The opinions expressed herein are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Pacific NorthWest Border Health Alliance or it ‘s constituent jurisdictions.
September 27, 2011
Decade After Anthrax Attacks, Worry Over Stockpile
Ten years after the anthrax attacks brought home the reality of bioterrorism, the U.S. has a stockpile of some basic tools to fight back against a few of the threats that worry defense experts the most. But there’s wide concern that the nation’s arsenal hasn’t grown fast enough. A decade later, there are no treatments for a number of bugs on the worry list, and little to offer for other threats like a radiation emergency. Even a long-promised next-generation anthrax vaccine, that would be easier to produce, hasn’t arrived yet. Nor is there information on how to treat children. Federal health officials are working to jumpstart production of more countermeasures and they say that more than 80 candidates are in advanced
development. Over the past year, the goal has evolved into a push for more multiuse therapies, products that work not just for biodefense but for everyday health problems, too. That’s a major shift that should entice more big drug companies to the field, says Dr. Robin Robinson, who heads the federal Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA. It funds late-stage research of promising countermeasures.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=140817929
Beyond the Border: It’s time to retry the ‘third way’
Globe and Mail op-ed noting that 10 years after 9/11, one of its victims continues to be the permeability of the Canada-U.S. border. The “longest
undefended border” in the world is still “thickening.” Brian Flemming, a fellow at the Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute, comments on the declaration of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Barack Obama (February 2011) of a “shared vision for perimeter security and economic competitiveness” – also known as the Beyond the Border agreement – to try to unclog the border.
He suggests the political climate on both sides of the border is not ideal, and there are a number of potential risks that may seriously affect any deal with Canada. The consequences of failure will mean that Canada-U.S. trade, already in decline, will continue to diminish. That will also adversely affect Canada’s GDP, as it has done since 9/11.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/opinion/beyond-the-border-its-time-to-retry-the-third-way/article2180862/
Are Health Care Workers Who Decline Flu Shots Irresponsible?
Scientific American article noting that more than a third of U.S. health care employees were not vaccinated last flu season. Research shows that the unvaccinated staff are at risk of getting sick-and passing that infection on to at-risk patients.
Many of those in the health care field who opted not to get the shot did not think that the vaccine “was worth the time and expense” or that it
could “protect them and the persons around them from the disease,” according to a recent CDC report. About 40 percent of the health workers who did not get vaccinated said that they did not consider influenza a serious threat to the health of people around them—and about 55 percent said that they did not think the vaccine would protect those around them.
Unvaccinated health care staffers are second only to unvaccinated adults living with kids in their likelihood of coming down with the flu. About 18.7 percent of unvaccinated health workers versus 24 percent of unvaccinated adults with children in the home get the flu each year, according to Allison McGeer, a microbiologist and infectious disease consultant at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. McGeer notes that there is “no question in my mind, from a scientific point of view, that no one should be working in health care without being vaccinated.”
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=health-care-workers-flu-shot
Study finds traces Japanese radiation in U.S. rain and food
A recently published government study found that following the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in Japan, elevated levels of radiation were detected in U.S. rain water as well as vegetables and milk. The study, funded by the Department of Energy and DHS, analyzed rainwater from several cities in Northern California including Berkeley, Oakland, and Albany two weeks after the 11 March nuclear disaster.
The samples, collected from 16 March to 26 March, contained trace amounts of various radioactive isotopes including cesium, iodine, and tellurium. Researchers say the amounts were very small and did not pose a risk to public health. Traces of Japan radioactivity ‘in US rain’ September 22, 2011
Disaster preparedness saves lives - World Bank
The World Bank says Japan’s systematic and careful investments in seismic safety and tsunami preparedness over several decades saved countless lives during the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Speaking at the 5th International Conference on Flood Management (ICFM5), the World Bank’s Sector Director for Sustainable Development in East Asia and Pacific, John Roome, said Japan’s example shows country’s should invest in preparedness.
The World Bank/GFDRR (Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery), the European Union, and the Government of Japan have identified the following five specific actions to help make disaster risk reduction and resilience core development priorities:
1. Systematically integrate social, physical, environmental, and economic resilience to extreme events and climate change into all their development strategies and programs.
2. Prioritize global disaster and climatic risk hotspots, where building disaster resilience is most urgent.
3. Coordinate international action and financing based on country priorities to build national and local resilience in disaster hotspots.
4. Prioritize investments, which offer the highest value for money, namely, weather and climate information systems, strengthening early warning and emergency preparedness, linking these systems to triggers for early action, creating safety nets for vulnerable populations, utilizing disaster risk financing/insurance, promoting sustainable land management, protecting critical infrastructure and most importantly, strengthening national and local institutions.
5. Support rapid and resilient recovery by coordinating action in post-disaster situations, in order to link and streamline the transition from relief to reconstruction and development.
http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/disaster-preparedness-saves-lives-world-bank/5/102526
September 23, 2011
Cross-Border Agreements: Building Legal Bridges to Protect Public Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery
In the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Florida and other south eastern states pursued development of an interstate compact to authorize and implement cross-border assistance during emergencies. This effort culminated in Congressional authorization in 1996 of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). Beyond the south eastern states, there was relatively little interest in EMAC until September 11, 2001. Shortly thereafter, many states enacted EMAC legislation, and EMAC is now an agreement involving all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and the District of Columbia. This agreement makes EMAC the single largest legal “bridge” crossing state borders to protect public health and safety. It was most visibly used in the response to Hurricane Katrina as many states provided personnel, equipment and resources to distressed areas. EMAC provides policies and procedures when the governor of a state declares an emergency under EMAC and seeks the voluntary assistance of other states.
http://www.
