WHO says mpox remains public health emergency of international concern

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it will keep its alert for mpox at the highest level amid a surge in cases. A WHO committee made up of about a dozen independent experts made the decision at a meeting in Read More …

UK: NHS staff ‘may have treated Covid with poor PPE’

A former Welsh health minister has said that NHS staff may have treated Covid patients during the pandemic with inadequate PPE. Former first minister Vaughan Gething, who was in charge of the health service from 2016 to 2021, returned to Read More …

UK: Two new cases of Clade lb mpox detected

Two new cases of a strain of mpox that is thought to be more transmissable have been detected in the UK, the Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said. This brings the total number of confirmed cases of the Clade lb mpox Read More …

Biosafety: Laboratory Planning and Preparedness to Mitigate Risk

Biosafety is focused on reducing the risk of people, animals, and the environment being accidentally exposed to dangerous biological materials such as viruses and bacteria. More formally, biosafety is a risk assessment-based approach to identifying and mitigating the risks posed Read More …

Marburg virus death toll in Rwanda rises to 11 as travellers in Germany test negative

Eleven people have died in Rwanda as the African country continues to fight an outbreak of Marburg virus. The Rwandan government said there were 36 confirmed cases of the virus in its latest update, with 25 people in isolation. Two Read More …

Genetic ghosts suggest Covid’s market origins

A team of scientists say it is “beyond reasonable doubt” the Covid pandemic started with infected animals sold at a market, rather than a laboratory leak. They were analysing hundreds of samples collected from Wuhan, China, in January 2020. The Read More …

WHO needs $87.4m to contain Mpox outbreak

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it needs 87.4 million dollars for more than six months to work with countries, partners and other stakeholders to contain the current outbreak of Mpox. The world body said on Tuesday in a statement Read More …

Laboratory-acquired infections and pathogen escapes worldwide between 2000 and 2021: a scoping review

Laboratory-acquired infections (LAIs) and accidental pathogen escape from laboratory settings (APELS) are major concerns for the community. A risk-based approach for pathogen research management within a standard biosafety management framework is recommended but is challenging due to reasons such as Read More …

UNICRI: Final review meeting of the Prosecutor’s guide to radiological and nuclear crimes

The threat of acquiring, producing and disseminating radiological and nuclear hazardous materials for deliberate use has substantially increased over the past ten years. The lack of experience and awareness among law enforcement and judicial authorities, as well as prosecutorial and Read More …