a lethal virus Home - Daily News Hungary
  India First biosafety level 3 mobile lab launched in India Business News | Stock and Share Market News | Finance News | Sensex Nifty, NSE, BSE Live IPO News
  Indonesia Anthrax confirmed in Indonesia outbreak Anthrax confirmed in Indonesia outbreak - Outbreak News Today/
  Ireland Opinion: Our war on nature has led to climate change, biodiversity loss, and zoonotic pandemics TheJournal.ie - Read, Share and Shape the News
  Israel Structure and receptor recognition by the Lassa virus spike complex Nature
  Global It's not all bats' fault Eco-Business.com - Asia Pacific's Sustainable Business Community
  Malawi Malawi finds Africa’s first wild polio case in five years BBC - Homepage
  Global Media Briefing: How to Prevent the Next “Big One” -- Pandemic Prevention at the Source Newswise: News for Journalists
  Nigeria FG targets 70% implementation of new biosecurity policy FG targets 70% implementation of new biosecurity policy - Punch Newspapers (punchng.com)/
  RDC/Belgique Un détachement militaire belge en RDC dès le printemps Un détachement militaire belge en RDC dès le printemps — La Libre Afrique/
  Singapore Cultivating smallpox, plague: S'pore was a major biological warfare centre during WWII https://www.straitstimes.com/
  Global The Lab-Leak Hypothesis Made It Harder for Scientists to Seek the Truth Scientific American: Science News, Expert Analysis, Health Research - Scientific American
  Global The Next Pandemic Could Start With A Terrorist Attack The Atlantic
  Global La prochaine pandémie pourrait être déclenchée par un virus synthétique La prochaine pandémie pourrait être déclenchée par un virus synthétique (trustmyscience.com)/
  Global The Mongols Helped Spread a Pandemic to Europe Through Biological Warfare Please Wait... | Cloudflare
  Global The Next Front in Russia’s Propaganda Campaign Against the U.S. The Dispatch | Substack
  United Kingdom Afghanistan is becoming a breeding ground for jihadis again just months after the West's withdrawal in the face of Taliban advancements and they will pose a threat to the UK, MI5 chief warns Afghanistan is a breeding ground for jihadis again months after West's withdrawal, MI5 chief warns | Daily Mail Online/
  United Kingdom Government to review UK approach to future biological security ".....In a wide-ranging interview, Mr McCallum also spoke about the enduring threat of a biological attack on Britain. He said: ‘Al Qaeda, for example, determinedly engaged in research and development. This is never something which has gone away as a risk.’ Mr McCallum added that the global impact of the Covid pandemic may also have inspired potential terrorists. ‘It will have occurred to many people that biological or viral or their agents can be tools of significant game-changing events,’ he said. ‘It does not automatically follow that anyone having that thought has the wherewithal to do something intelligent about it. ‘But this has always been one of the risks that we are mindful of and seek to manage.’..." Welcome to GOV.UK
  United Kingdom Government asks experts to inform the refresh of UK's Biological Security Strategy Government asks experts to inform the refresh of UK's Biological Security Strategy (news-medical.net)/
  United Kingdom £200 million investment to fight zoonotic diseases Welcome to GOV.UK
  United Kingdom Researchers aim to build upon a highly successful pseudorabies vaccine that is routinely used to vaccinate pigs in Southeast Asia. National Hog Farmer
  United Kingdom UK Lassa fever death highlights global threat of infectious diseases, experts say News, sport and opinion from the Guardian's US edition | The Guardian
  United Kingdom What Is Lassa Fever? Zoonotic Virus That Just Caused A Death In UK. Know Symptoms, Treatment ABP News LIVE, Latest News, Breaking News, Top Headlines, India News Today - ABP LIVE
  United Kingdom Lassa fever: what are the symptoms and is it easy to catch? News, sport and opinion from the Guardian's US edition | The Guardian
  United Kingdom Lassa fever patient who died in UK ‘was newborn baby’ The Independent | Latest news and features from US, UK and worldwide
  United Kingdom New chief executive at Defence Science and Technology Laboratory Welcome to GOV.UK