Are Pigs Bringing the Flu to Your State? Researchers Map Influenza Spread by Hogs
For millions of U.S. pigs, their short lives are going to be full of travel. Born in one state, fattened and slaughtered in another, these hogs get around. And so, too, do their infections. As carriers—and fertile mixing grounds—for influenza A strains that could cause illness or even pandemic in humans, hogs are important subjects for flu researchers. But with such a massive industry across the U.S., scientists are only just starting to get a handle on this continual mingling of various stocks of hogs and viruses, Scientific American reports on research at the Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health is using animations to show how various strains of the flu travel across the U.S. to mingle in the major hog production centers in the Midwest, suggesting strategies to monitor for future pandemics.
http://www.scientificamerican.
Canada hasn’t done enough to protect against outbreaks: Panel
Eight years after the devastating BSE outbreak, troubling gaps remain in Canada’s efforts to prevent another such outbreak from threatening human health, a federally backed panel says. Canada has taken reasonably good steps to head off the dangers of diseases like BSE, but there remain shortcomings when it comes to funding, prioritizing outbreak threats and training, says the expert panel, which was set up by the Council of Canadian Academies.
http://www.torontosun.com/
Scores of illnesses in U.S. tied to bedbug insecticides
(Associated Press) Bedbugs don’t make you sick. But the poisons used to kill them can. A U.S. government study released Thursday found that dozens of Americans have fallen ill from the insecticides, and a North Carolina woman died after using 18 cans of chemical fogger to attack the tiny blood suckers. Because many of the cases, including the lone death, were do-it-yourselfers who misused the chemicals or applied the wrong product, federal health officials are warning consumers to be careful and urging them to call professionals. The report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention counted 80 illnesses and one death linked to the insecticides over three years. Most of the cases were in New York City, the apparent epicenter of a recent U.S. bedbug comeback. http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Health/20110923/bedbug-insecticides-illness-110923/
September 21, 2011
U.S. Flu Shot Policy Shields More Kids Than Canada’s Program, Study Finds
American youngsters are much less likely to come down with the flu than their northern neighbors due to a public health policy in the United States that calls for vaccinating 2-to 4-year olds, according to a Canadian-American research team.
The United States’ influenza vaccination policy for preschoolers was launched by the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in 2006. To date, its Canadian equivalent — the National Advisory Committee on Immunization — has not implemented a similar practice. The result: since the U.S. policy took effect, the percentage of preschoolers who were rushed to an American emergency room to be treated for the flu fell by 34 percent, relative to Canadian children. http://www.cmaj.ca/content/183/13/E1025
Erosion of privacy could be the cost of doing cross-border business
Editorial in the Edmonton Journal suggesting that compromises in privacy may be planned in order to meet the objectives, as announced last February by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Barack Obama: a joint declaration Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness. The declaration stated both countries intended to “pursue a perimeter approach to security” to “accelerate the legitimate flow of people, goods and services” and to do so in ways that would “support economic competitiveness, job creation, and prosperity.”
There was little public discussion of the ideas in the declaration at the time but in recent weeks there have been several supportive opinion pieces on the subject. For example, one former Canadian ambassador to the United States called it “the first, potentially major, bilateral initiative in
more than two decades.”
The article suggests that the protection of privacy is the subtly acknowledged elephant in the room in these discussions.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/opinion/Erosion+privacy+could+cost+doing+cross+border+business/5420520/story.html?cid=megadrop_story
FDA unveils new outbreak response network
Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration unveiled its new streamlined approach for responding to foodborne illness outbreaks. Under the “CORE” Network, the Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network, the FDA will bring together multidisciplinary teams consisting of epidemiologists, veterinarians, microbiologists, environmental health specialists, emergency coordinators, and risk communications specialists to address the challenges of foodborne disease outbreaks. These teams will be stationed at an outbreak prevention and response headquarters and work in conjunction with investigators in FDA field offices scattered across the country. In addition, CORE will closely coordinate its efforts with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as state public health and agriculture agencies. http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/fda-unveils-new-outbreak-response-network
September 15, 2011
Drug-resistant TB spreads in Europe
(CBC News) A resistant form of tuberculosis is spreading at an “alarming rate” in Europe, the World Health Organization says. The UN health agency said it is set to endorse an action plan to fight drug-resistant tuberculosis by diagnosing 85 per cent of all patients and treating at least three-quarters by the end of 2015. The bacterial infection destroys lung tissue, causing patients to cough up the bacteria that spreads through the air to others. Currently, about 32 per cent of patients with drug-resistant TB in Western Europe receive proper treatment such as taking the full course of medication to prevent the bacteria from developing resistance. http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2011/09/14/tuberculosis-drug-resistant-europe.html
New Brunswick considers ending free flu shots
(Canadian Press) The New Brunswick government may stop paying for seasonal flu shots as a way to save money, but the Opposition Liberals say it would cost more in the long run. The province is seeking input on a proposal to eliminate free flu shots for pregnant women, people aged 18 to 64 with chronic illness and others with close contact to those people, and parents of children under the age of six. The province also wants to eliminate payment for non-surgical treatment of skin lesions. Tracey Burkhardt, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health, says delisting the two items could save the province about $1 million a year. http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Health/20110914/new-brunswick-flushots-110914/
U.S.-Canada Relations
Globe and Mail reports that the U.S. and Canadian negotiators have successfully concluded talks on a new deal to integrate continental security and erase obstacles to cross-border trade. Negotiators have reached agreement on almost all of the three dozen separate initiatives in the Beyond the Border action plan, said sources who cannot be named because they are not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. The few remaining items mostly involve questions of wording and should be settled in time for an announcement in late September. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/us-canada-reach-new-security-deal/article2160465/
September 13, 2011
‘Substantive issues’ blocking new border deal: Toews
Dismissing a recent published report that Beyond the Border talks are nearing an end, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said Sunday there are “substantive issues” that must be resolved before the Canada-U.S. border security deal can be signed. Beyond the Border is a 32-item joint U.S.-Canada proposal aimed at easing border congestion and improving security after borders were tightened in the wake of the 9-11 terror attacks a decade ago. http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20110911/beyond-border-deal-us-canada-issues-remain-110911/
Seeking More Effective Management Strategies for the Spread of Infectious Diseases Affecting Plants, Domestic Animals and Humans
Preliminary research on Fusarium, a group of fungi that includes devastating pathogens of plants and animals, demonstrates how these microbes travel through the air. Researchers now believe that with improvements on this preliminary research, there will be a better understanding about crop security, disease spread, and climate change.
