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Today's Headlines: September 19, 2016 
 
Zika Virus

France Imported Zika Cases Near 1000 (Outbreak News Today) While France has yet to report a Zika virus local transmission, the European country has reported almost 1,000 travel associated, or imported cases through Sep. 15 this year, according to Sante Publique France. Go to article

Scott Pulls Another $10 Million from State Treasury to Fight Zika Virus (Palm Beach Post) Gov. Rick Scott dug into the state treasury Friday for another $10 million to fight the spread of the Zika virus in Florida, just days after returning from Washington with no deal on congressional funds. Scott's action brings Florida's investment to $36.2 million to combat the mosquito-borne virus. Go to article

CDC: Updated Guidance for Wynwood (FL) Neighborhood with Active Zika Transmission (Avian Flu Diary) Today, after going several weeks without a new case reported in this neighborhood, the CDC has modified their guidance - while still urging caution - as the possibility of additional cases cannot be excluded. Go to article

State, Local Official Declare Wynwood Zika Free and Safe, Await Federal Lifting of Travel Advisory (NBC News Miami) During a Monday morning press conference where he was joined by City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez, Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared that the area north of Downtown Miami has not had a new case of the virus detected. Go to article

In Battle Against Zika, Researchers Seek Foolproof Test For Infection (Kaiser Health News) The Zika virus has struck fear throughout the Americas, but determining whether people have been infected can be difficult. Most infected people don't display symptoms or they choose to tough out what may seem like nothing more than influenza instead of seeking medical help. Go to article

Congress Struggles to Finish Zika Aid, Prevent Shutdown (McClatchyDC) Congressional negotiators on Monday pressed to wrap up a must-do spending bill to prevent an election-season government shutdown and finally provide money to battle the threat of the Zika virus, but numerous sticking points remain. Go to article


Domestic Preparedness & Response

School District Crisis Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Plans-- United States, 2012 (MMWR) Schools are a critical community institution serving a vulnerable population that must be accounted for in public health preparedness plans; prepared schools are adopting policies and plans for crisis preparedness, response, and recovery. Go to article


Global Health Security

Erna Solberg: UN Must Work to Eradicate Polio for Good (Time) Despite the remarkable progress we have made thanks to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, spearheaded by Rotary International, our work is not yet complete. The existence of polio anywhere poses a threat to all of us everywhere. Go to article


Medicine & Public Health

World Leaders to Tackle Global Menace of Drug Resistance, Superbugs (USA Today) On Sept. 21, heads of state will gather at the UN General Assembly for a high-level meeting on antimicrobial resistance. It's only the fourth time in history the UN has convened heads of state to talk about a health issue. Go to article

Risks of Death and Severe Disease in Patients with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, 2012-2015 (American Journal of Epidemiology) We estimated the relative risks of death and severe disease among MERS-CoV patients in the Middle East between 2012 and 2015 for several risk factors, using Poisson regression with robust variance and a bootstrap-based expectation maximization algorithm to handle extensive missing data. Go to article


Science & Technology

DRM for the Human Genome? (The Stack) The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has released more detailed specs regarding its call for proposers to contribute to the Safe Genes project, whose goal is to develop tools to reverse the malicious or accidental negative effects of gene editing in the general population. Go to article

First Responders Give Google Glass A Second Life (Popular Science) When first responders enter the scene of an active shooting or chemical spill, they must rapidly decide how to prioritize patient care. The current triage system uses color-coded tags corresponding to the seriousness of a patient's injuries. The problem is, first responders don't always have the medical expertise to accurately identify who needs the most pressing attention. Go to article


Other 21st Century Threats

Chemical Weapons Watchdog Continues Hunt for Syria's Elusive Nerve Agent (Foreign Policy)
When Syria disclosed its long-secret chemical weapons program in December 2013, it presented international weapons inspectors with a hard-to-swallow story: One of the regime's premier chemical weapons facilities -- an underground laboratory on the outskirts of Damascus that was designed to fill Scud missiles with a lethal nerve agent -- had never in fact produced Sarin. Go to article

Climate Change 'Significant and Direct' Threat to US Military: Reports (Reuters) The effects of climate change endanger US military operations and could increase the danger of international conflict, according to 3 new documents endorsed by retired top US military officers and former national security officials.

The Range of North Korean ICBMs (Arms Control Wonk) If there's one thing in the public discussion of proliferation that troubles me the most, it might be this: the systematic minimization of North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities in the American news media. Go to article

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