Biological Security - Weekly Update - August 2021

The Weekly Biological Security Update is prepared by PGA's International Peace and Security Program and provided strictly for informational purposes only. Any opinions expressed in articles contained in this Update are not necessarily shared by PGA or any individual/s associated with PGA, nor does PGA, or any individual/s associated with PGA, vouch for the accuracy of the contents of these articles.

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August30

Africa	Africa's COVID-19 cases pass 7.72 mln: Africa CDC
Africa	Africa CDC and the IFRC ramp up COVID-19 response in Africa
Benin	Benin confirms H5N1 avian flu outbreak
Global	Calling for a New Multilateral Financing Mechanism for Global Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness
Canada	Biosecurity breaches a major factor in disease outbreaks
China	Suspected anthrax outbreak reported in northern Chinese village
Côte d'Ivoire	Ivory Coast’s first Ebola patient in more than 25 years declared ‘cured’
Côte d'Ivoire	FAO supports response to highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak in Côte d'Ivoire
Global	COVID-19 Pandemic Origins: Bioweapons and the History of Laboratory Leaks
DRC	Poverty, conflict and displacement leave children at risk from renewed Bubonic plague outbreaks in Ituri region of eastern DRC
Ghana/Canada	Poultry farmers get education on Avian Influenza
Global	How can One Health prepare us for the next pandemic
Kazakhstan	Anthrax case reported in North Kazakhstan
Mongolia	Mongolian inspectors seize 22 dead marmots that might spread bubonic plague
Nigeria	Nigeria leverages lessons learnt from Ebola response in fight against COVID-19 pandemic
Global	Origins of SARS-CoV-2: window is closing for key scientific studies
RDC	l’ancien ministre de la Santé placé en détention pour détournement de fonds
Sierra Leone	FAO reinforces Sierra Leone's capacities on joint health risk assessment
Global	The lab leak hypothesis — true or not — should teach us a lesson
United Kingdom	Farmed carnivores may become 'disease reservoirs' posing human health risk
United States	House Republicans press NIH and NIAID for further details on Wuhan Lab biosafety concerns
United States	Zalgen to supply Lassa Fever antibody testing kits for CEPI study in West Africa
United States	US intelligence community divided on coronavirus origins but rules out 'bioweapon theory'
United States	Bill to Bolster Infectious Disease Monitoring and Support Border Health Initiatives
United States	Responsible Regulation in the Era of Zoonotic Disease
United States	Recombinant Protein Filovirus Vaccines Protect Cynomolgus Macaques From Ebola, Sudan, and Marburg Viruses
United States	USDA one step ahead on protecting U.S. pork exports
United States	Biden Must Stop Russia’s Illicit Procurement of Sensitive American Technologies
United States	APHIS receives $300M for emerging virus surveillance as part of One Health focus between human and animal diseases.
United States	UNMC scientists unveil research around COVID-19 and airborne transmission
United States	Anthrax Diagnosis, Treatment And Handling
Vietnam	CDC Hanoi office to assist regional disease responses
WHO	World leaders and experts call for significant reduction in the use of antimicrobial drugs in global food systems