  United Kingdom New facility for developing and testing Covid vaccines opened at Porton Down Salisbury Journal
  United States DHS CWMD and Seattle Conduct a Biological Threat Preparedness Exercise Homeland Security Today
  United States Senators Told CWMD Needs Big Changes After DHS’ ‘Painful’ Attempts to Upgrade Biodetection Homeland Security Today
  United States 'Highly pathogenic' Avian influenza detected in Suffolk County 'Highly pathogenic' Avian influenza detected in Suffolk County (news12.com)/
  United States Avian flu detected in Maine birds for the first time Avian flu detected in Maine birds for the first time (wmtw.com)/
  United States New York City Study Sheds Light Over Biological Attack Response Strategy New York City Study Sheds Light Over Biological Attack Response Strategy - iHLS (i-hls.com)/
  United States Blinken says Russian attack plans for Ukraine go beyond ‘conventional’ weapons "US Secretary of State’s remarks raise the possibility that Russia’s attack plans for Ukraine could include the use of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons" Blinken says Russian attack plans for Ukraine go beyond ‘conventional’ weapons | The Independent/
  United States Blinken slams Russia over Navalny trial that could extend jail term by 15 years "....The US government assessed that Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) officers used the nerve agent Novichok to poison Navalny, causing him to fall gravely ill while he was travelling back to Moscow after campaigning in Tomsk and Novosibirsk. Following the assessment, the US imposed additional sanctions on Russia under the US Chemical and Biological Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act)...." ThePrint/
  United States Research Biologist and Contractor Charged in Bribery Scheme at DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center Global Biodefense | News on Pathogens and Preparedness
  United States Bioterrorism FAQ Bioterrorism FAQ | DOH (wa.gov)/
  United States Draft Policy Statement for Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) and Animal BSL-4 (ABSL-4) Laboratory Verification; Notice of Availability Federal Register
  United States Single-domain antibodies neutralize ricin toxin intracellularly by blocking access to ribosomal P stalk proteins. single-domain-antibodies-neutralize-ricin-toxin-intracellularly-by-blocking-access-to-ribosomal-p-stalk-proteins (physiciansweekly.com)/
  United States DARPA ReVector program to reduce mosquito attraction to humans reaches second phase DARPA ReVector program to reduce mosquito attraction to humans reaches second phase - Homeland Preparedness News (homelandprepnews.com)/
  WHO WHO doctors warn against complete reversals of COVID-19 restrictions Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines

  Africa Africa's COVID-19 cases pass 11.03 mln: Africa CDC
  Global Biologie de synthèse : les instances internationales avancent dans le flou
  Canada Supercomputer helps Canadian researcher uncover thousands of viruses that could cause human diseases
  Canada Canada faces some trade restrictions on poultry due to bird flu found in Nova Scotia
  DRC Lessons from the DRC’s 10th Ebola epidemic: the people may know best
  DRC Ebola vaccine being used in Congo produces lasting antibody response, study finds
  DRC Measles: More than 350 cases reported in Budjala health zone, Sud-Ubangi
  Global Ebola can linger in brain fluid and trigger deadly relapse, monkey study suggests
  European Union Measures adopted by EU Member States on dual-use export control
  Georgia Tskhinvali KGB Targets Lugar Center, U.S. Health Facilities
  Germany/Russian Federation Germany exporting dual-use goods with possible military uses to Russia in breach of EU sanctions
  Ghana Surveillance for potentially zoonotic viruses in rodent and bat populations in an agricultural settlement in Ghana
  Nigeria National Biosafety Agency Launches Gene Editing Policy
  Nigeria NBMA policy move to secure Nigeria from health, environmental threats: Ikeazor "....Acting High Commissioner of Canada in Nigeria, Mr. Kevin Tokar, said Canada will continue to strengthen biosecurity and health security capacities in Africa....."
