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Biological Security - Weekly Update - January 2023

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 South Sudan Facebook
  Africa Africa CDC aims to be more tech-savvy with new digital health strategy devex.com
  Bangladesh >Nipah virus: Health minister warns against drinking raw date juice The Business Standard
  Bangladesh What are the symptoms of Nipah virus and is it contagious? The Daily Star
  Bangladesh Additional Nipah virus death reported in 2023 Outbreak News Today -
  Bangladesh Bangladesh researchers: Transfer of immunity against Nipah virus from mother to child confirmed for the first time Outbreak News Today -
  Canada Government of Canada invests in Canadian innovators developing solutions to improve food safety and plant health Yahoo Finance
  Canada/Ghana Strengthening a One Health approach to emerging zoonoses FACETS Journal | Home
  Canada/France/US Foreign National Pleads Guilty to Mailing Ricin to President of the United States in 2020 United States Department of Justice
  Global DIY gene editing: This home use kit makes CRISPR accessible to all Interesting Engineering
  Global “Ping pong zoonosis”: COVID is spreading from humans to animals and back again Salon.com
  Global From a deadly Ebola-like disease in Croatia to bird flu in Egypt: Biggest disease threats in each country REVEALED Daily Mail Online
  Global Infectious diseases study highlights inconsistent reporting and importance of the human factor Salon.com
  Global Infectious diseases study highlights inconsistent reporting and importance of the human factor EL PAÍS English Edition
  Nigeria MLSCN To Become Hub For Biosafety, Biosecurity Training In West Africa Independent Television and Radio
  Nigeria FG’ll continue to deploy safe agricultural biotechnology to tackle food insecurity, says Ebegba The Guardian Nigeria News
  Spain Researchers detail H5N1 avian flu outbreak at mink farm in Spain Homepage | CIDRAP
  Russian Federation Assessing the Trajectory of Biological Research and Development in the Russian Federation National Defense University Press (NDU Press)
  Global The Doomsday Clock reveals how close we are to total annihilation

"...The decision to move the clock 10 seconds forward this year is largely due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the increased risk of nuclear escalation, the Bulletin said in a news release...continuing threats posed by the climate crisis, as well as the breakdown of norms and institutions needed to reduce risks associated with biological threats like Covid-19, also played a role...." (emphasis added) 		CNN International
  Global The world needs a COP-like process for pandemic preparedness Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
  United Kingdom UKHSA Advisory Board: preparedness for infectious disease threats Welcome to GOV.UK
  United Kingdom Porton Down on-site nursery set to close Salisbury Journal
  Uganda Don’t wait for an Ebola outbreak to vaccinate people against it Nature
  Uganda Fighting Ebola in Uganda The Independent Uganda
  United States JUST IN: New-Defense Strategy to Eschew ‘One Bug, One Drug’ Programs National Defense Magazine
  United States Defense department grants UTMB $25 million to develop antiviral vaccines The Daily News | Texas' Oldest Newspaper
  United States Expert Panel Votes for Stricter Rules on Risky Virus Research The New York Times
  United States Stricter US guidelines for ‘gain-of-function’ research are on the way — maybe Nature
  United States Essential Strategic Stockpile Act seeks bipartisan solution to drug shortages, foreign supply chain reliance 403 Forbidden
  WHO 9 diseases that keep epidemiologists up at night NPR - Breaking News, Analysis, Music, Arts & Podcasts : NPR
  WHO Ever alert to the next threat to human health: a conversation with Dr Richard Molenkamp from Erasmus MC’s Department of Viroscience World Health Organization (WHO)

Country Topic Source
  Africa Opinion: Here are some of the top priorities for a new Africa CDC chief devex.com