Using initial studies on the efficient movement and subsequent atmospheric dispersal of these microbes, authors Ross and Schmale are now funded to use autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to collect new samples of Fusarium in the lower atmosphere. They believe their work, combining the study of biology with engineering dynamics, will allow the prediction of atmospheric transport barriers that might govern the motion of Fusariumbetween habitats.
Preliminary work using more than 100 airborne samples of Fusarium obtained using UAVs suggests that specific atmospheric structures play a role in determining atmospheric concentrations of Fusarium,” Ross said. This work was published on line Sept. 9, 2011 in the American Institute of Physics’ journal Chaos. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/234229.php
In a Moment’s Notice: Surge Capacity in Terrorist Bombings
Explosive devices and high-velocity firearms are the most common weapons used by terrorists. The morbidity and mortality inflicted in two European capitals, Madrid, Spain, and London, England, in 2004 and 2005 respectively, demonstrates the impact of detonating explosives in densely populated civilian areas. Explosions can produce instantaneous havoc, resulting in numerous casualties with complex, technically challenging injuries not commonly seen after natural disasters. To address the challenges posed by such an event, the CDC’s Injury Center
http://emergency.cdc.gov/masscasualties/pdf/CDC_Surge-508.pdf
September 2, 2011
The Deadliest Disease Outbreaks Visualized
Created in a collaboration between GOOD and Column Five media, this graphic details the ten deadliest pandemics both past and present, with a key explaining normal symptoms, estimated death tolls and the years they ravaged the world. If that sounds bleak, just make sure you notice how many of these global crisis’ have been cured in just the last century. What cures will the future hold? http://www.visualnews.com/2011/08/24/the-deadliest-disease-outbreaks-visualized/?view=infographic
Authority in radiation oncology leads U.S. response plan to nuclear event
In the Washington Post, a series profiling government workers who are finalists for the 2011 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America, there is an article on HHS ASPR’s C. Norman Coleman (expert in terrorism and cancer) and how he has applied the science of radiation affects the human body to lead the effort to develop a blueprint for how the United States would handle the health consequences of a radiological or nuclear event.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/authority-in-radiation-oncology-leads-us-response-plan-to-nuclear-event/2011/08/18/gIQAKZ7ksJ_story.html
Disaster response increasingly linked to social media
Social and mobile technology are increasingly important during ongoing disasters, according to a new survey (.pdf) from the Red Cross. Eighty percent of the general public say national emergency response organizations should regularly monitor websites, and social media in order to respond to emergencies. http://www.fiercegovernmentit.com/story/disaster-response-increasingly-linked-social-media/2011-08-31#ixzz1Wk4M8Xkb
Natural Human Mobility Patterns and Spatial Spread of Infectious Diseases
In a globalized world, infectious diseases such as SARS, swine flu or seasonal influenza can be transmitted over the entire planet by travellers. To enable a more effective response to this threat, scientists are trying to predict the propagation pathways and speed of such pandemics. A study in the first issue of the American Physical Society new journal, Physical Review X, confirms that earlier models had significantly overestimated the speed with which diseases are propagated. The previously known criteria for a global outbreak also had to be broadened. The new study
was selected by the. http://prx.aps.org/abstract/PRX/v1/i1/e011001
9/11 and Anthrax Attacks 10-Year Anniversary Report: Firsthand Stories from Public Health Responders
Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) have released a new report, Remembering 9/11 and Anthrax: Public Health’s Vital Role in National Defense, featuring more than 30 firsthand, on-the-ground accounts of public health professionals who were directly involved in the response to the September 11, 2001 and anthrax tragedies. http://www.healthyamericans.org/newsroom/releases/?releaseid=243
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird releases two reports summarizing consultations on the Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness
The reports summarize public input received on two important issues: regulatory cooperation between the two countries and security and trade across the shared border.
August 10, 2011
Public Response to an Anthrax Attack: Reactions to Mass Prophylaxis in a Scenario Involving Inhalation Anthrax from an Unidentified Source
An attack with Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) is a known threat to the United States. If weaponized, it can cause inhalation anthrax, the deadliest form of the disease. Due to the rapid course of inhalation anthrax, delays in initiation of antibiotics may decrease survival chances. Because a rapid response would require cooperation from the public, there is a need to understand the public’s response to possible mass dispensing programs. A study publiched in Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and Science examined the public’s response to a mass prophylaxis program. A poll was used describing a “worst-case scenario” in which cases of inhalation anthrax are discovered without an identified source and the entire population of a city or town is asked to receive antibiotic prophylaxis within a 48-hour period. Findings from this poll provide important signs of public willingness to comply with public health recommendations for obtaining antibiotics from a dispensing site, although they also indicate that public health officials may face several challenges to compliance, including misinformation about the contagiousness of inhalation anthrax; fears about personal safety in crowds; distrust of government agencies to provide sufficient, safe, and effective medicine; and hesitation about ingesting antibiotic pills after receiving them.
