Absence of Mycoplasma Contamination in the Anthrax Vaccine

Mycoplasma contamination of the licensed anthrax vaccine administered to military personnel has been suggested as a possible cause of Persian Gulf illness. Vaccine samples tested by nonmilitary laboratories were negative for viable mycoplasma and mycoplasma DNA and did not support its survival. Mycoplasma contamination of anthrax vaccine should not be considered a possible cause of illness

Framework for Leadership and Training of Biosafety Level 4 Laboratory Workers

One-sentence summary for table of contents: Training should include theoretical consideration of biocontainment principles, practical hands-on training, and mentored on-the-job experience

Beyond the List: Bioagent-Agnostic Signatures Could Enable a More Flexible and Resilient Biodefense Posture Than an Approach Based on Priority Agent Lists Alone

As of 2021, the biothreat policy and research communities organize their efforts around lists of priority agents, which elides consideration of novel pathogens and biotoxins. For example, the Select Agents and Toxins list is composed of agents that historic biological warfare programs had weaponized or that have previously caused great harm during natural outbreaks. Similarly, lists of priority agents promulgated by the World Health Organization and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases are composed of previously known pathogens and biotoxins. To fill this gap, we argue that the research/scientific and biodefense/biosecurity communities should categorize agents based on how they impact their hosts to augment current list-based paradigms. Specifically, we propose integrating the results of multi-omics studies to identify bioagent-agnostic signatures (BASs) of disease—namely, patterns of biomarkers that accurately and reproducibly predict the impacts of infection or intoxication without prior knowledge of the causative agent. Here, we highlight three pathways that investigators might exploit as sources of signals to construct BASs and their applicability to this framework. The research community will need to forge robust interdisciplinary teams to surmount substantial experimental, technical, and data analytic challenges that stand in the way of our long-term vision. However, if successful, our functionality-based BAS model could present a means to more effectively surveil for and treat known and novel agents alike

What Can History Teach Us about the Next Pandemic?

The Hertog Global Strategy Initiative is a research program that employs historical analysis to confront present and future problems in world politics. The 2011 topic is the History and Future of Pandemic Threats and Global Public Health. This panel discussion covers historical global pandemics and their lessons for the future. The speakers are George Korch, principal deputy assistant secretary for preparedness and response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Erez Manela, professor of history, Harvard University; Howard Markel, director of the Center for the History of Medicine, University of Michigan; Randall Packard, professor of the history of medicine, Institute of the History of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University; David Rosner, co-director, Center for the History and Ethics of Public Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health; Kavita Sivaramakrishnan, assistant professor, Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. The panel is moderated by Stephen Morse, professor of clinical epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and director, USAID PREDICT Program

Development of Medical Countermeasures to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus

Preclinical development of and research on potential Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) medical countermeasures remain preliminary; advancements are needed before most countermeasures are ready to be tested in human clinical trials. Research priorities include standardization of animal models and virus stocks for studying disease pathogenesis and efficacy of medical countermeasures; development of MERS-CoV diagnostics; improved access to nonhuman primates to support preclinical research; studies to better understand and control MERS-CoV disease, including vaccination studies in camels; and development of a standardized clinical trial protocol. Partnering with clinical trial networks in affected countries to evaluate safety and efficacy of investigational therapeutics will strengthen efforts to identify successful medical countermeasures