http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/anthrax-news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2013. All Rights Reserved. Sun, 19 May 2013 11:34:26 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-use-dead-zebras-to-understand-the-spread-of-anthrax-in-africa-117924-1.htm According to findings from a small study conducted in Etosha National Park in northern Namibia, scavengers might not play as key a role in spreading anthrax through wildlife populations as previously assumed. Wildlife managers currently spend large amounts of money and time to control anthrax outbreaks by preventing scavengers from feeding on infected carcasses. The effort might be ill spent, according to results published in iApplied and Environmental Microbiology/i by an international ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-use-dead-zebras-to-understand-the-spread-of-anthrax-in-africa-117924-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/fda-approves-raxibacumab-for-treating-inhalable-anthrax-111522-1.htm ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/fda-approves-raxibacumab-for-treating-inhalable-anthrax-111522-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/anthrax-vaccine-to-counteract-world-bioterrorism-threat-107152-1.htm A team of scientists from Cardiff University bids to develop a vaccine against anthrax to help counteract the threat of bioterrorism. Working with scientists from the Republic of Georgia, Turkey and the USA, Professor Les Baillie from Cardiff University's School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is leading a NATO project to tackle the potential misuse of anthrax. "Currently the majority of the world's population is susceptible to infection with Bacillus anthracis the bacterium ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/anthrax-vaccine-to-counteract-world-bioterrorism-threat-107152-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/in-russia-man-dies-of-anthrax-106213-1.htm RIA Novostihas reported that a man has died of anthrax in Russia's Siberia region after being infected when he handled the carcass of a sick cow. The incident took place in Druzhba village in southern Siberia's Altai region, said a spokesman for the region's emergency service. Laboratory tests by specialists from federal agency Rospotrebnadzor confirmed infection in three people, one of whom died, he said. Doctors said the victim died Saturday, but sought medical aid only a week after ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/in-russia-man-dies-of-anthrax-106213-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-drugs-lean-towards-anthrax-targets-105903-1.htm Revelation of a clutch of targets for new drugs to combat an epidemic of anthrax or a biological weapons attack by a trawl of the genome of the deadly bacterium iBacillus anthracis/i. The targets are all proteins that are found in the bacteria but not in humans and are involved in diverse bacterial processes such as metabolism, cell wall synthesis and bacterial persistence. The discovery of a range of targets might bode well for creating a drug cocktail that could preclude the emergence of drug resistance....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-drugs-lean-towards-anthrax-targets-105903-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/anthrax-new-findings-97160-1.htm Anthrax toxicity depends on human genetics, say researchers. Among 234 people studied, the cells of three people were virtually insensitive to the toxin, while the cells of some people were hundreds of times more sensitive than those of others. The findings may have important implications for national security, as people known to be more resistant to anthrax exposure could be effective first-line responders in times of crises. The research also highlights the fact that many lethal pathogens, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/anthrax-new-findings-97160-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/pak-pm-received-small-packet-containing-anthrax-last-year-96955-1.htm A Pakistani government spokesman revealed that that country's Prime Minister, Yusuf Raza Gilani received a small packet containing deadly anthrax powder. According to the police, the package was sent by a woman professor at Jamshoro University from the southern Sindh region. The packet was mailed back in October 2011. The police added that no one came in contact with the powder though they are yet to ascertain the motive for sending the packet. Anthrax is receiving close attention from authorities ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/pak-pm-received-small-packet-containing-anthrax-last-year-96955-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Monkeys-Protected-from-Lethal-Infection-by-Anthrax-Capsule-Vaccine-96124-1.htm U.S. Army scientists have revealed that vaccination with the anthrax capsule protected monkeys from lethal anthrax infection. The capsule is a naturally occurring component of the bacterium that causes the disease. The study, which appears in the Jan. 20th print edition of the journal iVACCINE/i, represents the first successful use of a non-toxin vaccine to protect monkeys from the disease. Bacillus anthracis, the bacterium that causes anthrax, is recognized as one of the most serious bioterrorism threats....