  Africa Tackling health poverty risks in Africa: 4 experts weigh in The World Economic Forum
  Africa Q&A: Africa’s new order for achieving health security Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
  Global Ancient Empires Used Bioweapons to Strike Terror More Than 3,000 Years Ago Discover Magazine
  Global An illustrated history of the world’s deadliest epidemics, from ancient Rome to Covid-19 Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
  Bangladesh Bangladesh reports 3 Nipah virus cases in Naogaon and Rajbari districts in 2022 Outbreak News Today -
  Global Biology is power Axios
  Canada/Australia Comprehensive analysis of genome sequences unravels the elusive origins of bubonic plague Medical News
  China China says 80% of population have had Covid-19, as millions travel for Lunar New Year CNN
  China Chinese pray for health in Lunar New Year as COVID death toll rises Reuters
  China Chinese hospitals creak under the strain of a huge Covid outbreak NBC News
  Global Dans la lutte contre Ebola, des essais de vaccins prometteurs Le Monde.fr
  Deutschland Neue Erkenntnisse belasten Tatverdächtige des geplanten Biowaffen-Anschlags FOCUS online - Nachrichten
  Deutschland Ermittler finden verdächtige Substanzen Aktuelle Nachrichten
  Finland EU’s common reserve of rescue equipment and medical supplies to be located in Finland – project budget EUR 242 million Sisäisen turvallisuuden ja maahanmuuton ministeriö - Sisäministeriö
  Iran Is Iran Planning WMD Attacks in Europe? theTrumpet.comy
  Kenya One Health in Kenya The Lancet
  Global New global body aims to improve biosecurity and biosafety Science|Business
  Nigeria FG’ll continue to deploy safe agricultural biotechnology to tackle food insecurity, by Ebegba The Guardian Nigeria News
  Global PAHO issues alert on outbreaks of avian influenza in birds in ten countries of the Americas PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization
  Pakistan Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever outbreak in Pakistan, 2022: A warning bell amidst unprecedented floods and COVID 19 pandemic Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
  Pakistan Expert calls for creating awareness about zoonotic brucellosis The News International: Latest News Breaking, Pakistan News
  Global Plague Meningitis: A Systematic Review of Clinical Course, Antimicrobial Treatment, and Outcomes Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
  Global Rats may not have caused the Black Death, study suggests The Independent
  Global Researchers hacked a lab’s pathogen containment system. Was it a good idea to publish the results? Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
  Russian Federation/US Russia's FSB Accuses U.S. Citizen of 'Biological' Espionage Newsweek
  St. Vincent and the Grenadines St Vincent to benefit from World Bank-supported regional health project St Vincent Times - News On SVG
  Global The Lancet Series on One Health and Global Health Security The Lancet
  UAE MoHAP One Health approach to help identify zoonotic diseases Trade Arabia
  Ukraine Ukraine to Strengthen Biosecurity with Ginkgo Bioworks Collaboration GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News
  Uganda Permanent Secretary Atwine calls for more resources for laboratory services NTV Uganda
  Uganda Another Ebola outbreak, another missed opportunity for preparedness STAT - Reporting from the frontiers of health and medicine
  United Kingdom Investigation into the risk to human health of avian influenza (influenza A H5N1) in England: technical briefing 1 Welcome to GOV.UK
  United Nations The Secretary-General appoints Mr. David Theard (France) Coordinator of the 1540 Group of Experts United Nations
  United States GAO calls for greater oversight of HHS research involving pandemic-capable pathogens Homeland Preparedness News - The Leading Source
  United States U.S. should expand rules for risky virus research to more pathogens, panel says Science | AAAS
  United States Export Controls Added for Four Toxins, Modified on GMOs Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A.