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/bsp.2011.0005
August 9, 2011
Japan Held Nuclear Data, Leaving Evacuees in Peril
An in-depth New York Times front page article noting that the day after a giant tsunami set off the continuing disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, thousands of residents at the nearby town of Namie gathered to evacuate. With no guidance from Tokyo, town officials led the residents north, believing that winter winds would be blowing south and carrying away any radioactive emissions. The winds, in fact, had been blowing directly toward Tsushima — and town officials would learn two months later that a government computer system designed to predict the spread of radioactive releases had been showing just that.
The article notes that the forecasts were left unpublicized by bureaucrats in Tokyo, operating in a culture that sought to avoid responsibility and, above all, criticism. Japan’s political leaders at first did not know about the system and later played down the data, apparently fearful of having to significantly enlarge the evacuation zone — and acknowledge the accident’s severity.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/09/world/asia/09japan.html?_r=1&hp
Study puts global 2009 H1N1 infection rate at 11% to 21%
Researchers who combed through scores of serologic studies estimate that the global cumulative incidence of pandemic H1N1 influenza infection before vaccines became available was probably below 20%, far lower than the 50% that pandemic planners had
envisioned as a possible worst case.
They came up with an overall estimate of 11% to 21%, according to their report in PLoS One. But in line with previous studies, the incidence differed widely by age-group, ranging from 34% to 43% in school-age children and dropping to only about 3% in older adults.
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/swineflu/news/aug0811serologic.html
August 8, 2011
“Ethics of Vaccination Programs” Paper Published
The journal Current Opinion in Virology recently published a paper titled “Ethics of Vaccination Programs” by Jason L. Schwartz and Arthur Caplan of the Penn Center for Bioethics. This review article examines recent developments in vaccine ethics and policy, with particular attention given to the 2009-10 H1N1 influenza pandemic, disease eradication efforts, and vaccine risk controversies. These cases present ethical challenges for public health policy-makers, scientists, physicians, and other stakeholders in their efforts to improve the health of individuals, communities, and nations through vaccination. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1879625711000149
Food Safety In The 21st Century
Review article in the Huffington Post, suggesting the recent food outbreak in Europe is similar to a science fiction story: A microscopic killer that shuts down the food supply, cripples a nation’s exports, and leaves scores of people dead and thousands more ill. Such an event would seem unthinkable in the modern world of advanced agriculture and medical practice. But it did unfortunately occur several months ago as a result of an outbreak in Germany caused by a deadly,
rare strain of E. coli bacteria that sickened more than 4,000 people and killed more than 50. The paper suggests this incident highlights the fact that agriculture in the 21st century involves industrial-sized farms and corporations harvesting their products from all corners of the earth, and selling them across the globe, crossing national borders. This makes the issue of food safety much more complex. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-blumenthal/food-safety_b_918282.html
August 2, 2011
Guidance on the release of information concerning deaths, epidemics or emerging diseases
Public health officials and journalists now have guidance on what information should be made public when someone dies or falls ill during a public health emergency. A new document “Guidance on the release of information concerning deaths, epidemics or emerging diseases” – developed by leaders in public health and health-care journalism – provides a framework for releasing such information as the age and location of private individuals who have been affected by an epidemic or other public-health event.
These nonbinding recommendations, “Guidance on the release of information concerning deaths, epidemics or emerging diseases,” are meant to help public health officials balance the need to keep the public informed with requirements to maintain individuals’ privacy.
http://www.healthjournalism.org/about-news-detail.php?id=124
New tools offer disaster preparedness information
FEMA’s Ready Campaign in partnership with Citizen Corps and the Ad Council announced on July 25, the launch of new web tools that will make it easier for those individuals and organizations
throughout the United States to join in the 2011 National Preparedness Month (NPA) coalition and pledge support towards helping their families, businesses and the community in which they live become prepared for emergencies of all types. The slogan for this years eighth annual NPM, will be “A Time to Remember, A Time to Prepare,” and will be held in September.
http://www.dddnews.com/story/1749111.html
In the Eye
Canada’s Occupational Health and Safety magazine, noting that while Canada has escaped disasters the magnitude of which recently rocked Japan, it cannot be assumed the world’s second largest country is immune to Mother Nature’s wrath. The British Columbia and Yukon Territory coastlines abut the Ring of Fire, a ribbon characterized by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the basin of the Pacific Ocean; hurricanes regularly hammer Atlantic Canada; and the newness of
spring often brings the age-old threat of flooding to the Prairies. It quotes Glenn McGillivray, managing director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) where he questions Ottawa’s ability to provide support services to provincial and local response teams in the event of an emergency.”We’re very concerned that the response is going to be kind of ad hoc,” he says.
http://www.ohscanada.com/news/in-the-eye/1000532977/
July 28, 2011
HHS Official Warns of Biodefense Vulnerabilities
A senior Obama administration biodefense official on Thursday told House lawmakers that the United States does not yet have all the medical countermeasures it might need to respond to an act of biological terrorism. Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Nicole Lurie spoke during a subcommittee hearing on reauthorization of the 2006 Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act. Lurie recommended that a nongovernmental investment fund be formed that would deliver money to private firms researching medicines that would be used in the event of a naturally occurring epidemic or bioterror incident. She also noted that the US government’s efforts to promote the development of new medical countermeasures (MCMs) against biological and other unconventional weapons are making headway, with more than 70 products now in development, a top Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) official told a House committee recently.
http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20110725_8338.php
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/bt/bioprep/news/jul2611hearing.html
hearing page: http://energycommerce.house.gov/hearings/hearingdetail.aspx?NewsID=8813
Social Media Poised To Drive Disaster Preparedness and Response
Social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare may be an important key to improving the public health system’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters, according to a New England Journal of Medicine “Perspective” article. From earthquakes to oil spills or other industrial accidents to weather-related events like heat waves and flooding, the authors suggest that harnessing crowd-sourcing technologies and electronic communications tools will set the stage to handle emergencies in a quicker, more coordinated, effective way.