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Monkeys-Protected-from-Lethal-Infection-by-Anthrax-Capsule-Vaccine-96124-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Anthrax-Defence-from-Natural-Killer-Cells-92748-1.htm One of the things that makes inhalational anthrax so worrisome for biodefense experts is how quickly a relatively small number of inhaled anthrax spores can turn into a lethal infection. By the time an anthrax victim realizes he or she has something worse than the flu and seeks treatment, it's often too late; even the most powerful antibiotics may be no help against the spreading bacteria and the potent toxins they generate. Now, though, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Anthrax-Defence-from-Natural-Killer-Cells-92748-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Advisory-Panel-Moots-Testing-Anthrax-Vaccine-in-Children-92635-1.htm A government advisory panel in the United States has recommended that the federal government conduct a controversial study testing the effectiveness of anthrax vaccine in children but added that ethical issues must be resolved before the test can be conducted. The National Biodefense Science Board voted to back the recommendation to the Health and Human Services Department of conducting the test in order to identify whether the vaccine is effective and safe among children. The panel said that ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Advisory-Panel-Moots-Testing-Anthrax-Vaccine-in-Children-92635-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Report-on-Anthrax-Attack-Antibiotic-Staging-91571-1.htm A report released by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) provides guidance to U.S public health officials to develop plans to pre-position antibiotics that can be distributed to public in case of anthrax attack. The report recommends that public health officials work with the federal government to assess the benefits and costs of strategies that pre-position antibiotics close to or in the hands of people who will need quick access to them should an attack occur. The goal is to get antibiotics ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Report-on-Anthrax-Attack-Antibiotic-Staging-91571-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Rare-Anthrax-Case-in-Minnesota-Triggers-Terrorist-Act-Scare-88904-1.htm An affected person traveling through the Western states was hospitalized and Minnesota health officials said Tuesday they are investigating a rare case of anthrax inhalation linked to exposure to the dreaded bacteria in the natural environment. The FBI briefly investigated the case because anthrax has been used in terror attacks. But the bureau determined there was "no evidence suggesting it was a criminal or terrorist act," the Minnesota Health Department said in a statement. There was ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Rare-Anthrax-Case-in-Minnesota-Triggers-Terrorist-Act-Scare-88904-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Suitcase-Sized-Device-to-Detect-Anthrax-on-the-Anvil-88841-1.htm A suitcase-sized device to detect anthrax, which normally requires a full-sized lab and take days to detect, has been developed by researchers at Cornell University. Anthrax is an infectious disease due to a type of bacteria called Bacillus anthracis and it affects both humans and other animals. Infection in humans most often involves the skin, gastrointestinal tract, or lungs. The so-called microfluidic device has fluid-pumping, power and computation equipment nicely packed into a 1 centimetre ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Suitcase-Sized-Device-to-Detect-Anthrax-on-the-Anvil-88841-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Chemist-Sets-Path-to-Taming-Deadly-Anthrax-Meningitis-86925-1.htm A chemist from the University of Copenhagen has done what most renowned doctors could not do. He has revealed the mechanism behind deadly infections like anthrax, septicemia and meningitis. Till date, doctors lacked the basic insight to prevent and cure these diseases caused by the so-called Gram-positive bacteria. However, Danish synthetic chemist Christian Marcus Pedersen has created a synthetic version of a Gram-bacterial endotoxin that is sure to explain the particular symptoms of these diseases....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Chemist-Sets-Path-to-Taming-Deadly-Anthrax-Meningitis-86925-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/How-The-Immune-System-Holds-Off-Against-Anthrax-86664-1.htm Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences have uncovered how the body''s immune system launches its survival response to the notorious and deadly bacterium anthrax. The findings, reported online today and published in the June 22 issue of the journal IImmunity/I, describe key emergency signals the body sends out when challenged by a life-threatening infection. Exposure to anthrax often proves deadly....