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Happy Tax Day. We take a deep dive into what biotech is doing about bird flu, and why biotech should be part of the conversation this week during the U.N. General Assembly's Sustainability Week. (576 words, 2 minutes, 52 seconds)
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Biotech companies rise to One Health challenge of bird flu |
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Following recent avian flu infections in a human and cattle, the vaccine industry has increased R&D to prepare for the unlikely event that the virus evolves to spread among humans, Bio.News reports.
The infections: In March, following the first reported infections of livestock, a person in Texas who was in contact with infected birds became only the second human to contract avian flu in the U.S.
The virus is monitored closely by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to enable a rapid response. The latest sequencing of the virus found in the person and cattle shows it has not evolved to where it can spread between livestock or cause human contagion, CDC says.
Thus far, experts say the risk to humans, cattle and our food supply is low, but if the virus undergoes several mutations, it could spread between humans and cause a pandemic.
Why infrastructure matters: Our strong public-private partnership for dealing with pandemic influenza enables the vaccine industry to prepare for rapid development and manufacture of vaccines for humans if needed, says Phyllis Arthur, BIO SVP of Infectious Diseases & Emerging Science Policy.
Vaccines for birds already exist, and more are under development, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says.
The big picture: “Human health is closely intertwined with the health of the environment we live in and the animals who share that environment,” says Arthur. “We need to take the obvious step of addressing threats in any of these areas as an overarching, One Health problem.” Read More at Bio.News. |
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U.N. Sustainability Week puts focus on achieving SDGs |
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It’s the U.N. General Assembly’s Sustainability Week—a chance to lay the groundwork for ambitious actions to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Biotech stands ready to help.
Why it matters: The implementation period for the SDGs, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, is already half over.
What’s happening this week: Government ministers, NGOs, and other stakeholders will debate debt sustainability and socio-economic equality, as well as discuss sustainable tourism, infrastructure, transportation, and energy.
What’s next: They’re laying the groundwork for September’s Summit for the Future, designed to establish a pact to take action to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs.
There’s a big role for biotech in this—especially through sustainable aviation fuels, which can dramatically reduce air travel emissions, and low-carbon alternatives to fossil fuels. These also impact transport infrastructure and tourism.
In fact, biotech can help achieve all 17 SDGs—as outlined in a recent BIO report, produced in partnership with the International Council of Biotechnology Associations (ICBA), which explains how biotech can address challenges like hunger, health, equality, and pollution.
BIO’s view: “Societies around the world face a growing number of challenges in terms of enhancing food security, reducing pollution and emissions, and improving health outcomes,” BIO Chief Policy Officer John Murphy said on the release of the BIO/ICBA SDG report. “Biotechnology can—and often already is—providing tools needed to feed, fuel, and heal communities worldwide.” |
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