Noting that more than 40 million Americans use social media Web sites multiple times a day, the researchers suggest that social media enables an unprecedented, two-way exchange between the public and public health professionals.
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1103591
Time to mandate influenza vaccination in health-care workers
Ethicist Arthur Caplan, writing in the Lancet, asks why it is that health-care workers around the world are so hard to vaccinate against influenza or other communicable diseases. Rates of influenza vaccination in health-care workers have averaged well under 50% for the past decade in many hospitals and long-term care facilities in the USA and in other nations. His position is that unless a valid medical reason exists to not vaccinate, the best interests of the patient trumps personal choice in the hierarchy of self-imposed professional values. He goes further and argues
that it also requires that those who run health-care institutions and programmes act on and implement that principle in the form of making vaccination against influenza a mandatory condition of employment or volunteering.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(11)61156-2/fulltext
Paralyzing infection sickens 24 on U.S.-Mexico border
A rare condition that can cause paralysis has sickened two dozen people in a small area straddling the Arizona-Mexico border, authorities said on Tuesday, The Arizona Department of Health Services reported a cluster of 24 cases of the rare Guillain-Barre Syndrome in Yuma County in far western Arizona and neighboring San Luis Rio Colorado, in Mexico’s northern Sonora state. Of the two dozen cases so far reported, 17 were diagnosed in Mexico, and seven in Arizona.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/27/us-arizona-mexico-paralysis-idUSTRE76P7D620110727
July 18, 2011
U.S. ambassador says perimeter security deal with Canada will respect privacy
Ongoing work on a North American perimeter security deal will respect concerns over privacy and sovereignty, the U.S. ambassador to Canada said last Tuesday. During a speech before a Halifax business audience, David Jacobson responded to concerns raised Monday about a declaration on border security issued by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama. Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart said Canada shouldn’t forget its own standards during talks with the U.S. on a security pact expected to involve more sharing of sensitive data. Jacobson said neither country would be asked to abandon its own rules and there will be no infringement on the sovereignty of either Canada or the U.S. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/breakingnews/125435058.html
Pandemic Evidence-based Decision-making Explored in New Study
A study of the 2009 flu pandemic looks at defining the needs for surveillance in terms of the key decisions that must be made in response to a pandemic. In other words, how large a response to mount and which control measures to implement, for whom, and when.
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/bsp.2011.0007
‘Encyclopedia of Bioterrorism Defense,’ 2nd edition
Apart from the dark shadow of a mushroom cloud rising above a decimated city there are few threats which have captured the public imagination more than the prospect of bioterrorism. Yet, ten years since the declaration of the ‘war on terror’ how much of a threat do bioterrorist attacks represent and how prepared are we to defend ourselves? In the Encyclopedia of Bioterrorism Defense, 2nd Edition Dr Rebecca Katz and Dr Raymond Zilinskas present a unique and comprehensive guide to bioterrorism, a groundbreaking survey of science, medicine, technology, politics and law. After exploring diseases such as anthrax, plague and small pox the Encyclopedia of Bioterrorism Defense, 2nd
Edition offers analysis of detection mechanisms, the clinical presentation of disease, risk assessments and past incidents of bioterrorism.
http://www.firstscience.com/home/news/biology/encyclopedia-of-bioterrorism-defense-2nd-edition_109613.html
ASPR Strategic Plan 2011-2015
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has released a trategic plan as the guiding document for the organization, defining its vision, mission, goals, and the strategies it will use to achieve its goals over the next five years. ASPR is publishing its strategic plan online and will update it periodically to reflect actions, measures, and progress toward its goals, reinforcing the plan’s function as a living document that serves a genuine management purpose. http://www.phe.gov/about/aspr/strategic-plan/Pages/default.aspx
July 4, 2011
Deal to smooth U.S.-Canada border woes inches closer to reality
Canada and the United States are closing in on a deal to allow vital workers to move easily from one country to the other, a key step in a series of agreements designed to ease border congestion. “While there’s a ways to go, we really have made some progress over the last few months” on the issue of temporary workers, American Ambassador David Jacobson told a gathering of Canadian business executives and American trade officials who met last week to discuss border issues. An action plan from the negotiating teams is expected by September.
Flooding prairies create perfect home for mosquitoes
(Canadian Press) Unprecedented flooding in parts of the Prairies has created the optimal habitat for mosquitoes, including those likely to carry West Nile virus. Health officials say flooding, especially in southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, has left a lot of shallow, standing water for mosquitoes to call home. Saskatchewan entomologist Phil Curry says it can be tough to treat all the water areas before mosquitoes emerge. Dr. Gerry Predy, Alberta’s senior medical officer of health, says there have been very few confirmed West Nile cases in the last few summers. But Predy says people need to remain vigilant about protecting themselves.
Summer bed bug alert: how to protect yourself
(Forbes.com) If you’re worried about encountering bed bugs this summer, or — poor you — you’re already coping with them, you’re in good company. One in five Americans has had bed bugs or knows someone who has, and 80 per cent are afraid of encountering them in hotels, according to a survey by the National Pest Management Association. And for once, a public health panic is reasonably well-founded; bed bugs are indeed turning up in hot spots all over the country, with new infestations in major cities hitting the news with regularity.