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/How-The-Immune-System-Holds-Off-Against-Anthrax-86664-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Vaccine-To-Fight-Naturally-Occurring-Plague-And-Bioterrorism-Too-79934-1.htm US scientists could be closer to developing a vaccine that fights both the naturally plague and the bacteria that is sought to be used by terrorists for mass slaughter. "Governments remain concerned that bioweapons of aerosolized Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes plague, could kill thousands," said Stephen Smiley, a leading plague researcher and Trudeau Institute faculty member. The anthrax scare that followed the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, made the threat of bioterrorism real ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Vaccine-To-Fight-Naturally-Occurring-Plague-And-Bioterrorism-Too-79934-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/How-Does-Anthrax-Bacteria-Impair-Immune-Response-76923-1.htm A key mechanism by which IBacillus anthracis/I bacteria trigger off anthrax infection, despite a formidable immune system of scavenger cells, has been discovered by researchers. This finding of researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, discovered by studying genetically modified mice, adds new detail to the picture of early-stage anthrax infection and supports efforts to develop vaccines and drugs that would block this part of the cycle....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/How-Does-Anthrax-Bacteria-Impair-Immune-Response-76923-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Bioterrorism-Fears-Over-EAfrican-Labs-Voiced-by-US-Senator-76701-1.htm A US senator has said that poorly secured medical laboratories in East Africa are posing new worries over possible bio-terrorism in a region hosting an Al Qaeda-linked insurgent group. Senator Dick Lugar, with a visiting Pentagon arms control expert team, told reporters that despite the absence of immediate bioterrorism threats in the region, security in the labs handling dangerous pathogens was critical. "It is so important that biosecurity be enhanced here and promptly," said Lugar. "Al ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Bioterrorism-Fears-Over-EAfrican-Labs-Voiced-by-US-Senator-76701-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Human-Anthrax-Infects-Over-500-in-Bangladesh-74062-1.htm Anthrax has infected more than 500 people in Bangladesh where the dairy farming regions are reeling under the outbreak of the disease, commented a health official. Ten districts have confirmed outbreaks of anthrax in humans and cattle, with the total number of people infected rising to 508 across the country, health ministry director Mahmudur Rahman told AFP. No humans have died because the cases of human infection consist of cutaneous, or skin, anthrax -- which causes wound-like lesions but is not fatal if treated properly....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Human-Anthrax-Infects-Over-500-in-Bangladesh-74062-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/As-Anthrax-Spreads-Bangladesh-is-on-Alert-73661-1.htm Health officials confirmed that Bangladesh has put livestock and officials on high alert after an outbreak of anthrax spread to more districts, infecting 327 people since mid-August. The livestock minister suspended all leave and sent teams to the affected districts, department deputy director Mosaddek Hossain said. The move comes after health officials confirmed that anthrax has infected people in two more districts in the country's north and east, taking the tally to five districts. Outbreaks in two more districts await confirmation....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/As-Anthrax-Spreads-Bangladesh-is-on-Alert-73661-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Antibacterial-Enzyme-Found-in-Tears-may-Offer-Protection-Against-Anthrax-73345-1.htm Scientists have pointed out that an antibacterial enzyme in human tears and other body fluids could offer protection against deliberate contamination with anthrax. "Data from this study could be used in developing safer foods for human consumption," said Saeed A. Khan. "The data from our study shows that lysozyme application has the potential to eliminate anthrax producing bacteria in processed foods." Khan and colleagues knew from almost a century of lysozyme research that the enzyme kills certain bacteria....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Antibacterial-Enzyme-Found-in-Tears-may-Offer-Protection-Against-Anthrax-73345-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Boffins-Make-Advances-Towards-Protecting-Foods-for-Human-Consumption-From-Anthrax-73242-1.htm Scientists at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) An antibacterial enzyme found in human tears and other body fluids could be applied to certain foods for protection against intentional contamination with anthrax, scientists reported here today . "Data from this study could be used in developing safer foods for human consumption," said Saeed A. Khan, Ph.D. "The data from our study shows that lysozyme application has the potential to eliminate anthrax producing bacteria in processed foods....