Bioterrorism

HHS reports hospital preparedness gains across nation

(CIDRAP News) Federal funds provided through the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) have enabled hospitals across the nation to make substantial advances in preparedness for many kinds of public health emergencies, including epidemics, according to the first state-by-state report on the program, released yesterday.

Robert Roos

New rules give FDA more power to block unsafe food

(CIDRAP News) The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says two new regulations to take effect in July will give the agency more power to detain unsafe food and identify potentially hazardous imported foods.

The regulations are the first to be issued by the FDA under new authorities it gained with passage of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act in January, the agency said in an announcement yesterday.

Robert Roos

NRC seeks detailed risk assessment for Army biodefense lab

(CIDRAP News) The National Research Council (NRC), in a letter report, has advised the US Army to prepare a more comprehensive risk assessment than it initially proposed for a biodefense laboratory to be built at Ft. Detrick in Frederick, Md.

Robert Roos

NEWS SCAN: Pediatric anthrax vaccine, anthrax spore recovery, H1N1 vaccine attitudes, malaria grant, chikungunya grant, leprosy from armadillos

Federal preparedness advisers approve disaster research recommendations

(CIDRAP News) A federal advisory board meeting in Washington, DC, today approved a set of recommendations that would help mobilize the scientific response in the wake of major public health events such as the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Lisa Schnirring

FDA strategic plan promises new food safety approaches

(CIDRAP News) A 5-year strategic plan released yesterday by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) promises new approaches to food safety in line with new legislation and increased efforts to smooth the regulatory pathway for medical defenses against biological and other unconventional attacks.

Robert Roos

CDC releases preparedness guidelines for states, localities

(CIDRAP News) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a set of standards for public health preparedness capabilities to help state and local public health agencies set priorities and strategies in an age of budget-cutting.

Robert Roos

Federal shutdown would slow but not stop disease-control efforts

(CIDRAP News) As the clock ticked toward a possible US government shutdown at midnight, federal officials said today that key activities to keep food safe and otherwise control infectious diseases would continue, albeit at reduced levels in many cases.

Robert Roos and Lisa Schnirring