August23

Africa	Africa's COVID-19 cases surpass 7.46 mln: Africa CDC
Africa	Ebola, other outbreaks, atop COVID-19, risk straining West Africa health systems -WHO
Africa	Africa’s plan for a continent-wide pandemic recovery
Africa	What is driving COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Africa	African scientist urges conducive policies to spur biotechnology uptake
Global	A natural pandemic has been terrible. A synthetic one would be even worse
Burkina Faso/RCI	CAS D’EBOLA EN RCI
Burkina Faso	Ebola : détection d'un cas "suspect" au Burkina Faso (ministère de la Santé)
Global	Canada announces emergency support to respond to global food crises
Canada	Feds drop court fight to block documents on firing of National Microbiology Lab scientists
Caribbean	Interpol warns Caribbean gov'ts against purchasing fake COVID vaccines
Global	China tightens laboratory animal rules amid calls for coronavirus lab-leak probe
China	Bubonic plague case reported in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
China	China out to boost food security with 13-storey ‘hog hotels’ that protect pigs from viruses
Global	Côte d'Ivoire : près de 50 personnes cas contact au virus Ebola
Global	Côte d'Ivoire: Ebola, 6 cas contacts retrouvés à Duekoué et San-Pédro sur les 70 voyageurs du car de la patiente détectée
Global	Côte d’Ivoire starts Ebola vaccination of frontline workers
Global	Côte d’Ivoire to vaccinate all Ebola contact cases
Côte d'Ivoire	WHO ‘very concerned’ as second Ebola case suspected in Ivory Coast
Côte d'Ivoire	Source of Ivory Coast Ebola case probed
Global	COVID-19 lab-leak theory: Gain-of-function is a hot topic, but a bad explanation
Global	Ebola: portrait d'un virus tueur
Ghana	Ebola, Murburg outbreaks: Ghana heightens border surveillance
Ghana	Ghana has the capacity to diagnose both Ebola and Marbug – GHS
Ghana	We should be more concerned with the outbreak of Ebola than Marburg – WACCBIP
Ghana/Canada	COVID-19: Society of the Physically Disabled calls for special arrangement to vaccinate its members
Ghana/US	US Department of Agriculture organizes poultry workshop for retirees
Ghana/China	Chinese medical team hailed in Ghana
Global	Guinée, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina : Ebola tisse sa toile en Afrique
Guinea/Côte d’Ivoire	Guinea identifies 58 contacts of Ebola patient in Ivory Coast
Global	Guinea combats Ebola outbreak with One Health
Guinea	Could the Marburg Virus Start Another Outbreak? What We Know
Global	How Did the Bubonic Plague, the Last Pandemic, Come to an End?
IAEA	Being Better Prepared for the Next Pandemic: Join us for the IAEA Scientific Forum on Zoonotic Outbreaks
India	Nipah virus and Covid-19: How an artist in Kerala braved both health emergencies
Indonesia	"Biodefense, lessons learned from the COVID-19 war"
Global	Killer Pathogens: The New Threat of Bioweapons?
Liberia	As Alarm Blow Of Ebola Back In Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberians Are Calling On President Weah To Order Closures Of Boarders
Madagascar	New strain of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) plague emerged in an outbreak in rural Madagascar: Study
Madagascar	Drug-resistant bacteria found in the guts of lemurs who live around humans
Nigeria	FG working with WHO to develop biosecurity policy
Nigeria	Biosafety Agency Gets WHO Support On Biosecurity Policy Document
OIE	La OIE destaca el papel de la salud animal y humana contra el bioterrorismo
United Kingdom	Covid-vaccine scientists begin plague-jab trial
United Kingdom	‘Chemical Warrior’ by Hamish de Bretton-Gordon is a human yet harrowing insight into the world of chemical warfare
United Nations	Update on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on terrorism, counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism
United Nations	National Points of Contact for all matters related to UNSCR 1540 from Madagascar and Uruguay are updated
United States	How To Build A Better Policy For Countering WMD Threats
United States	Congressional watchdog: HHS, DHS, DOD, USDA must mutually prepare for biological threats
United States	New Mexico sees first case of bubonic plague this year
United States	Vetting Biden’s Export Control Nominee Up To Senate Committee On Banking, Housing, And Urban Affairs
United States	Biden Poised to Repeat Mistakes that Led to COVID Pandemic, Biosecurity Experts Say
United States	Alexandria’s SPA lands $185M contract for Defense Threat Reduction Agency
United States	D.C. National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team trains with partners and local government in Puerto Rico
United States	Heat Biologics Announces Formation of Biothreat Advisory Board
United States	Just In: Pentagon Shifting Approach to Chem-Bio Defense
United States	RedHill Biopharma Announces Two New U.S. Patents Covering Opaganib for Ebola Virus and RHB-104 for Crohn's
United States	U.S. Imposes Additional Sanctions on Russia for Aleksey Navalny Poisoning
World	With or without the Taliban, COVID and climate will inspire terrorism
WHO	Call for experts to join Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens
WHO	WHO Statement on advancing the next series of studies to find the origins of SARS-CoV-2