Source: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Health/20110630/bed-bug-protection-travel-tips-110703/
New system forecasts next 90 years of global health
(CTV News) A new forecasting model with the ability to predict long-range health scenarios suggests a 70 per cent reduction in global deaths from infectious diseases by 2060, despite a significant growth in population. According to research published Friday in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, the new forecasting model can provide data on a wide selection of long-range health questions. Will increased car ownership mean more deaths on the road, despite safer vehicles? How will increased smoking habits in developing countries affect the health of children? These are the kinds of questions scientists and health-professionals can now research, according to the paper. “The global health community needs long-term integrated forecasts to help set priorities and measure achievements,” co-author Randall Kuhn, from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, said in a press release.
Source: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Health/20110701/health-model-future-110701/
June 24, 2011
The United States is experiencing the highest reported number of measles cases since 1996, most of which were acquired during international travel, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in an advisory sent to healthcare professionals. From January 1 through June 17 this year, 156 confirmed cases of measles were reported to the CDC. Most cases (136) were associated with importations from measles-endemic countries or countries in which large outbreaks are occurring. The imported cases involved unvaccinated US residents who recently traveled abroad, unvaccinated visitors to the United States, and people linked to these imported cases.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/745167?sssdmh=dm1.697788&src=nldne
Railroads shouldn’t be mysterious entities in an emergency, yet local emergency response plans often don’t cover them to a necessary extent. The railroad poses all the threats and liabilities of a major highway system, with one exception: A rail disaster is usually monumental and frequently becomes a multijurisdictional event. http://www.emergencymgmt.com/disaster/Why-Emergency-Response-Plans-Include-Railroad.html
In this week’s PLoS Medicine, an analysis of a community cohort study from the 2009 (H1N1) influenza pandemic in Hong Kong, finding that more children than adults were infected with H1N1, but children were less likely to progress to severe disease than adults. The authors recommend that revised pandemic preparedness plans should include prospective serological cohort studies, such as this one, in order to be able to estimate rates of severe disease per infection. http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1000442
At a time when nearly two-thirds of the fruits and vegetables, more than three-quarters of the seafood and 80% of the active ingredients in drugs consumed in the United States come from overseas, the Food and Drug Administration is looking to do some radical outsourcing to ensure their safety. USA TODAY http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/safety/story/2011/06/FDA-aims-to-increase-safety-of-imports/48664844/1
June 19, 2011
Senators to introduce legislation to extend BARDA by five years
Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Connecticut) and Representative Mike Rogers (R-Michigan) recently announced their intent to introduce legislation that would extend the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority for the next five years. Congress initiated BARDA in 2006 to support the development of medical countermeasures in response to a potential bioterrorist attack or public health emergency. A $6 billion fund was simultaneously established to stockpile vaccines and other medicine.
Highlights from the upcoming legislation:
► 5-year extension on BARDA with a secure revenue stream
► A mandate for a national biodefense strategy
► Provisions for law enforcement WMD and NBC training
Lieberman said that more oversight is needed for labs that work with potentially dangerous bioagents. While the Department of Health and Human Services currently sets security standards for these facilities, Lieberman said that the Department of Homeland Security should also
be involved. http://bioprepwatch.com/news/249561-senators-to-introduce-legislation-to-extend-barda-by-five-years
http://www.securitymanagement.com/news/upcoming-legislation-would-increase-biothreat-readiness-008639
CDC director worries about impact of budget cuts
Thomas R. Frieden, is the director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In an interview he was asked about key CDC priorities and what is the biggest challenge facing the CDC today. CDC’s budget was cut by $740 million between fiscal ’10 and fiscal ’11. That’s an 11 percent reduction and the lowest budget authority CDC has had since fiscal 2003.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/cdc-director-worries-about-impact-of-budget-cuts/2011/06/15/AGOVAqXH_story.html
UK Government boosts support for a more effective response to humanitarian crises
Following a comprehensive review of its humanitarian response to natural disasters and armed conflicts, the Government of the United Kingdom has announced a series of steps to strengthen emergency-aid efforts worldwide. The independent appraisal, known as the Humanitarian Emergency Response Review, suggested a range of specific reforms. Among them was an emphasis on providing more predictable funding to the UK’s humanitarian partners, better enabling them to respond to crises – especially in the critical early stages of a disaster or conflict.
To that end, the UK Department for International Development will increase support for UN agencies and non-governmental organizations that have demonstrated the greatest value for money in their relief operations. http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/uk_58951.html
Study Finds Two-Seat ‘Hot Zone’ for Flu Spread on Planes
During the H1N1 flu pandemic of 2009, some people stopped flying out of fear of catching the virus while in the close quarters of an airplane cabin, but a new study shows that the “danger zone” for flu transmission is just a two-seat circumference around where you are sitting, according to research published in the July issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Scientists tracked illnesses among passengers on two long flights to Australia in May 2009, where several passengers were known to be infected with H1N1. Passengers were surveyed three months after arrival about any flu-like symptoms. Two percent of passengers had a flu-like illness during flight, and 5 percent (32) developed such an illness the week after they arrived at their destination.
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/managing-your-healthcare/infectious-diseases/articles/2011/06/15/study-finds-two-seat-hot-zone-for-flu-spread-on-planes
June 15, 2011
U.S. ambassador talks border issues
Finding that balance between security and free passage was the subject of a symposium held last Friday in Surrey. Stakeholders from both sides of the border, including Premier Christy Clark and U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Jacobson, sat down together to examine the problem and find solutions. The same process is going on across the continent. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Barak Obama met to begin the bilateral discussions at the highest level, to set out where both countries want to be in terms of border security and the passage of goods and people between our two nations. Jacobson said both countries have to find ways to share more information more quickly, as well. Jacobson said sharing information between the two countries will not represent a threat to Canadian sovereignty. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/inside-our-own-labs-the-threat-of-another-anthrax-attack/2011/06/06/AGNcdHPH_story.html
Official: Funding cuts could spread disease
Reducing border health funding in the name of deficit reduction could create a breeding ground for drug-resistant diseases and other illnesses that spread quickly through the United States and Mexico, said experts attending a binational health conference that opened Tuesday in El Paso.
