August 30, 2016
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Emerging Pathogens and Health Security: Improving Public Health & Health Care to Address Increasing Globalization of Emerging Infectious Disease Threats
A special feature in Health Security will be devoted to analysis of systems and strategies to identify and respond to emerging infectious disease threats, both nationally and internationally. The Journal seeks papers that address the wide range of policy, practice, and research issues relevant to analysis and enhancement of such strategies and systems. Additionally, narrative or conceptual reviews of specific microbes or classes of microbes will be sought.
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Public Health & Healthcare Preparedness
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FUNDING OPPORTUNITY Enhance, Manage and Promote the Medical Reserve Corps Training Finder Real-Time Integrated Network. Evaluation and Performance Measurement Applicants must identify at least 2 activities to achieve each of the following objectives. Objective 1: Provide access to quality training by extending the subscription of MRC-TRAIN for five additional years. Objective 2: Expand the use of MRC-TRAIN by identifying additional courses available to MRC learners, linking those courses to the MRC Core Competencies, and increasing course provider outreach in order to promote greater use and adoption of these standards. (Grants.gov, 8/26/16)
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FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NLM Grants for Scholarly Works in Biomedicine and Health. NLM Grants for Scholarly Works in Biomedicine and Health are awarded for the preparation of book-length manuscripts and other works of academic and/or public health policy value to US health professionals, public health officials, biomedical researchers and historians of the health sciences. (Grants.gov, 8/26/16)
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REPORT Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report. Often called "the voice of CDC," the MMWR series is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. (CDC, 8/26/16)
- Guillain-Barr� Syndrome During Ongoing Zika Virus Transmission - Puerto Rico, January 1-July 31, 2016
- Likely Sexual Transmission of Zika Virus from a Man with No Symptoms of Infection - Maryland, 2016
- National, Regional, State, and Selected Local Area Vaccination Coverage Among Adolescents Aged 13-17 Years - United States, 2015
- Fractional-Dose Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine Immunization Campaign - Telangana State, India, June 2016
- Vital Signs: Epidemiology of Sepsis: Prevalence of Health Care Factors and Opportunities for Prevention
- Update: Interim Guidance for the Evaluation and Management of Infants with Possible Congenital Zika Virus Infection - United States, August 2016
- Notes from the Field: Outbreak of Listeriosis Associated with Consumption of Packaged Salad - United States and Canada, 2015-2016
- Notes from the Field: Cluster of Tuberculosis Cases Among Marshallese Persons Residing in Arkansas - 2014-2015
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NEWS HHS Moves to Accelerate Zika Vaccine Development. ASPR's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) will provide more than $17.9 million over 30 months to Emergent BioSolutions Inc to develop the vaccine out of the Centers for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing. (JAMA, 8/23/16)
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REPORT CDC's Global Immunization Plan. The foundation of CDC's global immunization work is conducting and promoting research and innovating and evaluating programs. Results from these efforts translate into evidence-based immunization strategies, policies, and practices to strengthen sustainable, global immunization programs, which are measured by deaths averted due to vaccine-preventable diseases. (CDC, 8/23/16)
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PRESS RELEASE Monkeys with Sudan ebolavirus Treated Successfully. Scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have successfully treated monkeys several days after the animals were infected with Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV). The study is important, according to the researchers, because no proven treatments against SUDV exist and little is known about the window of opportunity for treating the infection. (NIAID, 8/22/16)
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REPORT Joint External Evaluation of United States of America. The JEE tool includes the original 11 Action Packages of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) tool but also adds in 8 other key technical areas from the International Health Regulations. As of February 2016, all GHSA external evaluations are being done using the JEE tool. The US is now the sixth country to undergo a voluntary JEE assessment. (Global Health Security Agenda, 8/16)
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DATA Gaps in Contraception Access and Zika. Certain areas of the United States are at an increased risk for unplanned pregnancies with Zika-infected fetuses. Cities with large diaspora populations and areas where the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes are present are at increased risk for local Zika transmission. Many of those areas also contain high concentrations of uninsured, sexually active women. (ASPR, 8/16)
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Homeland Security & Disaster Preparedness
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REPORT Flood Insurance: Review of FEMA Study and Report on Community-Based Options. Floods are the most common and destructive natural disaster in the United States. The National Flood Insurance Program, which FEMA administers, has struggled financially to both pay for flood losses and keep rates affordable. To address these and other challenges, Congress has passed legislation including the Homeowners Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014. (GAO, 8/24/16)
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STATEMENT Statement by NSC Spokesperson Ned Price on the UN-OPCW Report on Syria. Today, the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) announced the results of a year-long expert, independent, and neutral investigation into multiple allegations of chemical weapons use in Syria. The report released today follows our call, together with international partners, last year to identify those involved in the use of chemical weapons in attacks in 2014 and 2015. (The White House, 8/24/16)
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NEWS FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate Marks 10 Years. One of the main jobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Directorate is to imagine worst-case scenarios and then devise ways to prevent and prepare for them. The Directorate was created 10 years ago last month, on July 26, 2006. John Perren, who has served as the WMD Directorate's assistant director since 2012 and was instrumental in its creation, said his team's job is to find gaps and vulnerabilities in the system and work to fix them. (FBI, 8/22/16)
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Radiological & Nuclear Disaster Preparedness
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BLOG NNSA Program Strengthens National Security from Afar. The Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence, part of NNSA's Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, provides partners tools and training to deter, detect, and investigate smuggling of nuclear and radiological materials. Its main responsibility is to work cooperatively with international partners to build their capacity to prevent the illicit movement of materials that might eventually reach the United States. (NNSA, 8/25/16)
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NEWS US Gets Serious about Portable Nuke-Detector Prototypes. The Homeland Security Department is trying to ramp up wearable devices that can detect nuclear radiation. DHS has made a handful of awards for well-developed prototypes, of wearable products from companies including Leidos and Physical Sciences, Inc. (DefenseOne, 8/23/16)
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PRESS RELEASE Ushering in a New Generation of Low-Cost, Networked, Nuclear-Radiation Detectors. A DARPA program aimed at preventing attacks involving radiological "dirty bombs" and other nuclear threats has successfully developed and demonstrated a network of smartphone-sized mobile devices that can detect the tiniest traces of radioactive materials. Combined with larger detectors along major roadways, bridges, other fixed infrastructure, and in vehicles, the new networked devices promise significantly enhanced awareness of radiation sources and greater advance warning of possible threats. (DARPA, 8/23/16)
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Science & Technology Policy
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There are no hearings scheduled for this week.
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