  United States End of year government funding bill included public health measures from PREVENT Pandemics Act US Department of Commerce
  United States US keeping ‘close eye’ on North Korean chemical and biological weapons NK News
  United States Lab-leak fears are putting virologists under scrutiny Washington Post
  United States Health Care — Oversight of pathogen research unclear The Hill
  United States Inside the High-Security Lab Where Scientists Are Fighting the Next Pandemic Washingtonian
  United States CAN AMERICA LEARN THIS PANDEMIC’S LESSONS BEFORE THE NEXT ONE HITS? Vanity Fair
  United States New worldwide threats prompt Pentagon to overhaul chem-bio defenses POLITICO
  United States US - ASM Commends NSABB's Proposed Biosecurity Oversight Framework INTELLIGENCE ARTIFICIELLE ET TRANSHUMANISME
  United States Wearable, Printable, Shapeable Sensors Detect Pathogens and Toxins in the Environment Tufts University
  United States NIH biosecurity advisers urge tighter oversight of pathogen research Washington Post
  United States Dangerous gain-of-function research continues to go on in US because of poor oversight, says damning congressional watchdog report prompted by DailyMail.com revelation Daily Mail Online
  United States Florida Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Ricin in Plot to Kill Former Partner Homeland Security Today
  United States EMD 1st Annual Yale Vector-borne and Zoonotic Disease Symposium Yale School of Medicine
  Global Vaincre Ebola et lutter contre la stigmatisation Deutche Welle
  WHO AP: WHO knew of past sex misconduct claim against doctor Associated Press News
  WHO WHO Webinar Series on Trust and Pandemic Preparedness: Webinar 1: Trust and pandemics World Health Organization (WHO)
  Global With attention to mpox fading, health officials fear infections will go undetected and unreported STAT - Reporting from the frontiers of health and medicine

Country Topic Source
  Africa Advancing detection and response capacities for emerging and re-emerging pathogens in Africa The Lancet
  Africa/China Phase-1 of Africa CDC center project completed thanks to deepened BRI cooperation Global Times
  Africa/China China, African Union inaugurate the China-aided Africa CDC HQ building CGTN
  Australia The questions the scientists have to answer about the pandemic SMH.com.au
  Global A Scoping Review of the Essential Components of Emergency Medical Response Systems for Mass Casualty Incidents Cambridge University Press & Assessment
  Bangladesh Bangladesh officials report a Nipah virus death in a Rajshahi woman Outbreak News Today -
  Bangladesh With 71% death rate, Nipah is deadliest infectious disease in Bangladesh The Business Standard | BENEATH THE SURFACE
  Bangladesh Nipah Virus: Don’t drink raw date juice The Daily Star – Leading English Daily among Bangladesh Newspapers
  Bangladesh Nipah virus continues to kill in silence New Age | The Most Popular Outspoken English Daily in Bangladesh
  BWC ISU
Twitter
  Global BWC Review Conference Dispatch: A Cliffhanger Conference Seeks to Strengthen Biological Weapons Convention Arms Control Association
  Canada UNICEF welcomes Canada’s contribution of US$188 million to support COVID-19 response and health systems strengthening UNICEF
  Canada/Global COP 15 Event Highlights Linkages Between Pandemics and Biodiversity LISD.org
  Canada/US Appili Therapeutics Announces Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for ATI-1501 Liquid Oral Reformulation of Metronidazole Yahoo Finance
  Global CARPHA advises against pandemic complacency -as regional threat level ranked at ‘moderate low’ Turks and Caicos Weekly News
  Global CARPHA Gets Chinese Funding To Buy Laboratory Equipment St. Lucia Times News Online - Breaking News & Daily News
  Global CEPI partners with Tiba Biotech to evaluate next-generation RNA vaccine platform technology to respond to 'Disease X' Biotech, Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research Jobs | BioSpace
  China China’s bid to leave covid behind could determine global economy’s fate The Washington Post
  China China braces for Covid surge as lunar new year travel rush begins The Guardian
  China China’s COVID-19 Toll Isn’t Public. Satellite Images Seem to Show a Lot of People Are Dying TIME