If that happens, the cost will be significant, in both money and lives, said Rear Adm. Ali S. Khan, an assistant surgeon general and director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response. Khan is the keynote speaker at the three-day United States-Mexico Border Binational Infectious Disease Conference, which is for health-care professionals.
Cuts in federal funding include about a 50 percent reduction in funding for the Early Warning Infectious Disease Program, which started in 2003 and has had about $5 million each year to support local, state and international programs that assess disease detection activities and laboratory capacity on both sides of the border as well as improve electronic sharing of laboratory information.
http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_18226833?source=most_emailed
Foodborne Illness Acquired in the United States
Published in Emerging Infectious Diseases. (2011;17(1):7-15) the authors suggest estimates of foodborne illness can be used to direct food safety policy and interventions. They estimate that each year 31 major pathogens acquired in the United States caused 9.4 million episodes of foodborne illness, 55,961 hospitalizations and 1,351 deaths. Most (58%) illnesses were caused by norovirus, followed by nontyphoidal Salmonella spp. (11%), Clostridium perfringens (10%), and Campylobacter spp. (9%). Leading causes of hospitalization were nontyphoidal Salmonella spp. (35%), norovirus (26%), Campylobacter spp. (15%), and Toxoplasma gondii (8%). Leading causes of death were nontyphoidal Salmonella spp. (28%), T. gondii (24%), Listeria monocytogenes (19%), and norovirus (11%).
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/743676?src=mp&spon=42
June 10, 2011
How Social Media Is Changing Disaster Response
Time article noting that while conventional telephone lines often go down or become overwhelmed during a disaster, Internet connections often remain active and usable. With that in mind, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security and Federal communications Commission (FCC) have all implemented social strategies into their emergency-management plans. In April, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it would revise its
terrorism-advisory system, including a provision that alerts would be sent out
over social networks. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2076195,00.html
Health and Human Services toolkit of public health emergency text messages now available
A new toolkit of prepared cell phone text messages advising people how to protect their health after a disaster is available now through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Cell phone usage and texting is widespread in the United States and many communities have text alert systems for emergency notification. During a disaster, the state or local agency can download and distribute the new public health messages using their existing cell-phone emergency message distribution systems. Community residents should contact their local emergency management agency to learn whether text message alerts are available in their community and to register if available.
Messages are limited to 115 characters or fewer including spaces. Emergency responders can use the
messages as they are or tailor the messages based on specific local needs. The toolkit currently features text messages relevant to hurricanes, floods and earthquakes. These messages support state and local emergency managers in disaster response and are available online at http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/psa
Post Pandemic Flu Shots Hit All-Time High
More people in the U.S. got a seasonal flu shot in 2010-2011 than ever before, according to estimates of vaccine coverage from the CDC. Interim data — with information missing from seven states — showed that 42.8% of the population ages 6 months and older got vaccinated, the agency reported in the June 10 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6022a3.htm?s_cid=mm6022a3_e&source=govdelivery
Quebec measles outbreak could spread, warns expert
Canadian health officials are warning that with more than 250 people in Quebec infected by measles, the outbreak could start spreading to the rest of the country too. There have been 208 cases of measles reported in Quebec since May 1 and a total of 254 since the beginning of the year. That’s a huge number, considering that there are typically only 11 cases a year in all of Canada, says the Public Health Agency of Canada. This is now the largest measles outbreak in Canada since measles was essentially eradicated from Canada in the mid-1990s. http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110608/measles-quebec-canada-110609/20110609/?hub=MontrealHome
June 6, 2011
Interpol Tackles WMD Terrorism
The Diplomat journal reports that delegates from over 50 countries travelled to Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France last month to attend a two-day conference that highlighted the sustained threat of WMD terrorism. Since 2000, Interpol has been headed by American RonaldNoble, who has channelled the organization’s efforts more toward combating the threat of terrorism rather than its traditional emphasis on issues such as drug trafficking, people smuggling and war crimes.
Interpol currently has a task force unit aimed at preventing radiological and nuclear terrorism, but it has decided to expand its mandate in order to address the issue of biological, chemical and explosive threats. This shift demonstrates that the world’s premier policing body has refocused its strategic resources. Interpol’s decision falls in line with recommendations previously made by the 1540 Committee, which is in charge of monitoring the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1540, which aims to prevent terrorists from acquiring and using WMD and related materials. It also falls in line with President Barack Obama’s WMD threat reduction goals, which have been erroneously interpreted by some as being narrowly focused on nuclear security.
http://the-diplomat.com/flashpoints-blog/2011/06/01/interpol-tackles-wmd-terrorism/
Canada’s Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, on Canada-U.S. relations and the
border initiative
Published interview with the Prime Minister. On the border intiative
Harper is quoted “We’re pushing ahead on that fairly aggressively. The goal is
very clear: to work hand in glove to keep continental security, two countries
secure, while facilitating expanding trade between our two countries. That’s
the objective. I think the Obama administration pretty clearly shares this
objective, and I’m very optimistic if we keep our pedal on the gas on both this
and on the regulatory co-operation front, we can make some, you know,
significant game-changing progress here.”
http://www.canada.com/news/Stephen+Harper+talks+Quebec+border+security+Supreme+Court+Libya/4891116/story.html#ixzz1OQRrD1hq
U.S. Calls Antibiotics Wrong Step on E. Coli
NY Times reports that of particular concern to officials in the United States
have been reports that the European outbreak involves bacteria resistant to
antibiotics — not because such reports suggest a particularly dangerous bug,
but because they suggest that the Europeans are not looking in the right
direction to fight the outbreak. The accepted medical wisdom in the
United States is that E. coli infections should not be treated with antibiotics
at all, even if the strain is vulnerable to the drugs. And when a strain shows
signs of resistance, treatment with the drugs is a particularly bad idea, said
Dr. Phillip Tarr, a professor of pediatrics at Washington University.
