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PGA’s vision is to contribute to the creation of a Rules-Based International Order for a more equitable, safe, sustainable and democratic world.

Biological Security - Weekly Update - February 2023

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.

Country Topic Source
  Africa Africa CDC Urgent Support to Avert COVID-19 Vaccines Expiry in Africa Africa CDC
  Global Biology Is Dangerously Outpacing Policy The New York Times
  Cambodia The World Health Organization is investigating bird flu cases in Cambodia NBC News
  Cambodia Cambodia tests more people for bird flu after death of 11-year-old girl Reuters
  Chile Hay sospechas del uso de "armas biológicas" en Neruda, dice Partido Comunista lavanguardia.com
  China Balloon Warfare: What is the CCP up to? Part II Jewish Policy Center
  Global CITES, Wildlife, and Pandemics: Failure to Grasp the Nettle SDG Knowledge Hub
  Croatia Croatia joins strategic reserves for CBRN threats SeeNews
  Denmark Scientists tracked the plague’s journey through Denmark using really old teeth Popular Science
  Global Draft Accord Neglects Prevention, Particularly ‘Zoonotic Spillover’ Health Policy Watch
  Equatorial Guinea Marburg virus disease World Health Organization (WHO)
  Espana España prepara su primera 'Estrategia sobre la Proliferación de Armas de Destrucción Masiva' El Debate
  European Union EU to add 4 marine toxins to dual-use export control list & BIS updates CCL European Sanctions
  Global How Artificial Intelligence Could Help Advance One Health Impakter
  Malaysia ‘We survived the terrifying disease that inspired Contagion – our blood may help to treat it’ The Telegraph
  Morocco Morocco, U.S.A. resolved to foster cooperation against transnational crime & terror threats The North Africa Post
  Nigeria Nigeria on alert following the announcement of the Marburg Virus Disease outbreak in Equatorial Guinea Outbreak News Today
  Norge Gloppen: Kvinne kan ha blitt utsatt for det giftige stoffet ricin NRK.no
  Global One Health and planetary health research: leveraging differences to grow together The Lancet
  Philippines PH exports of strategic goods likely hit $4.5 B in 2022 Manilla Bulletin
  Senegal Team Lead, Discovery, and Exploration of Emerging Pathogens – Viral Zoonoses (DEEP VZN) ReliefWeb
  Spain Spain says patient does not have Marburg disease Reuters
  Uganda West Nile Gets Modern Laboratory to Fight Zoonotic Diseases Uganda Radio Network
  Uganda Uganda's First Vegan School opens to Protect Children from Zoonotic Diseases VegNews
  United Nations Bracing for Superbugs: Strengthening environmental action in the One Health response to antimicrobial resistance UN Economic Program
  United Kingdom The UK must prepare for the biosecurity threats to come Financial Times
  United States Covid-19 likely emerged from laboratory leak, US energy department says The Guardian
  United States What we know about Energy Department’s lab leak conclusion The Hill
  United States Amid new report on COVID's origins, investigation continues into 2 main theories ABC News
  United States Drone capable of CBRN missions to be developed by Teledyne FLIR under U.S. DoD contract Military Embedded
  United States How DTRA keeps tabs on potential threats worldwide Federal News Network
  United States Mixed for the Perfect Match DVIDS - Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
  United States 'We had heard of ricin': Victims react to their neighbor's attempt to poison them in 2014 WKOW 27 News | Madison, WI
  WHO Origins of COVID-19 Will Continue, WHO Says Health News

Country Topic Source
  South Sudan South Sudan becomes the 185th State Party to the Biological Weapons Convention PGA
  BWC ISU Congratulations to South Sudan for acceding to the Biological Weapons Convention bringing the total number of States Parties to 185 Twitter
  Africa New Africa CDC Head Jean Kaseya’s Challenge: Advancing Public Health in ‘Post-COVID’ Era Home - Health Policy Watch
  Africa Statement from Africa CDC on the Pandemic Fund[1] Home – Africa CDC
  Global 'Awful Bioterror' Could Annihilate Mankind, Bill Gates Says Popular Mechanics
  Bangladesh Nipah virus infection World Health Organization (WHO)
  Global Bill Gates Thinks He Knows The Biggest Future Threat Facing Humanity thestreet.com
  Cameroon Cameroon finds suspected cases of Marburg virus, an illness similar to Ebola CNN
  Canada/Africa B.C. Interior nurse practitioner assists African nations with Ebola response Clearwater News
  Equatorial Guinea An outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus has been confirmed. Here's what you need to know CBC.ca
  Nigeria The Marburg virus: urgent need to contain this close cousin of Ebola Yahoo News
  Global Private-sector research could pose a pandemic risk. Here’s what to do about it Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
  Global The Global Governance of Emerging Zoonotic Diseases Council on Foreign Relations
  United Kingdom Pay row at chemical weapons at chemical weapons lab is a national security issue, whistleblower claims The Mirror
  United States U.S. Unprepared for Dangers Posed by Zoonotic Diseases, New Analysis Concludes NYU
  United States North America expands veterinary biodefense network with VIDO National Hog Farmer
  United States World's largest collection of viruses: Inside the massive biodefense lab in Houston area only on 13 KTRK Houston news
  United States NIH scientists advance understanding of mpox through development of mouse model homelandprepnews.com | 502: Bad gateway
  United States 144th Fighter Wing Airmen train for contested environments 144th Fighter Wing
  United States Service Announces Zoonotic Disease Initiative Funding Opportunity U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  Global What is Marburg virus? The Ebola-like disease spreading in parts of Africa Sky News
  Global When is it OK to make germs worse in a lab? It's a more relevant question than ever WLRN