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Boffins-Make-Advances-Towards-Protecting-Foods-for-Human-Consumption-From-Anthrax-73242-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Anthrax-Outbreak-Infects-52-in-Bangladesh-73076-1.htm Health officials are struggling to contain a major outbreak of anthrax in northern Bangladesh, with at least 52 new infections registered in the past week, the health ministry said Monday. At least 162 people have been infected with the bacteria in nine separate outbreaks in less than a year, but no one has died so far, Mahmudur Rahman, a health ministry director, told AFP. Most of the cases have been in the rural cattle-rearing region of northern Bangladesh. "In the latest outbreak ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Anthrax-Outbreak-Infects-52-in-Bangladesh-73076-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Study-Outlines-New-Ways-to-Treat-Anthrax-Infection-69132-1.htm According to a new study, anthrax-causing bacteria can be engineered to shed their invisibility cloaks, making it easier for the immune system to eradicate it. The study has been published in Microbiology. The work could lead to new measures to treat anthrax infection in the event of a biological warfare attack. Bacillus anthracis is a particularly lethal pathogen because it manages to escape recognition by the host's immune system by coating itself with a protective capsule around its surface....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Study-Outlines-New-Ways-to-Treat-Anthrax-Infection-69132-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Highlights-New-Measure-to-Treat-Anthrax-Infection-68454-1.htm Anthrax-causing bacteria can be engineered to shed their invisibility cloaks, which will make it easier for the immune system to eradicate it, a new study has said. The study has been published in Microbiology. The work could lead to new measures to treat anthrax infection in the event of a biological warfare attack. Bacillus anthracis is a particularly lethal pathogen because it manages to escape recognition by the host's immune system by coating itself with a protective capsule around its surface....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Highlights-New-Measure-to-Treat-Anthrax-Infection-68454-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Anthrax-Rabies-Warning-for-Chinas-Quake-Zone-68072-1.htm China warned Friday of possible outbreaks of rabies and anthrax in its earthquake zone as relief efforts turned toward preventing the threat of disease among stricken survivors. "After the quake, our key concern is an epidemic of animal-to-human diseases," Li Jinxiang, head of the agriculture ministry's veterinary department, told reporters. He said animal corpses could be a source of disease. Nearly 28,000 yaks and 13,000 sheep died as a result of the 6.9-magnitude quake in the northwestern ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Anthrax-Rabies-Warning-for-Chinas-Quake-Zone-68072-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Contaminated-Heroin-Behind-Anthrax-Outbreak-In-Scotland-Five-Dead-63335-1.htm A major anthrax scare has broken out in the UK. This time it has nothing to do with any powder mailed, it is all blamed on contaminated heroin. Five are already dead and six others infected in Scotland. Anthrax is an acute bacterial infection most commonly found in hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep and goats. It usually infects humans when they inhale or ingest anthrax spores, but cannot be passed from person to person. The current outbreak in Scotland was discovered three weeks ago when tests ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Contaminated-Heroin-Behind-Anthrax-Outbreak-In-Scotland-Five-Dead-63335-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Another-Death-Attributed-to-Anthrax-in-Heroin-63041-1.htm Doctors in Scotland have confirmed another heroin related death in which the drug was contaminated with anthrax, bringing the number of such cases to three. So far five people have been identified to have used the anthrax laced heroin with just two of them responding to the treatment. The first death due to the infection was reported at the Glasgow's Victoria Infirmary while two more patients lost their lives at the Royal Infirmary. Dr Syed Ahmed, who is a consultant in public health medicine, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Another-Death-Attributed-to-Anthrax-in-Heroin-63041-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Officials-Confirm-Second-Heroin-User-Died-from-Anthrax-62741-1.htm It has now been confirmed by officials that a second heroin user being treated for anthrax at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary has died. This death follows the one reported last week from Victoria Infirmary. "There have been no new drug injecting heroin users with infections admitted to hospitals in the west of Scotland since the weekend," said Dr Syed Ahmed, consultant in public health medicine. "I urge all drug injecting heroin users to be extremely alert and to seek urgent medical advice if they experience an infection....