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Computer model depicts the spread of disease
Researchers at Southampton University develop a computer model to simulate the transmission of infectious diseases between people
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U.K. employers not prepared for flu calamity
Fewer than a quarter of U.K. companies have made adequate plans for coping with a flu pandemic; 30 percent of businesses have no strategy at all, while 14 percent have but rudimentary continuity plans
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ECBC recognized for contribution of chemical, biological standoff detection
Edgewood Chemical Biological Center’s research and development of standoff biological and chemical detectors is recognized by the U.S. Army
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Dorit Arad, MND, and the business of diagnostic tests for viral pandemics
Israeli scientist combines scientific brilliance, business savvy to design breakthrough diagnostic kits for viral pandemics; globally, the diagnostic market is estimated at $40 billion annually
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Kit cuts pathogen detection time down to hours
Scottish scientists develop food contamination kit which will cut detection times for food pathogens such as Campylobacter, Listeria, and Salmonella from six days to five hours
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Meat treatment procedure approved even as scientists raised questions
Meat industry officials complain that they lose $1 billion in sales every year from having to discard or discount meat which is still edible but does not look red and appetizing; their solution: Treat meat with carbon monoxide gas to keep older cuts of meat looking red and fresh; critics question procedure’s safety
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Arizona biologist dies of plague contracted from mountain lion
Biologist contracted disease from a mountain lion he was treating at an Arizona national park; about 13 people in the U.S. die every year of the plague, which may be naturally contracted
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U.K. says avian flu strain in Suffolk and Norfolk highly pathogenic
Government confirms the presence of highly pathogenic H5N1 strain in south-east U.K.; protection zone imposed, full epidemiological investigation continues
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Desalinated water poses problem for agriculture
Nearly half of humanity is suffering insufficient access to potable water, and water scarcity for agriculture is regarded as a global crisis; between 1994 and 2004 world desalination capacity increased from 17.3 to 35.6 million m³/day; trouble is, desalinated water does not contain nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and sulfate which are essential to plant life
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Purdue's veterinary homeland security program
Purdue University’s program in veterinary homeland security receives national certification as a curriculum for response personnel in the event of a major animal health emergency
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Contamination by biotech rice could cost U.S. industry $1.2 billion
Unapproved strain of genetically modified rice, not approved for human consumption, found its way into the U.S. food supply last year; recalls and import bans cause U.S. rice growers, harvesters, processors, millers, and retailers losses which could reach $1.2 billion
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Bush approves plan to tighten U.S. food safety rules
The administration is seeking new legal authority for the FDA, including the power to issue mandatory recalls; plan also calls for fines of up to $10 million for companies that flout rules, and for deployment of more U.S. government inspectors overseas
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FDA works on creating ID system for medical devices, supplies
A boost to RFID technology: FDA is working on a system to track and identify all medical devices and supplies; when finalized, the new requirements would drive adoption of RFID in the medical supply chain and in reporting adverse events
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Web site offers unsafe-product alerts
Consumer Union launches a new Web site offering news on the latest recalls from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture
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Ensuring imports' safety offers lucrative business opportunities
Mounting worries about hazardous substances in food, toys, and other consumer goods is creating opportunities for makers of devices which detect such dangers; Bay State businesses seize opportunities
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