Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2015/03/news-scan-mar-17-2015
News Scan for Mar 17, 2015
Saudi MERS case; Select agent rule feedback
Filed Under:
Biosecurity Issues; MERS-CoV
[h=3]Saudi Arabia reports another MERS case[/h] Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH) today reported a new MERS-CoV case, continuing the steady stream that began early this year.
The MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) case involves a 73-year-old male Saudi national in Riyadh who is hospitalized in critical condition. He had no recent animal exposure or contact with MERS cases in the community, but possible contact with MERS cases in the healthcare setting is under investigation.
He is not a healthcare worker and had preexisting disease, the MOH said.
The agency also reported that a 51-year-old male expatriate in Khobar has recovered from the disease. He also is not a health worker and had preexisting disease.
The new cases bring the total for March to 38 so far, compared with 75 in all of February. Since 2012 the country has confirmed 958 MERS-CoV cases with 416 deaths. Twenty-five patients are still being treated or are in home isolation, and 517 have recovered.
Mar 17 MOH update
[h=3]Feds seek public comment on impact of select agent rule[/h] As part of a federal review of select agent regulations that began last August, the National Security Council and the White House's Office of Science Technology and Policy yesterday invited the public to comment on the impact that the current rules have on science, technology, and national security.
According to a Federal Register notice, a fast-track committee is reviewing the impacts of the select agent regulations and will weigh options to address challenges and gaps that come out of the feedback. Public comments must be received by 5 pm Eastern time on Mar 30 to be considered.
Federal officials are also holding a series of stakeholder listening sessions, the first of which was held on Feb 17.
The select agent review comes in the wake of several lab biosafety incidents, and in the federal memo last August announcing a review of policies, federal official asked federal agencies and departments that conduct life sciences research to take immediate and long-term steps to address the underlying causes of recent incidents and to strengthen overall biosafety.
Mar 16 White House press release
Mar 16 Federal Register notice
Aug 29, 2014, CIDRAP News scan on biosecurity review
News Scan for Mar 17, 2015
Saudi MERS case; Select agent rule feedback
Filed Under:
Biosecurity Issues; MERS-CoV
[h=3]Saudi Arabia reports another MERS case[/h] Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH) today reported a new MERS-CoV case, continuing the steady stream that began early this year.
The MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) case involves a 73-year-old male Saudi national in Riyadh who is hospitalized in critical condition. He had no recent animal exposure or contact with MERS cases in the community, but possible contact with MERS cases in the healthcare setting is under investigation.
He is not a healthcare worker and had preexisting disease, the MOH said.
The agency also reported that a 51-year-old male expatriate in Khobar has recovered from the disease. He also is not a health worker and had preexisting disease.
The new cases bring the total for March to 38 so far, compared with 75 in all of February. Since 2012 the country has confirmed 958 MERS-CoV cases with 416 deaths. Twenty-five patients are still being treated or are in home isolation, and 517 have recovered.
Mar 17 MOH update
[h=3]Feds seek public comment on impact of select agent rule[/h] As part of a federal review of select agent regulations that began last August, the National Security Council and the White House's Office of Science Technology and Policy yesterday invited the public to comment on the impact that the current rules have on science, technology, and national security.
According to a Federal Register notice, a fast-track committee is reviewing the impacts of the select agent regulations and will weigh options to address challenges and gaps that come out of the feedback. Public comments must be received by 5 pm Eastern time on Mar 30 to be considered.
Federal officials are also holding a series of stakeholder listening sessions, the first of which was held on Feb 17.
The select agent review comes in the wake of several lab biosafety incidents, and in the federal memo last August announcing a review of policies, federal official asked federal agencies and departments that conduct life sciences research to take immediate and long-term steps to address the underlying causes of recent incidents and to strengthen overall biosafety.
Mar 16 White House press release
Mar 16 Federal Register notice
Aug 29, 2014, CIDRAP News scan on biosecurity review