Country Topic Source
  Africa CDC Institut Pasteur de Dakar and the South African Medical Research Council take concrete action to ramp up Africa’s biomanufacturing workforce. Home – Africa CDC
  Africa Eastern and Southern Africa he World Bank
  Global Africa aims to locally produce 60 pct of vaccines it needs by 2040 China.org.cn
  Africa Africa plans to drive health security with its youth population devex.com
  Global A Secret Weapon in Preventing the Next Pandemic: Fruit Bats Scientific American
  Bangladesh Patient with suspected Nipah virus infection dies in Barishal New Age | The Most Popular Outspoken English Daily in Bangladesh
  Bangladesh Nipah: Using sticks to find a fatal virus with pandemic potential NPR
  Bangladesh Scientists hope to curb the deadly Nipah virus that terrorizes Bangladesh villages Ideastream Public Media
  Bangladesh Awareness is the best medicine for Nipah virus The Financial Express
  Global Bird flu outbreak in mink sparks concern about spread in people Nature
  Cameroon Le Cameroun sur le qui-vive après des cas de fièvre hémorragiqh RFI
  Cameroon/Equatorial Guinea Cameroon restricts movement after ‘several unexplaine"d deaths’ in Equatorial Guinea The Telegraph
  Canada McMaster research looks into origins of bubonic plague Hamilton News - Daily Bwww.telereaking News Stories | The Spec
  Global Can science save us from pandemics, cyber insecurity and bioterrorism Australian Breaking News Headlines & World News Online | SMH.com.au
  China So, Was the Chinese Balloon a Grave National Security Threat, or What? Slate Magazine
  China/Japan/US China balloon row: Japan used similar balloons against US in WW2 in plot to unleash chaos Express.co.uk
  Comoros Comoros Facebook
  Global Critics of risky virus studies launch nonprofit to push for research halt, tighter safety rules Science | AAAS
  Deutschland So knapp entging eine deutsche Stadt dem islamistischen Giftanschlag WELT - Aktuelle Nachrichten, News, Hintergründe & Videos
  Deutschland Von Rot bis Blau: Die 8+3 Farben der Biotechnologie ingenieur.de - Jobbörse und Nachrichtenportal für Ingenieure
  Equatorial Guinea Unknown disease kills at least ten in Equatorial Guinea Africanews
  Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea quarantines 200 after unknown hemorrhagic fever deaths Reuters
  Equatorial Guinea Ebola Outbreak Concern Reported in Western Africa Vax Before Travel
  Global Experimental NIH Sudan virus vaccine protects macaques National Institutes of Health (NIH) |/a>
  Global Global biodiversity deal is not pandemic proof The Lancet
  Global Habitat loss and climate change increase the risk of new diseases The Economist
  India/US CBRN Terror Response: Indo-US First-Time Joint Exercise to Counter It Asian Times
  Global Japan says global health to top agenda at G7 summit in May The Japan Times
  Philippines Letter to Editor: Is the US military funding biolabs in the Philippines? Inquirer.net
  Russian Federation/Netherlands Detection of coronaviruses in insectivorous bats of Fore-Caucasus, 2021 Nature
  Sierra Leone Identification of Laboratory Biomarkers for Early Detection and Clinical Management of Post-Acute Syndrome Among Survivors of the 2013–2016 West Africa Ebola Outbreak in Sierra Leone Dove Medical Press
  South Sudan PGA remains hopeful that the BWC Instrument of Accession of South Sudan will be formally deposited with the US State Department this week Facebook
  Sweden The Covid-19 pandemic showed the need for a better relationship between humans, animals, and the environment LSE Blogs | Expert analysis & debate from LSE
  Uganda Role of religion in Ebola response NTV Uganda
  Uganda Health Ministry roots for shs120bn Post Ebola recovery Capital FM
  Uganda Looking back on Ebola lockdown enforcement NTV Uganda
  Uganda Ebola survivor narrates her story of suffering NTV Uganda
  United Kingdom Well, I never: AI is very proficient at designing nerve agents The Guardian
  United Nations Letter dated 31 January 2023 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) addressed to the President of the Security Council The United Nations
  United States U.S. and Canada Co-Host Proliferation Security Initiative Workshop US State Department
  United States Former Congressman Fred Upton Joins the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense Homeland Secutiry Today
  United States DHS outlines Super Bowl LVII security initiatives Homeland Prep News
  United States U.S., Philippines Break Ground On Training Center For Chemical Threat Detection and Response Homepage - U.S. Embassy in the Philippines
  United States Why antibiotics should be treated as a national security imperative The Hill
  United States U.S. Science Envoys: Advancing U.S. Foreign Policy Through Science Diplomacy US State Department
  United States New tip sheet: High-risk pathogen research and resources for coverage Health Journalism
  United States Elon Musk’s brain startup is being investigated for possible ‘dangerous pathogens’ after allegations of ‘sloppy, unsafe laboratory practices’ Fortune
  United States Utah National Guard’s CST to support Super Bowl LVII Cache Valley Daily – Cache Valley's Premier Free Local News
  United States Russian bioweapons charge is 'bogus,' White House says Yahoo News
  United States CNN Forces GOP Rep to Admit There’s ‘No Evidence’ Spy Balloon Had ‘Bioweapons The Daily Beast
  United States On This Day in 1900: Bubonic plague infects San Francisco The Jeruslaem Post
  United States Retired ’Forces operator led charge to create elite Army EOD special mission units The Official Home Page of the United States Army
  United States Teledyne FLIR Defense Wins $13M Pentagon Contract GWPrime : The First Subscription based Geospatial Media Platform
  United States 134th Air Refueling Wing Trains on Chemical Threat Response Home of Air National Guard
  United States Chemical, Biological Defense Community Names Top Performers for 2022 U.S. Department of Defense
  Zimbabwe Baboons lay three-year siege on Pumula South The Chronicle