  Russian Federation Russian media spreading disinformation about US bioweapons as troops mass near Ukraine
  Russian Federation/France Macron refused to take Russian Covid test
  South Africa Lions in South Africa test positive for COVID-19
  United Kingdom Lassa fever: First death confirmed in UK from new outbreak
  United Kingdom UK health experts sound alarm after patient dies from Ebola-like virus carried by rats
  United Nations 1540 Committee Chair delivered a video message to Workshop on Botswana’s 1540 National Implementation Action Plan
  Global https://www.un.org/en/sc/1540/assistance/request-for-assistance/current-requests-from-member-states.shtml
  United States Parking for Super Bowl Sunday Advertised for Up to $7,000 as LA Sheriff Preps Security Measures "....Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is converging around SoFi Stadium to keep the high profile event safe. Deputy Tom Mayberry showed Inside Edition his radiation tracking devices. His Labrador, Bear, is the only certified canine trained in the country to sniff out biological weapons...."
  United States Opinion: Coronavirus and Regulating Access to High-Risk Pathogens
  United States New York's plague of rats feared to be carrying new coronavirus variant through sewers
  United States Romney, Hassan Introduce Legislation to Improve Pandemic Preparedness & Response
  United States Chicken producers warn about fast-spreading bird flu spreading across US
  United States USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in a Commercial Turkey Flock in Dubois County, Indiana
  United States USDA announces expansion of wild bird surveillance for avian flu
  United States APHIS Announces Final Strategic Framework for Enhancing Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 and other Emerging Diseases Under the American Rescue Plan
  United States Nipah virus vaccine candidate Phase 1 clinical trial begins
  United States NIH uses $4.5M in grant funds to create collaborative research centers focused on Valley Fever
  United States United States Army Research Biologist and Contractor Charged in Bribery Scheme at Aberdeen Proving Ground
  United States Did the ‘Black Death’ Really Kill Half of Europe? New Research Says No.

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  Africa Africa not yet in endemic phase of COVID-19 pandemic – CDC director
  Africa Africa's COVID-19 cases near 10.9 mln: Africa CDC
  Australia/UK Pandemic preparedness: synthetic biology and publicly funded biofoundries can rapidly accelerate response time
  Bangladesh Challenges in the establishment of a biosafety testing laboratory for COVID-19 in Bangladesh
  Brunéi Darussalam One Health approach to prevent emergence of zoonotic pathogens
  Burkina Faso First avian flu cases confirmed in Burkina Faso
  Canada Opinion: Neglected diseases pose global threat
  Canada Avian flu detected in commercial flock in western Nova Scotia
  China Complete Protection Against Yersinia pestis in BALB/c Mouse Model Elicited by Immunization With Inhalable Formulations of rF1-V10 Fusion Protein via Aerosolized Intratracheal Inoculation
  Deutschland Terrorismus
  DRC Cross-sectional study of mental health and sexual behaviours for Ebola Survivors in Beni, Butembo and Katwa health zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo
  DRC Anthrax outbreak linked to consuming guinea pigs in South Kivu, DRC
  Ghana Bird flu infests 99,744 poultry in Central Region
  Ghana/Canada GCIC trains entrepreneurs on climate change
  Global Double Agents In Global Health
  India Threat, challenges, and preparedness for future pandemics: A descriptive review of phylogenetic analysis based predictions
  India iGEM Foundation to set up Indian league to boost synthetic biology in the country
  Liberia How the legacy of Liberia’s Ebola outbreak is improving the health of rural communities
  New Zealand Transmission models indicate Ebola virus persistence in non-human primate populations is unlikely
  Nigeria Govt to Combat Illegal Wildlife, Forest Crime
  Global ".....Ikeazor disclosed that "we are commencing the Implementation of the National Biosecurity Policy and Action Plan 2022-2026, to guarantee a functional biosecurity system using the one-health approach to minimizing the risks of biological threats to the biodiversity and to humans...."
  Nigeria Why COVID-19 surveillance in Nigeria is critical
  Nigeria Nigeria reports more than 200 confirmed Lassa fever cases, 40 deaths in January
  Poland Nipah Virus–Another Threat From the World of Zoonotic Viruses