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Scientists unveil new weapon in swine flu fight
Taiwanese researchers say they have developed an organic compound which could help control the global swine flu epidemic; the compound can destroy viruses such as A(H1N1) swine flu and avian influenza
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Judge dismisses lawsuit objecting to Kansas location of biolab
Texas Bio- and Agro-Defense Consortium sued DHS over the department’s decision to build the new BioLab Level 4 in Kansas; judge dismisses case — but without prejudice, opening the way for the consortium to refile the lawsuit later
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WHO: Swine flu sweeping world at "unprecedented speed"
WHO said Friday that the speed at which the swine flu epidemic is spreading could tip the world into deflation and delay the economic recovery
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Breakthrough: Radiation protection drug developed
American and Israeli researchers developed a drug which offers protection from radioactive radiation; the drug uses proteins produced in bacteria found in the intestines to protect cells against radiation; the FDA is expected to approve the drug within a year or two
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China orders hospitals to stop shock therapy for Internet addicts
Two hospitals in China use electro-shock treatment to “cure” Chinese youngsters of what the Chinese term “Internet addiction”; some 3,000 youth were forced to undergo the treatment (to add insult to injury: their families had to pay $805 a month for the privilege); the Chinese define Internet addiction as playing games and looking at pornography rather than working or studying — and getting angry when unable to get online
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Death rate of swine flu difficult to measure
To formulate an effective policy to cope with the swine flu there is a need for an accurate set of numbers about the disease’s spread and morbidity; these number are hard to come by
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H1N1 virus more dangerous than suspected
New study says that, in contrast with run-of-the-mill seasonal flu viruses, the H1N1virus exhibits an ability to infect cells deep in the lungs, where it can cause pneumonia and, in severe cases, death
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G8 leaders address food security
In last week’s meeting in Italy, leaders of the G8 pledged $15 billion over the next three years to increase food security in developing countries by investing in food production and distribution infrastructure
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Swine flu vaccine strains grow very slowly, delaying vaccine production
The fastest-growing of all the wine flu vaccine strains tested so far grows only half as fast as ordinary vaccine viruses; if the current pandemic behaves like the last H1N1 pandemic in 1918, the next, possibly worse waves of infection could be long over by the time vaccine contracts are filled
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WHO: Swine flu "unstoppable"
The World Health Organization says the swine flu pandemic has grown “unstoppable” and all nations will need access to vaccines; while most cases have been considered mild, a study released today said the virus causes more lung damage than ordinary seasonal flu strains
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Inkjet printer technology to be used in biosensors
Researchers describe a method for printing a toxin-detecting biosensor on paper using a FujiFilm Dimatix Materials Printer; the method relies on a “lateral flow” sensing approach similar to that used in a home pregnancy test strip
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DARPA wants "plant-based production system" to help combat flu
DARPA says that “Recent advances funded by DARPA and others have demonstrated the viability of plant-based protein expression technologies for the production and purification of cGMP-compliant medical countermeasures…”
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Cities need to prepare for a home-made nuke
An explosion of ten kiloton nuclear bomb in a city would be disastrous; as catastrophic as such an attack would be, it would not level an entire city, and a timely response could save many lives
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Humans may infect pigs with swine flu
Researchers find that the strain of influenza, A/H1N1, which is currently pandemic in humans has been shown to be infectious to pigs and to spread rapidly in a trial pig population
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A first: Ebola virus found in pigs in the Philippines
For the first time, Ebola virus has been detected in pigs, raising concerns it could mutate and pose a new risk to humans
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