Country Topic Source
  Africa Statement on the 1st Africa CDC Youth Pre-Conference Home – Africa CDC
  Africa African Health Authorities Juggle Concurrent Outbreak Responses Home - Health Policy Watch
  Global An Even Deadlier Pandemic Could Soon Be Here The New York Times
  Bangladesh The Nipah virus has a kill rate of 70%. Bats carry it. But how does it jump to humans? NPR
  Bangladesh Nipah virus infections at highest numbers in Bangladesh since 2015 Outbreak News Today
  Global Biohacking: The Latest Health Craze, Health Hazard or Biowarfare? Home - Impakter
  China Beijing releases specific rules on COVID-related experiments to enhance lab biosafety Global Times
  Global Hidden Viruses And How To Prevent The Next Pandemic NPR
  Japan Looking Back China Daily Website
  Japan Looking Back Nuclear Museum
  Global Managing the Risks of Biotechnology Innovation Council on Foreign Relations
  Global One Health: a call for ecological equity The Lancet
  Global Scientists are trying to determine the origin of the bubonic plague Europe News – The European Times News
  Singapore Sensor to detect biological threats in air on trial at land checkpoint Unknown Site
  Global The Doomsday Clock is Ticking on Biosecurity Defense One
  United Kingdom John Glen MP writes to UKHSA over Hickory House nursery closure Salisbury Journal
  United Nations Changing of the Guard The United Nations
  United States Balloon Incident Reveals More Than Spying as Competition With China Intensifies

"...It is not yet clear what that “mission” was, or whether the risk of letting it proceed truly outweighed the risk of taking the balloon down over land, as Mr. Turner seemed to imply. It is only a small part of the increasingly aggressive “Spy vs. Spy” moves of superpower competitors. That has only intensified as control of semiconductor production equipment, artificial intelligence tools, 5G telecommunications, quantum computing and biological sciences has become the source of new arms races. And both sides play...." 		The New York Times
  United States James Comer suggests Chinese balloon could contain bioweapons, blasts lack of transparency The Washington Examiner
  United States Chairs Rodgers, Griffith, and Guthrie Launch E&C’s 118th Congress COVID-19 Origins Investigation House Committee on Energy and Commerce
  United States Marburg vaccine candidate deemed safe and effective in small, first-in-human study Homeland Prep News
  WHO 'Loophole' excuses WHO officials accused of misconduct News4JAX
  WHO First regional workshop to operationalize the Global guidance framework for the responsible use of the life sciences: mitigating biorisks and governing dual-use research (the framework) in the WHO African region World Health Organization (WHO)