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Officials-Confirm-Second-Heroin-User-Died-from-Anthrax-62741-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/better-Immune-Defense-Against-Anthrax-may-be-Provided-by-New-Gene-57869-1.htm A gene in anthrax-causing bacteria that could be used as a potential therapeutic target for the deadly disease has been identified by scientists from University of California. The ClpX gene in bacterium Bacillus anthracis not only contributes to the severity of the anthrax disease but also makes it more difficult for a patient's immune system to fight the infection. Inhibiting this gene can prompt body's natural defence mechanism to better fight the disease. Mattias Collin, of Lund University, and Marc A....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/better-Immune-Defense-Against-Anthrax-may-be-Provided-by-New-Gene-57869-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Improved-Anthrax-Vaccine-on-the-Anvil-57656-1.htm Two small protein fragments that could lead to improved anthrax vaccine with less side effects have been discovered by scientists from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. The current anthrax vaccine is intended mainly for members of the armed forces serving in areas considered high risk and for individuals involved in homeland biosecurity. "Our research was motivated by the fact that the current anthrax vaccine has significant limitations and there is great need for ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Improved-Anthrax-Vaccine-on-the-Anvil-57656-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Single-Gene-Holds-Promise-To-Drug-Development-For-Treating-Ebola-And-Anthrax-56858-1.htm According to a study a minor reduction in levels of a gene called CD45 may provide protection against the virus that causes Ebola hemorrhagic fever and the bacterium that causes anthrax. Published in the online issue of Cell Host and Microbe, the study on mice was led by scientists at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). The researchers say that their findings suggest a common host restriction factor as well as a promising approach to drug development ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Single-Gene-Holds-Promise-To-Drug-Development-For-Treating-Ebola-And-Anthrax-56858-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Boffins-Figure-How-Anthrax-Bacteria-Survive-Their-Dormant-Stage-56409-1.htm When in the dormant stage, a new study has found, anthrax bacteria rely on small viruses to stay alive. The research team at Rockefeller University have found that the survival of the deadly bacterium Bacillus anthracis is directed and shaped by the DNA of bacteria-infecting viruses. "B. anthracis leads a much more complicated life than we had ever known," said Raymond Schuch, a research assistant professor in the lab. "Small, infecting viruses dramatically alter the survival capabilities of B....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Boffins-Figure-How-Anthrax-Bacteria-Survive-Their-Dormant-Stage-56409-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Effective-Anthrax-Cure-In-Experimental-Drug-Raxibacumab-54549-1.htm Researchers have found that an experimental drug called raxibacumab has been found to be effective in treating anthrax poisoning. "The results published today showed that a single dose of raxibacumab was highly effective as a treatment for inhalation anthrax in both rabbits and monkeys," said Dr Sally D. Bolmer, R.A.C, lead author and Senior Vice President, Development and Regulatory Affairs, HGS. "Raxibacumab acted quickly to provide a significant survival benefit ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Effective-Anthrax-Cure-In-Experimental-Drug-Raxibacumab-54549-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Novel-Handheld-Device-Detects-Anthrax-With-Outstanding-Accuracy-53649-1.htm Veritide Ltd., a developer of innovative biological identification and detection solutions, today reported that new independent data to be presented at the Biodetection Technologies 2009 conference confirm the exceptional accuracy of its Ceeker (pronounced "seeker") portable bacterial detection device in discriminating between anthrax spores and similar-looking hoax substances. The data show that in over two weeks of testing at the Midwest Research Institute in Florida, the company's Ceeker ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Novel-Handheld-Device-Detects-Anthrax-With-Outstanding-Accuracy-53649-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Gujarat-Confirms-Anthrax-Outbreak-52522-1.htm The death of 23 sheep believed to be due to the deadly disease of anthrax at Nandol village in Dahgam Taluk sub-division of Gandhinagar district has created panic among the livestock owners. "A livestock farm reported death of 23 sheep out of 150. Hence we took the samples to the laboratory and found the suspected bleeding from the nose of the animal to be a case of confirmed anthrax," said M B Patel, Para-medical staff of Veterinary Department. However, Dr. Kamlesh ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Gujarat-Confirms-Anthrax-Outbreak-52522-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Statistical-Method-Can-Predict-Impact-Of-Covert-Anthrax-Release-49792-1.htm