On both sides of the Atlantic, doctors agree: patients who suffer bloody
diarrhea should be admitted to a hospital and isolated from others because
their diarrhea can infect others — a surprisingly common mode of transmission.
Toxic E. coli bacteria cause illness by releasing a toxin in the gut that is
absorbed into the bloodstream and injures tiny blood vessels throughout the
body. The body responds with clots that clog those vessels. The kidneys,
replete with tiny blood vessels, are particularly vulnerable to such clogging
and may slow or shut down entirely during a toxic attack, a life-threatening
complication. But the Americans point
to studies that show that antibiotics increase the chances of kidney failure
while doing little to shorten the duration of infection. Instead of
antibiotics, the best treatment is intravenous fluids, which help to keep the
kidneys functioning, Dr. Tarr said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/03/health/03treatment.html?_r=1&ref=health
June 3, 2001
U.S. replaces food pyramid with ‘My Plate’ symbol
(Associated Press) There’s a new U.S. symbol for healthful eating: The Agriculture Department unveiled “My Plate” on Thursday, abandoning the food pyramid that had guided many Americans but merely confused others. The new guide is divided into four slightly different-sized quadrants, with fruits and vegetables taking up half the space and grains and protein
making up the other half. The vegetables and grains portions are the largest of the four. Gone are the old pyramid’s references to sugars, fats or oils. What was once a category called “meat and beans” is now simply “proteins,” making way for seafood and vegetarian options like tofu. Next to the plate is a blue circle for dairy, which could be a glass of milk or a food such as cheese or yogurt. http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Health/20110602/food-plate-pyramid-110602/
Canadian inspectors testing produce from Europe
(Canadian Press) Food inspectors will step up their border and surveillance controls for cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes from European countries affected by an E. coli outbreak, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Thursday. The “super-toxic” bug has sickened at least 1,600 people, mainly in Germany, and killed at least 18 people, according to global health officials. It’s a particularly nasty strain of E. coli that has caused kidney problems for about 500 of the patients. Women appear to be harder hit compared to past E. coli outbreaks in which kids and elderly people have tended to be more affected. “Incoming shipments from the European Union will be identified and the CFIA will intensify sampling and testing these products for the presence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, the E. coli strain linked to the outbreak in Europe,” the agency said in an email response to questions. http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Health/20110603/canada-eurole-vegetables-coli-110603/
May 31, 2011
Flu Vaccines Will Be Enough For Half The Population - So Who Should Get Them?
A Medical News Today editorial noting that while the CDC is advising everyone to get a flu shot, vaccine makers say this is not necessarily true - some people may not need a repeat shot. Whoever is right, even with record production for this coming fall, only half the US population will be able to get vaccinated, as vaccine makers said they plan to produce from 166 to 173 million flu vaccine doses for the coming influenza season, surpassing the previous record by 6 million. Americans are taking flu shots in ever growing numbers; over the last ten months over 40% of the population has been vaccinated, compared to 30% in previous years.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/226795.php
Report questions official Haiti quake death toll
Far fewer people died or were left homeless by last year’s devastating earthquake than claimed by Haitian leaders, a report commissioned by the U.S. government has concluded -challenging a central premise behind a multibillion-dollar aid and reconstruction effort. The report, a copy of which was obtained Monday by The Associated Press, estimates that the death toll was between 46,000 and 85,000, far below the Haitian government’s official figure of 316,000. The report was prepared for the U.S. Agency for International Development but has not yet been publicly released. The report has inconsistencies, however, and won’t be released publicly until they are resolved, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Preeti Shah told the AP.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CB_HAITI_EARTHQUAKE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Canadian infected with bug made drug-resistant by NDM-1
The enzyme associated with multiple antibiotic resistance in common bacteria, New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1), has for the first time been detected in a patient in Canada who had not recently travelled to India. This finding suggests that bacteria with NDM-1 are now spreading from person to person in Canada, say the authors. Better screening tests are needed to detect these organisms and ensure early adoption of appropriate measures of infection control. The patient’s case is described by infectious diseases experts in the latest issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
http://winnipeg.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110530/ndm-1-superbug-bacteria-infection-110530/20110530/?hub=WinnipegHome
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/abstract/cmaj.110477v1?ijkey=32f5b13548fd8b650ea7d75eeb05319aa62dbdab&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha
Victims need more help from Ottawa, Layton says
Federal opposition leader Jack Layton is blasting Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government for not doing enough to help Quebec’s flood victims. A statement from the Canadian Forces indicates it has maintained a constant presence in the Montérégie since May 4, when their personnel and equipment arrived there within eight hours of receiving a request from Quebec to assist with rising floodwaters.
Within 24 hours of the provincial request, about 500 personnel were providing flood mitigation support to local authorities. At the height of this relief effort, the Canadian Forces had over 840 personnel involved in this mission, the statement said.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Victims+need+more+help+from+Ottawa+Layton+says/4860065/story.html
Cyber Combat: Act of War: Pentagon Sets Stage for U.S. to Respond to Computer Sabotage With Military Force
The Pentagon has concluded that computer sabotage coming from another country can constitute an act of war, a finding that for the first time opens the door for the U.S. to respond using traditional military force. The Wall Street Journal has the exclusive story of the Pentagon classifying cyber attacks by foreign nations as acts of war.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304563104576355623135782718.html#ixzz1NwU5g3th