August16

Africa/Asia	How deforestation poses dengue pandemic risk for Africa and Asia
Africa	Africa's COVID-19 cases surpass 7.25 mln: Africa CDC
Africa	Panic as Delta variant wreaks havoc in 33 African countries
Africa	Africa Trade Insurance Agency supports Africa CDC in COVID-19 Response in Africa
Africa	Africa Urged to Set Up ‘Mini-CDCs’ to Combat Future Outbreaks
Africa	Africa CDC to Host the Inaugural Annual Conference on Public Health in Africa from 14-16 December
Africa	UN experts: Africa became hardest hit by terrorism this year
Burkina Faso	renforcement de la surveillance épidémiologique après l'apparition de la fièvre de Marburg en Guinée
BWC ISU	BWC ISU organizes the Biosecurity Diplomacy Workshop for Young Scientists from the Global South
Canada	Government of Canada supporting Canada's major airports with funding for COVID-19 testing and screening infrastructure
Canada	Reduction in Antimicrobial Use and Resistance to Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Escherichia coli in Broiler Chickens, Canada, 2013–2019
Canada/China	Chinese agent targeted Canadian scientist in bacteria-smuggling plot: RCMP documents
Canada/China	O'Toole seeks intervener status in government's court battle to shield lab documents
China/Japan	Japanese WWII germ warfare document released
China/Japan	Japanese WWII germ warfare document released
Costa de Marfil	Un caso de ébola importado de Guinea enciende las alarmas en Costa de Marfil
Côte d'Ivoire	Un cas de virus Ebola détecté en Côte d'Ivoire, le premier depuis 1994
Côte d'Ivoire	Ivory Coast reports 1st Ebola case since the 1990s
Côte d'Ivoire	Ebola case in Abidjan, Ivory Coast: Africa CDC, Statement from hospital
Côte d’Ivoire	The Government of Republic of Côte d’Ivoire has declared a case of an Ebola Virus Disease in Abidjan
Deutschland	Köln: Urteil gegen Frau des Rizinbombers bestätigt
Guinea	WHO says Guinea monitoring confirmed 155 cases of Ebola-like Marburg virus
Guinée	La maladie à virus Marburg diagnostiquée en Guinée « est un cas isolé »
Global	Guinea combats Ebola outbreak with One Health
World	Has COVID taught us anything about pandemic preparedness?
United States	Look at the Anti-Science in Our National Reaction to COVID. Then Imagine If the Marburg Virus Made It Here.
World	Nanotechnology-based solutions to combat zoonotic viruses with special attention to SARS, MERS, and COVID 19: Detection, protection and medication
Nigeria	NICAFE 2021: Eight experts make case for post-COVID-19 era
South Korea/US	S.Korean civic group sues Fort Detrick biolab, USFK over smuggled toxic substances
United Nations	1540 Committee Chair delivered a video message to National Workshop of Strengthening UNSCR 1540 (2004) Implementation in Botswana
United Nations	1540 Committee Chair delivered a video message to National Workshop of Strengthening UNSCR 1540 (2004) Implementation in Botswana
United States	Preparing for Doomsday
United States	Antimicrobial Treatment and Prophylaxis of Plague: Recommendations for Naturally Acquired Infections and Bioterrorism Response
United States	Several pandemic preparedness bills under consideration in U.S. Congress
United States	U.S. Sen. Baldwin introduces Disease X Act, seeking $2B to help BARDA with future viral preparation
United States	DARPA selects three teams to develop novel therapeutics through HEALR program
United States	9/11 anniversary, COVID-19 measures could spark terrorist attacks in the US: DHS
United States	NTI \| bio virtual workshop showcases international effort to approach unknown biological threats
United States	Biodefense: After-Action Findings and COVID-19 Response Revealed Opportunities to Strengthen Preparedness
United States	Military and civilian leaders must work to secure dual-use technologies, top Navy officer says
WHO	WHO scientist puts COVID lab leak theory back under spotlight