A new statistical method that can estimate the origin and time of an aerosolized release of the pathogen causing anthrax, following detection of the first few cases has been developed by researchers from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Outbreak Analysis and Modelling at Imperial College London in collaboration with the Health Protection Agency's Microbial Risk Assessment group. The method, described in an article published April 10 in the open-access journal IPLoS Computational ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Statistical-Method-Can-Predict-Impact-Of-Covert-Anthrax-Release-49792-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Drum-Maker-Dies-Of-Anthrax-In-UK-48300-1.htm A British drum-maker has died of a rare form of anthrax he contracted from the spores on animal skins he was using. He was only the fourth person to die from inhaling the bacteria for more than a century in Britain, an inquest heard. Fernando Gomez, a folk musician of Hackney, East London, used animal skins - particularly those imported from Africa - to make bongos. He had been living in the UK for around seven years after moving from Madrid, Spain. The inquest heard two animal skins found at his ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Drum-Maker-Dies-Of-Anthrax-In-UK-48300-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/After-Cholera-Its-Anthrax-for-Disease-ridden-Zimbabwe-Charity-44676-1.htm On Monday, a charity has said that Zimbabwe may be on the brink of an anthrax outbreak after the disease recently claimed three lives people and now threatens to wipe out livestock in northern Zimbabwe. This will only add to the nation's woes as it continues to struggle with cholera. Two children and one adult in the Zambezi Valley have died of the disease, which also threatens to kill 60,000 livestock in the region, Save the Children, a British non-government group, said in a statement. Anthrax ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/After-Cholera-Its-Anthrax-for-Disease-ridden-Zimbabwe-Charity-44676-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/London-Drum-maker-Dies-After-Inhaling-Anthrax-43648-1.htm A London drum-maker who inhaled anthrax spores while handling imported animal skins died Sunday, the hospital treating him said. Fernando Gomez, 35, from Hackney in east London, had been in intensive care for several days but his condition deteriorated overnight and he died around lunchtime, the Homerton University Hospital said. Health Protection Agency (HPA) staff have sealed off his flat and are due to inspect his workshop this week to test for further signs of the disease, which can ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/London-Drum-maker-Dies-After-Inhaling-Anthrax-43648-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Security-Tightened-by-Designer-DNA-Firms-Over-Bioterrorism-Threat-41858-1.htm A group of "Designer DNA" companies is stepping up security over fears that terrorists may turn to designer DNA to create a deadly virus. According to a report in New Scientist in 2005, some gene synthesis companies were not checking their orders for potentially dangerous DNA sequences. Since then, the US National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity has called for better screening. Now, the Industry Association of Synthetic Biology (IASB) has said that its members will carry a seal ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Security-Tightened-by-Designer-DNA-Firms-Over-Bioterrorism-Threat-41858-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Offices-of-Tom-Cruise-Salma-Hayek-Face-Anthrax-Threat-40405-1.htm The building in which offices of actor Tom Cruise and actress Salma Hayek are housed has received a security threat involving anthrax. The Los Angeles' MGM Tower, a professional complex housing production companies, sent out a building-wide memo informing all tenants of the anonymous threat with the deadly virus. The call had come in to the building's main switchboard, stating that the deadly virus would be placed into the building's ventilation system, starting on the 20th floor, sources confirmed exclusively to E! News....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Offices-of-Tom-Cruise-Salma-Hayek-Face-Anthrax-Threat-40405-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Anthrax-Scientist-Ivins-was-a-Socipathic-Killer-Psychiatrists-Say-40121-1.htm US anthrax scientist Bruce E Ivins, who committed suicide fearing arrest over anthrax deaths of 2001, was actually a sociopathic, homicidal killer, psychiatrists have said. Therapist Jean C. Duley had testified on July 24 that Bruce E. Ivins described a "detailed homicidal plan" to kill his co-workers after learning he was going to be indicted on capital murder charges, CNN reports. Sources told the TV channel that prosecutors might indeed have sought the death penalty against Ivins. Five people ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Anthrax-Scientist-Ivins-was-a-Socipathic-Killer-Psychiatrists-Say-40121-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/US-Anthrax-Suspect-Commits-Suicide-Investigators-Were-Closing-in-on-Him-40060-1.htm Bruce E Ivins, a top US anthrax expert,died Tuesday at Frederick Memorial Hospital after ingesting a massive dose of prescription Tylenol mixed with codeine. He had committed suicide when the federal investigators were closing in on him in connection with the 2001 anthrax attacks. Just as the Justice department was about to file charges against Ivins, he chose to end his life to avoid ignominy, newspapers said. He might have stood to gain financially from the nationwide scare of 2001 for he had patented an anthrax vaccine, newspapers reported....