Project would accelerate development of bird flu vaccine for humans
Drugmaker Sinergium Biotech, based in Argentina, will lead a project to accelerate the development of a human vaccine against the H5N1 avian flu virus, said the World Health Organization and the Medicines Patent Pool on Monday. The project is aimed at pharmaceutical companies in low- and middle-income nations and intended to bolster pandemic preparedness worldwide.
USDA proposes limits on salmonella bacteria in raw poultry products
After three years of study, the Agriculture Department proposed limits on salmonella contamination of raw chicken and turkey products on Monday with an emphasis on the types of salmonella bacteria mostly likely to cause illness. Consumer groups said the proposal, modeled on a 1994 USDA ban on the most dangerous types of E. coli bacteria in ground beef, was a large step forward for public health.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Climate change narrows pesticide window: Increasingly rainy and windy weather in the spring and early summer is reducing the number of days that farmers can spray pesticides on their crops, and there are complaints annually in Iowa of pesticides drifting onto neighbors’ property. (Gazette)
Rice prices remain high: Although its fears of a short domestic crop did not materialize, India, the largest rice-exporting nation, has restricted rice exports for nearly a year, keeping prices on the international rice market elevated. (IFPRI)
USDA broadens ECO insurance: Five additional crops will join the 36 crops already eligible for Enhanced Coverage Option crop insurance in 2025 and the government will pay a larger share of the premium – 65 percent — “to make the policy more affordable.” (Risk Management Agency)
Oral rabies vaccine test: USDA’s animal health agency will distribute by airplane, helicopter, and vehicle 3.3 million packets of an oral rabies vaccine bait in eight states this summer and fall as part of an ongoing test of a vaccine to prevent rabies in wildlife. (USDA)