  China China reports almost 60,000 COVID-related deaths ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4
  China Covid cases in China touch 900 million BBC
  Global DAVOS 2023 - Let's bring together countries and corporations to grow global pathogen surveillance World Economic Forum
  Deutschland Terrorverdächtiger gab im Asylverfahren an, Christ zu sein WELT - Aktuelle Nachrichten, News, Hintergründe & Videos
  Deutschland Giftstoffe: Was sind Rizin und Cyanid? Nachrichten aus der Region | SÜDKURIER
  Germany No toxins found in anti-terror garage searches Deutche Welle
  Germany Is Islamist terror a threat to Germany? Deutsche Welle
  DRC Democratic Republic of the Congo ReliefWeb
  DRC Efficiency of Field Laboratories for Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak during Chronic Insecurity, Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2018–2020 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  India Reevaluating Bioweapons Amid Global Political Fragility Orfonline.org
  Mongolia Mongolian labs had serious biosafety and biosecurity failings U.S. Right to Know
  Nigeria Illegal animal trade, hunting threaten multimillion naira wildlife tourism industry Punch Newspapers
  Nigeria Failure to preserve biodiversity ‘ll aggravate food crisis – Nnimmo Bassey Vanguard Nigeria
  Nigeria Expert links zoonotic diseases to unhygienic meat processing methods The Guardian Nigeria News
  Philippines Anthrax cases in Cagayan contained The Manila Times
  Global The DNA of Deadly Pathogens is Easy to Obtain Mother Jones
  Uganda ‘A great day for the country’: Uganda declares an end to Ebola outbreak The Guardian
  Uganda WHO declares Uganda Ebola free Monitor
  Uganda EXPLAINER | Why Uganda should still be on high alert after end of Sudan Ebola outbreak News24 | South Afric
  Uganda Uganda - OKUJJANJABA EBOLA: Abasawo b’okubyalo e Kassanda babanja, RDC abaanukudde (Doctors claim they are owed back-pay) NTV Uganda
  Ukraine Ukraine Details 'Most Ridiculous' Russian Claims Newsweek
  United Nations UN Security Council Extends 1540 Committee/ United Nations
  United States A Framework for Federal Scientific Integrity Policy and Practice The White House
  Global US - Congress trims funding for Pentagon ‘chem-bio’ programs Global Biodefense
  United States New worldwide threats prompt Pentagon to overhaul chem-bio defenses POLITICO
  United States Will America’s public health reckoning ever come? STAT - Reporting from the frontiers of health and medicine
  United States DARPA Selects Teams to Develop Vaccine Durability Prediction Model Global Biodefense
  United States Congress approves development of national One Health coordination plan, other veterinary funding priorities American Veterinary Medical Association
  United States Job Advertisement | Treaty Compliance Analyst Global Biodefense
  United States Job Advertisement | BSL3/ABSL3 Research Facility Program Manager III Global Biodefense
  United States NTI | bio Welcomes New Senior Director Nathan Paxton NTI.org

Country Topic Source
  Africa Devex CheckUp: Africa CDC inches closer to autonomy devex.com
  Australia Seedy concealment in shoes foiled by biosecurity staff Mirage News
  China Biological characteristics, biosafety prevention and control strategies for the 2022 multi-country outbreak of monkeypox ScienceDirect
  China H5N6 avian influenza case reported in Hunan, China man Outbreak News Today -
  China 90% of people in China province infected with Covid, says local health official The Guardian
  China As China Lifts Pandemic Border Controls, Mixed Feelings at Home and Abroad The New York Times
  Global Despite risk-management gaps, countries press ahead with new labs that study deadly pathogens Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
  Deutschland Wie giftig Rizin und Cyanid für den Menschen sind WELT - Aktuelle Nachrichten, News, Hintergründe & Videos
  Deutschland Mann soll islamistischen Anschlag mit Bio-Waffen geplant haben blue News - Aktuelle News, bester Sport und Entertainment
  Germany German police arrest Iranian man on suspicion of plotting ricin terror attack UPI.com
  DRC The Social Response to Ebola in DRC: Five Recommendations for Successful Community Engagement in Emergencies World Bank Blogs