August9

Global	Address risky human activities now or face new pandemics, scientists warn
Africa	Morning Update: Mounting desperation in Africa as vaccine shortage persists
Africa	AU Set To Roll-Out 400 Million COVID-19 Doses Across Africa
Africa	African countries acquire about 103 mln doses of COVID-19 vaccines: Africa CDC
Africa	Africa CDC director has ‘unbearable’ case of COVID, but ‘wouldn’t be here’ without vaccine
Africa	Drones and Violent Nonstate Actors in Africa
Deutschland	Mobiles Datenlabor soll Ermittlern Zeitgewinn verschaffen
DRC	Rebels, Doctors and Merchants of Violence: How the fight against Ebola became part of the conflict in eastern DRC
Guinée	Après l’Ebola et la COVID-19, cas probable du dangereux virus de Marburg
Guinea	Guinea records probable case of Ebola-like Marburg virus
India	Data and genetic manipulation for race specific bioweapons not an impossibility
India	New study finds that minority of animals host majority of zoonotic viruses
Malaysia	Malaysia furthers research and scientific understanding into Nipah virus
Malaysia/Norway	Norway and Malaysia team up to further research the Nipah virus
RDC	RDC: la riposte Ebola a-t-elle financé des groupes armés?
CDC	Treating Bioterrorism-Related Plague: CDC Issues New Guidelines
United Kingdom	Oxford vaccine team make 'big step forward' in fight against deadly Nipah virus
United Kingdom	Zoonotic disease surveillance must be integrated into health security intelligence systems, experts say
United Nations	National Points of Contact for all matters related to UNSCR 1540 from Eswatini and Seychelles are added.
United Nations	Summary of 1540 Committee 88th Formal Meeting is posted. [Replicated in its entirety below]
United States	Guard soldiers who take on simulated chem, bio and nuke attacks are adding hypersonic threats
United States	Learning the lessons of COVID-19, experts testify resources still inadequate to fight pandemics
United States	We Need to Invest in Defenses Against Bioterrorism: Bill Maris
United States	Democrats to block Biden proposal to cut Pentagon pandemic warning system
United States	Sens. Portman, Peters sponsor bill to research supply chain vulnerabilities
United States	GAO: COVID-19 Response Revealed Opportunities to Strengthen Biodefense Preparedness
United States	Bubonic plague alert: Killer disease detected in the US
United States	Chipmunks Test Positive for the Bubonic Plague in Several South Lake Tahoe Locations
United States	Yes, Lake Tahoe Chipmunks Have Bubonic Plague. But Don’t Worry (Too Much).

August2

Australia	Australia Researching Use of Parasites Against Bio-Weapons
Australia	Opinion: Authoritarian laws for the common wealth and health
Canada	The Government of Canada announces biomanufacturing and life sciences strategy
Canada	Amendments to Canada's Export Control List Take Effect July 23, 2021
China	Nanjing: New virus outbreak worst since Wuhan, say Chinese state media
China	China rejects WHO plan for study of COVID-19 origin
CIS	CIS to step up cooperation in biosecurity
Deutschland	Risiko Virendiebstahl \| Wenn entwendete Erreger zu Biowaffen werden
Germany	Researchers in Germany Sequence Genome of Bubonic Plague Bacteria Taken from Remains of Man who Lived More than 5,000 Years Ago
Ghana	UN Agencies commended for providing WASH facilities
Guinée	La Guinée a été encouragée de soumettre son premier rapport national au Comité 1540 du Conseil de sécurité, sur les mesures qu'elle a prise pour empêcher la prolifération des armes de destruction massive à des acteurs non étatiques, y compris des organisations terroristes
Guinée	La résolution 1540 du Conseil de sécurité des Nations Unies, adoptée en 2004, exige de tous les États membres des Nations Unies qu'ils prennent des mesures pour empêcher la prolifération des armes de destruction massive à des acteurs non étatiques, y compris des organisations terroristes.
India	Need to create awareness on zoonotic diseases: Mansukh Mandaviya
Indonesia	Need global cooperation against bioterrorism: Vice Admiral Octavian
Global	Is genetic engineering unleashing threat of increased bioterrorism and biological warfare?
Malaysia	Malaysia researchers to study Nipah virus immune responses with CEPI funding
Nigeria	Deaths, thorny debts: Inside Nigeria’s largest pig farm where farmers lost billions to African swine fever
Nigeria	FG Ready To Develop Guidelines For Regulation Of Stacked Gene Organism ? NBMA
United Kingdom	Phase 1 Trial Begins for Oxford University’s ChAdOx1 Plague Vaccine
United Kingdom	Why vaccines matter in the fight against zoonotic diseases
United States	Biodefence research two decades on: worth the investment?
United States	Learning the lessons of COVID-19, experts testify resources still inadequate to fight pandemics
United States	Battelle pursues predictive monitoring technology to identify epidemic security threats
United States	IDSA applauds infectious diseases inclusion in U.S. House funding, but says more is still needed
United States

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Biological Security - Weekly Update - August 2021