• Vegetarians not safe from mad cow prions

    Infectious prions — thought to be the causative agents in mad cow disease and human vCJD — can survive wastewater decontamination and wind up in fertilizer, potentially contaminating fruit and vegetables

  • Genetically modified mosquitoes to fight malaria

    Malaria kills three million people around the arodl each year; current methods of combatting the disease do not work; scientists examine the potential of genetically modifies mosquitoes for stopping the killer disease

  • New mercury detector developed

    University of Massachusetts researcher develops new mercury detector which detects minute quantities of mercury even in the presence of other metals

  • Why it takes so long to trace a bad tomato

    Tomatoes do not carry bar codes, so it is difficult to trace the source of the recent tomato-borne salmonella outbreak; tomatoes coming from Mexico and parts of Florida are prime suspects

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  • Making U.S. food safe, II: Tracing the sources of bad food

    The United States lacks a system for effective tacking and tracing of food supplies as they are distributed throughout the country; one expert says that “Right now the technology [for tracking food] exists, but it’s not being used widely because companies aren’t required to use them”

  • Background: More on tomato-borne salmonella

    Recent census of produce outbreaks between 1996 and 2007 counted no fewer than 33 epidemics from Salmonella-contaminated fruits and vegetables; in five of them, tomatoes were the culprit

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  • FDA warns of tomatoe-bornes almonellosis

    The Food and Drug Administration warns U.S consumers, restaurants of salmonella poisioning causes by three types oftomatoes; 145 cases reported, with 23 requiring hospitalization

  • Investing in biodefense companies

    Billions of dollars are pouring into biodefense vaccines and treatments; do companies engaged in developing such vaccines and treatment offer attractive investment opportunities? The answer is a qualified “Yes” to this specific question — but a more resounding “Yes” when these companies’ other research and development endeavors are taken into consideration

  • Tyson destroys 15,000 chicken infected with H7N3

    Arkansas poultry giant destroys 15,000 hens after routine tests discover antibodies to H7N3, a mild strain of avian flu; company says there is no threat to humans

  • Florida stocks cyanide antidote

    Minute quantities of cyanide in smoke contribute to the death from smoke inhalation of 10,000 civilian and firefighter in the United States each year; Florida emergency services decide that emergency units will now be equipped with cyanide antidote

  • New grants to create fabrics which render toxic chemicals harmless

    New fabrics made of functional nanofibers would decompose toxic industrial chemicals into harmless byproducts; potential applications include safety gear for soldiers and first responders —and filtration systems for buildings and vehicles

  • CDC biolab not ready after 2 1/2 years

    A new CDC biosafety lab was supposed to open in the fall of 2005; it is still not open, and legislators begin to wonder why; they note that at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, it took less than seven months for its BSL-4 lab to become operational after construction was finished

  • Boston biolab: Panel urges review of possible lab threats

    As community opposition to the almost-complete Boston University biolab continues, a panel of experts says neighborhood’s concerns — and safety — should not be excluded from consideration of final approval for lab opening

  • Chicago firm recalls beef products due to E. coli contamination fear

    E. coli scare causes large beef recall: Chicago firm distributed the suspect beef product to processing plants in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin

  • Market for molecular diagnostic technologies to grow

    The last few years have seen major strides forward in molecular diagnostic technologies; new report asses size of markets and opportunities in it