The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that an emergency use authorization (EUA) has been issued for a rapid, single-use test for the detection of Ebola virus. This is the second Ebola rapid antigen fingerstick test available under EUA, but the first that uses a portable battery-operated reader, which can help provide clear diagnostic results outside of laboratories and in areas where patients are likely to be treated.
The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and Sandia National Laboratories are creating more precise drone detection capability through visuals alone. The novel temporal frequency analysis being tested at Sandia analyzes the frequency of pixel fluctuation in an image over time, eventually obtaining a “temporal frequency signature” for videoed drones.
The FY 2018 Fire Prevention and Safety grant application period will open at 8 a.m. ET Monday, 12 November 2018 and will close on Friday, 21 December 2018 at 5 p.m. ET. The Fire Prevention and Safety Grants are part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants and support projects that enhance the safety of the public and firefighters from fire and related hazards.
FLIR Systems Inc. announced it has been awarded the first option phase on a five-year, cost-plus fixed fee contract by the United States Department of Defense’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency. This option totals $1.2 million for continued development of the FLIR Agentase C2 chemical agent disclosure spray (ADS) for detection of nerve agents and a new formulation for fentanyl detection.
Evolv Technology today announced Evolv Edge™, its people screening system that detects weapons and bombs, has achieved the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) SAFETY Act Designation. Following a rigorous application and due diligence process by DHS, the Evolv Edge is now a Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology (QATT).
Researchers have identified a compound that strongly inhibits botulinum neurotoxin, the most toxic compound known. That inhibiting compound, nitrophenyl psoralen (NPP), could be used as a treatment to reduce paralysis induced by botulism. Botulinum neurotoxin is considered a potential bioweapon because there is no U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved antidote.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the drug Seizalam® (midazolam injection) as an anti-seizure medication, protects Americans from a potentially deadly health effect of chemical weapons. Having this drug, developed by Meridian Medical Technologies, available in multi-use vials makes drug administration easier in emergencies involving a large number of people exposed to chemicals that cause prolonged seizures.
First responders and educators now have a tool at their disposal to help ensure the safety of the nation’s schools, as well as the students and faculty within them. The Enhanced Dynamic Geo-Social Environment (EDGE), a virtual training platform, allows teachers, school staff, law enforcement officers, and others tasked with school security to create and practice response plans for a wide range of critical incidents.
The neurologic effects and treatment options for exposure to biologic and chemical agents are outlined in a newly published article by neurologists from the University of Colorado School of Medicine who collaborated on the article with military physicians. The authors describe how to recognize, diagnose, treat, and report exposures to anthrax, botulism, brucella, plague, smallpox, organophosphates, nerve agents, cyanide, or carfentanil.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Xofluza (baloxavir marboxil) for the treatment of acute uncomplicated influenza (flu) in patients 12 years of age and older who have been symptomatic for no more than 48 hours. Flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. When patients with the flu are treated within 48 hours of becoming sick, antiviral drugs can reduce symptoms and duration of the illness.