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/US-Anthrax-Suspect-Commits-Suicide-Investigators-Were-Closing-in-on-Him-40060-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Bioterrorism-Agents-Could-Be-Detected-in-the-Air-by-New-Ultraviolet-Photodiode-38655-1.htm A new class of ultraviolet photodiode could help in the development of compact, reliable and cost-effective sensors to bioterrorism agents like anthrax, researchers in Georgia Tech's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering have shown. "The military is currently using photomultiplier tubes, which are bulky, fragile and require a lot of power to run them, or silicon photodiodes that require a complex filter so that they only detect the desired ultraviolet light," said Russell Dupuis, from ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Bioterrorism-Agents-Could-Be-Detected-in-the-Air-by-New-Ultraviolet-Photodiode-38655-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/US-Government-Scientist-to-Receive-Huge-Payout-in-Anthrax-Case-38593-1.htm The US Justice department on Friday agreed to pay more than (Dollor) 5.8 million to Steven Hatfill, a former a former army scientist, who was once branded a "person of interest" in the deadly anthrax attacks of 2001. The anthrax attacks, also known as BAmerithrax/B from its FBI case name, occurred over the course of several weeks beginning on September 18, 2001. Letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to several news media offices and two Democratic U.S. Senators, killing five people and infecting 17 others....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/US-Government-Scientist-to-Receive-Huge-Payout-in-Anthrax-Case-38593-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Indonesian-Villages-Sealed-Off-Due-to-Anthrax-Scare-28768-1.htm Three villages in Indonesia's east have been closed off to outsiders after more than 750 people fell ill from eating anthrax-infected buffalo meat, an official said Tuesday. "We've now recorded 761 people from three villages falling ill after eating buffalo meat infected with anthrax," said local official Cornelis Wara from Ende district, one of the affected areas on Flores island. A veterinary official, Maria Geong, said more teams had been sent to the district to locate and vaccinate ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Indonesian-Villages-Sealed-Off-Due-to-Anthrax-Scare-28768-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Anthrax-Therapy-Plays-Dual-Role-28053-1.htm US researchers from the Scripps Research Institute and The Salk Institute for Biological Studies have produced a virus-like particle that prevents infection against a dose of anthrax that would normally prove lethal. In experiments with rats, the scientists found that the vaccine, based on the Flock House insect virus, was able to prevent infection after just one dose. The vaccine caused the animals' immune system to produce antibodies that later protected them by mopping up anthrax toxin elsewhere....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Anthrax-Therapy-Plays-Dual-Role-28053-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/The-Innovative-Dual-Action-Anthrax-Vaccine-Discovered-27481-1.htm Tests on rats showed that their immune system against lethal toxins became stronger and improved faster with only one injection of the vaccine. Concerns about anthrax-a potentially fatal disease caused by the spore-forming, gram-positive bacterium Bacillus anthracis-as a weapon of bioterrorism has prompted increased efforts to develop better antitoxins and vaccines. The vaccine in use presently, which was developed in the 1950s, is safe and effective, but requires multiple injections followed by annual boosters....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/The-Innovative-Dual-Action-Anthrax-Vaccine-Discovered-27481-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Now-Just-Spray-the-Anthrax-Away-24654-1.htm An Australian company is developing an antibody laden gel that can be sprayed onto walls, ceilings and floors, and scrapped off afterwards, making anthrax scare a safer and less messy affair to deal with. Normally, in case of a suspected anthrax attack, emergency workers cordon off the area and collect samples for identification. However, there is always the risk of spreading the pores or lofting them into the air. Consequently, cleaning up is also very fiddly: the liquid and foam disinfectants ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Now-Just-Spray-the-Anthrax-Away-24654-1.htm