  France Épisode 4/4 : La peste aujourd’hui : des progrès de la microbiologie aux nouveaux foyers Radio France | Écoutez en ligne vos radios
  India Pune's National Institute of Virology develops Nipah virus antibody test kit Times of India
  Japan Pandoravirus: The melting Arctic is releasing ancient germs – how worried should we be? Japan Today
  Kenya 10 Admitted In Kisii Over Anthrax Outbreak CapitalFM (Kenya)
  New Zealand Will we be hearing more about the Nipah virus in the future? Horsetalk: equestrian news and research
  Pakistan Two phase feature-ranking for new soil dataset for Coxiella burnetii persistence and classification using machine learning models Nature
  Global The treaties that make the world safer are struggling Vox - Understand the News
  Uganda Uganda’s Ebola outbreak nearly under control, says Africa CDC Al Jazeera
  Uganda Prevalence of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in livestock following a confirmed human case in Lyantonde district, Uganda Parasites & Vectors | Home page
  Uganda 80% of Ebola health workers get allowances, says ministry Home | Monitor
  United Kingdom Researchers warn of rise in extremism online after Covid BBC - Homepage
  United Kingdom 'DEEP CONCERN' Cop killer who plotted ricin attack on Jewish people among 23 terrorists eligible for release this year The Sun
  United Kingdom ‘People wanted to poison me with ricin’ – North Wales MP reveals reasons for wearing stab-proof vest to constituency meetings Deeside.com
  United Kingdom A Scottish X File: Recalling when scientists tested bubonic plague in the Western Isles 70 years ago Local Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Scottish News, Politics, and Sport
  Ukraine Why a Ukrainian zoologist risked his life to save 1,000 bats from a bat collider CBC.ca
  United States Op-ed calls Biden biodefense plan ‘necessary but not sufficient’ KJZZ
  United States Ginkgo Bioworks Expands Its R&D Facilities, Opens Bioworks7 to Conduct Mammalian Screening at Scale, Widening Capabilities for Biopharma Partners PR Newswire
  United States NIST creates new yeast-based reference material for biothreat training Homeland Preparedness News - The Leading Source
  United States New Material Helps Train First Responders on Biothreats Global Biodefense | News on Pathogens and Preparedness
  United States USU Alumnus Leads ‘Disease X’, Deadly Emerging Infections Research and Development DVIDS - Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
  United States Study details impact of prairie dog plague die-off on other species ThePrint
  United States Killing Anthrax More Quickly with Hot Air Decontamination Global Biodefense | News on Pathogens and Preparedness
  United States Opinion  Congress has not stepped up to fight covid-19 — or the next pandemic Washington Post
  United States A Surprising Method for Preventing Future Pandemics: Conservation SciTechDaily
  United States RCSA, USDA fund 7 team projects in Mitigating Zoonotic Threats National Hog Farmer
  WHO WHO Warns the West’s New Subvariant Is Most Transmissible Foreign Policy – the Global Magazine of News and Ideas
 Global World's most dangerous labs RANKED and China scores 0 when it comes to safety in handling 'risky' experiments on world's most dangerous pathogens Home | Daily Mail Online

YEAR IN REVIEW | THE YEAR AHEAD

Country Topic Source
  Global One Health on the 2023 Wish List Home - Impakter
  Global 2022 Year In health: New Ebola and cholera outbreaks, mpox emergency, COVID-19 ‘not over’ UN News | Global perspective Human stories
  Global As COVID turns 3, experts worry where the next pandemic will come from – and if we'll be ready USA TODAY
  Deutschland UNO: Wie die Staatengemeinschaft das Krisenjahr 2022 gemeistert hat vorwärts
  Deutschland UNO: Wie die Staatengemeinschaft das Krisenjahr 2022 gemeistert hat

....Etwas erfolgsversprechende Entwicklungen gab es dagegen im Bereich biologische Waffen – von der Öffentlichkeit weitgehend unbeachtet. Ende des Jahres trafen sich in Genf mehr als 180 Vertragsstaaten der Biowaffen Konvention, um einen Mechanismus zur konkreteren Überwachung von biologischen Waffen auszuhandeln. Mit einem Ergebnis ist kurzfristig nicht zu rechnen. Doch vorsichtiger Optimismus über die Wiederbelebung des lange eingeschlafenen Prozesses scheint gerechtfertigt...." 		vorwaerts
