White House seeks input on tightening rules for risky pathogen research
A panel’s recommendations earlier this year to tighten U.S. rules for funding research on dangerous pathogens
sparked concerns
that some of the changes would hamper routine studies important to public health. Now, the White House is looking at ways to narrow the swath of federally funded research that would undergo the heightened reviews proposed in a
final report
released in March by the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB).
A
notice
posted today in the
Federal Register
by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) seeks comments by 16 October on a...
Source: ScienceNOW - September 1, 2023 Category: Science Source Type: news
Risk for Human H5N1 Virus After Exposure to Infected Birds Risk for Human H5N1 Virus After Exposure to Infected Birds
This report provides some insight.Emerging Infectious Diseases (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)
Source: Medscape Today Headlines - August 22, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Infectious Diseases Journal Article Source Type: news
Scientists at Porton Down super-lab are preparing for bird flu to jump to humans: Secretive site is 'getting the tools ready' for outbreak of deadly H5N1
There is no sign that the virus, which is thought to have killed millions of birds in Britain and infected poultry workers, is currently able to spread between people. (Source: the Mail online | Health)
Source: the Mail online | Health - August 7, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Could chatbots help devise the next pandemic virus?
Tech experts have been sounding the alarm that artificial intelligence (AI) could turn against humanity by taking over everything from business to warfare. Now, Kevin Esvelt is adding another worry: AI could help somebody with no science background and evil intentions design and order a virus capable of unleashing a pandemic.
Esvelt, a biosecurity expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, recently asked students to create a dangerous virus with the help of ChatGPT or other so-called large language models, systems that can generate humanlike responses to broad questions based on vast training sets of intern...
Source: ScienceNOW - June 14, 2023 Category: Science Source Type: news
Explainer: H5N1 Bird Flu in Mammals Sparks Fears of Virus Spreading Among Humans
(Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - June 13, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
For These Bird Flu Researchers, Work Is a Day at the Very ‘Icky’ Beach
The H5N1 virus poses “a great unknown threat” to birds and humans alike. Understanding and thwarting it begins with excrement collection. (Source: NYT Health)
Source: NYT Health - June 4, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Emily Anthes Tags: your-feed-science Avian Influenza Research Birds Viruses St Jude Children ' s Research Hospital New Jersey your-feed-animals Source Type: news
Gene Changes Made This Season's Bird Flu More Severe
FRIDAY, June 2, 2023 -- Genetic mutations caused this latest bird flu season to become more severe, increasing the risk it poses to humans and other mammals, a new study finds.
The H5N1 avian influenza virus gained the ability to severely infect the... (Source: Drugs.com - Daily MedNews)
Source: Drugs.com - Daily MedNews - June 2, 2023 Category: General Medicine Source Type: news
Bird flu: Brazil declares animal health emergency after several cases found
The emergency declaration makes it easier for the government to now bring in measures to stop the highly infectious H5N1 virus from spreading. Authorities say the cases were found far away from Brazil's main areas of production in the south of the country. However, outbreaks in commercial flocks…#brazil #avian #h5n1 (Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - May 23, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
If bird flu starts to spread among people, existing vaccines may be inadequate, experts say
Wild birds and poultry flocks alike continue to drop dead from the highly pathogenic bird flu that began spreading globally in 2020. Almost 59 million commercial birds have already been culled in the United States. It’s the broadest outbreak of this type of avian flu, known as H5N1, since it was…#avian #vaccines #colorado #unitedkingdom #chile #ecuador #scotthensley #gregorypoland #sureshmittal #purdueuniversity (Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - May 21, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Bird flu could become the next human pandemic – and politicians aren't paying attention | Devi Sridhar
We have the tools to prepare, but post-Covid fatigue and a lack of political will mean they aren ’t being usedLast month a pet dog in Canada died of H5N1, also known as bird flu, after eating a wild goose. Worryingly this follows a pattern, with an increasing number of bird flu cases appearing in mammals who come into contact with an infected bird, dead or alive.When you see a wild bird such as a duck or seagull, think bird flu. Because it ’s actually more likely than not they’re infected with the virus. And many species of wild birds are asymptomatic, meaning that they don’t show any symptoms. The risk of transmis...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - May 16, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Devi Sridhar Tags: Bird flu Health policy Infectious diseases Birds Animals Environment Science Wildlife World news Source Type: news
More than 50,000 wild birds in UK killed by avian flu – double previous estimates
H5N1 bird flu may lead to extinction of species as data revealed by Guardian shows worst losses in decadesAvian flu has killed more than twice the number of wild birds previously estimated in the UK, according to data collected by the Guardian, with numbers likely to escalate during this year ’s breeding season.The highlyinfectious variant of H5N1 has caused Europe ’s worst bird flu outbreak, resulting in themost significant and sudden loss of birds in decades. Conservationists are warning that it could mean theextinction of some seabird species, as breeding colonies have been particularly badly hit.Continue reading......
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - May 5, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Phoebe Weston and Sophie Kevany Tags: Birds Bird flu Animals Environment Wildlife UK news Infectious diseases Veterinary medicine Veterinary science World news Conservation Northumberland Scotland Northern Ireland Wales RSPB Source Type: news
Irises of gannets that survive avian flu turn from blue to black, study finds
‘Fascinating’ discovery could prove a useful non-invasive diagnostic tool to apply to other species, say scientistsThe vivid blue irises of northern gannets turn black if they survive avian flu, according to a study which provides evidence that some wild birds are shaking off the deadly virus.Avian flu has killed wild and domestic birds for decades but the current strain (H5N1)severely affected seabird populations across the North Atlantic last year, with particularly high death rates among gannets.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - May 4, 2023 Category: Science Authors: Patrick Barkham Tags: Birds RSPB Bird flu Wildlife Animals Environment World news Biology Medical research Conservation Source Type: news
Avian influenza (influenza A H5N1): risk to human health
Risk assessments on the investigation into the risk to human health of avian influenza (influenza A H5N1) in England. (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - May 3, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
The ‘invented persona’ behind a key pandemic database
When Jeremy Kamil started to sequence samples of the rapidly spreading pandemic coronavirus in the spring of 2020, it was clear where he should deposit the genetic data: in
GISAID
, a long-running database for influenza genomes that had established itself as the go-to repository for SARS-CoV-2 as well.
Kamil, a virologist at Louisiana State University’s (LSU’s) Health Sciences Center Shreveport, says he quickly struck up a friendly relationship with a Steven Meyers, who used a gisaid.org email address. The two often exchanged emails and talked on the phone, sometimes for hours, about the pandemic and da...
Source: ScienceNOW - April 19, 2023 Category: Science Source Type: news
Sask. scientists developing vaccines to protect birds and humans from avian flu
Over the last year, the H5N1 strain of avian influenza has killed millions of birds across the country. It’s also recently been detected in some mammals, including a pet dog. That’s why scientists in Saskatchewan are trying to get ahead of the virus. (Source: CBC | Health)
Source: CBC | Health - April 10, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: News/Canada/Saskatchewan Source Type: news
