U.S. Announces Cooperative BW Nonproliferation Effort With Russia

The U.S. State Department yesterday announced a $1.7 million contract to support collaboration between U.S. and Russian scientific centers as part of a new biological nonproliferation effort (see GSN, Aug. 18).

The contract will help fund collaboration between the Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology in Boston and the International Science and Technology Center in Moscow, according to a State press release.  The contract was awarded through the department’s BioIndustry Initiative, which seeks to transform Russian biological weapons facilities into civilian institutions through U.S.-Russian research partnerships (U.S. State Department release, Sept. 15).

Back to top

U.S. Awards More Than $26 Million for Biodefense Training

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department Friday awarded more than $26 million in grants to medical facilities and universities in 23 states to help improve biological defense training and education (see GSN, June 17).

The department’s Bioterrorism Training and Curriculum Development Program has awarded more than $22 million to help provide bioterrorism-related continuing education for health care workers.  The program has also provided more than $4 million to develop new emergency preparedness curricula in medical schools.

“Our health care professionals need to be prepared for the special demands that a bioterrorism attack could make on them and on our health care system,” Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said in a press statement.  “This new program is an important part of our broader efforts to prepare our public health system, develop effective medical countermeasures and stand ready to respond if bioterrorism should strike,” he said (U.S. Health and Human Services Department release, Sept. 12).

Back to top

Pentagon Suspects Cigarette Smoking as Cause of Pneumonia Cases

An outbreak of pneumonia cases among U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and southwestern Asia may be related to the fact that many of those infected had begun smoking before falling ill, U.S. Defense Department official said yesterday (see GSN, Aug. 19).

The Pentagon has ruled out a number of possible causes, such as anthrax and smallpox vaccinations, for the 19 cases of severe pneumonia, including two deaths, that occurred from March to August, according to the New York Times.  Investigators have found that 10 patients, including the two who died, had a high increase in the number of a white blood cell known as an eosinophil.

Nine out of the 10 patients with high eosinophil count reported that they had recently begun smoking, said Col. Bob DeFraites, the Army’s chief of preventive medicine.  Tobacco smoke is known to increase susceptibility to pneumonia, according to the Times.  Smoke, along with a combination of other factors such as heat, dust and stress, may have caused the pneumonia, DeFraites said (Lawrence Altman, New York Times, Sept. 10).

Back to top

About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines

HOME  |  CONTACT US  |  GET INVOLVED  |  SITE MAP