  Global The Nature Podcast’s highlights of 2022 Nature
  Global Can our current global system coexist with pandemics? Resillience.org

Weekly Biological Security Update

Country Topic Source
  Africa Africa's official covid vaccination rates are about to go up by a lot Quartz | Make business better.™️
  Africa/Canada Our continent has appropriate legal regime for safe use of GMOs – African regulators tell UN Biodiversity Conference MyJoyOnline.com
  Azerbaijan Azerbaijan may freeze assets of mass destruction weapon distributors AzerNews
  China Thousands gather for New Year celebration in Wuhan despite COVID-19 surge WION
  China Xi Jinping has abandoned zero-Covid. What happens now? Vox
  China End of pandemic may finally be in sight in Chinese city where it began NBC News
  China Share data, WHO again tells China during COVID surge talks Al Jazeera
  China WHO meets with Chinese officials on current COVID-19 situation World Health Organization (WHO)
  China China wanted to develop bio-weapons long before COVID hit the world, US intelligence report claims Business News Today
  China Xi says COVID control is entering new phase as cases surge after reopening Reuters
  Global CRISPR Gene Drives: A Weapon of Mass Destruction? Medium
  Global Epidemics That Weren’t: How Countries Shut Down Recent Outbreaks The New York Times
  France The Great Plague of Marseille and Misinformation: Then and Now | Opinion Home - Pennsylvania Capital-Star
  India Health and National Security – Can we afford to see them as ‘unconnected’ any longer? Health News
  India Time Is Ripe for a One Health Law in India EPW
  Global Keeping up with viruses: Discoveries in 2022 to keep an eye on Down To Earth
  Kenya Why Q-fever and other zoonotic diseases are rising Standard Media (Kenya)
  Madagascar Plague deaths reported in Ambohidratrimo district: Madagascar media Outbreak News Today -
  Mongolia/Canada Mongolia becomes one of six countries to join N4H initiative AKIpress News Agency
  Nigeria Biosafety Agency Reels Out Focus For 2023 Homepage – Voice of Nigeria
  Nigeria Abuja residents on red alert over possible outbreak of Ebola, cholera, others The National
  Nigeria NiBSA seeks more funding for members training Authority (Nigeria)
  Global No evidence for persistent natural plague reservoirs in historical and modern Europe PNAS
  Global 6 Shockingly Successful Ancient Warfare Tactics Ancient Origins | Reconstructing the story of humanity's past
  South Africa The One Health action plan balances the health of humans, animals, plants and ecosystems Mail & Guardian - Africa's Best Read
  Thailand United States Donates CBRN Detection Equipment to Thailand U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Thailand
  Uganda Uganda Ebola Virus Disease Situation Report No 83 ReliefWeb
  Uganda How Ebola wrecked livelihoods amid Covid-19 threat Home | Monitor
  Uganda After COVID-19, Ebola lockdowns drive Ugandan workers into debt Daily Sabah
  Uganda EU breaks with US to plan budget support to Uganda for Ebola response devex.com
  United Kingdom A Scottish X File: Recalling when scientists tested bubonic plague in the Western Isles 70 years ago Local Aberdeen
  United Kingdom Veterans exposed to sarin at Porton Down call for outstanding service medals The Telegraph
  United Kingdom Government ‘Failings’ Leave UK Vulnerable To Animal Disease Outbreak, Report Warns Vegan News
  United States America is failing to fight chemical and biological weapons — but we can change that The Hill
  United States UCI researchers demonstrate how to trigger a pathogen release with music UCI News | UCI
  United States Bringing One Health to life through education and advocacy AAHA.org
  United States Zoonotic Diseases in Animal Agriculture and Beyond: A One Health Perspective CAST
  United States Weird History: An Anthrax Lab in Chevy Chase DC Washingtonian
  United States Jerry Jung Obituary (1930-2022) Legacy.com
  Vietnam VIDEX 2022: Vietnam operationalises locally developed unmanned vehicles for CBRN defence missions Janes | The trusted source for defence and security intelligence
  WHO WHO Member States agree to develop zero draft of legally binding pandemic accord in early 2023 World Health Organization (WHO)