Biotech and Pharmaceuticals

Poliovirus found in Brooklyn and Queens sewage, New York health officials say

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Poliovirus found in Brooklyn and Queens sewage, New York health officials say

Polio virus particle, computer illustration. Kateryna Kon | Science Photo Library | Getty Images New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has extended the state of emergency declared in response to the spread of poliovirus after sewage tested positive in Brooklyn and Queens. Hochul said the state disaster emergency will remain in place at least through Nov. … Read more

FDA clears vaccine to prevent whooping cough in newborns by giving shot to mother during pregnancy

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FDA clears vaccine to prevent whooping cough in newborns by giving shot to mother during pregnancy

Signage is seen outside of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) headquarters in White Oak, Maryland, August 29, 2020. Andrew Kelly | Reuters The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved a vaccine for use in the third trimester of pregnancy to prevent whooping cough in newborn infants. The vaccine, called Boostrix, is made by … Read more

How polio came back to New York for the first time in decades, silently spread and left a patient paralyzed

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How polio came back to New York for the first time in decades, silently spread and left a patient paralyzed

A research assistant prepares a PCR reaction for polio at a lab at Queens College on August 25, 2022, in New York City. Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty Images When a young adult in a New York City suburb visited an emergency department in June after experiencing weakness in their lower legs, the shocking … Read more

Monkeypox eradication unlikely in the U.S. as virus could spread indefinitely, CDC says

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Monkeypox eradication unlikely in the U.S. as virus could spread indefinitely, CDC says

The monkeypox virus is unlikely to be eliminated from the U.S. in the near future, according to a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week. The CDC, in a technical brief, said the outbreak is slowing as the availability of vaccines has increased, people have become more aware of how … Read more

A dog in France has monkeypox, worrying scientists that we won’t be able to eradicate the virus if it spreads to more animals

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A dog in France has monkeypox, worrying scientists that we won’t be able to eradicate the virus if it spreads to more animals

Monkeypox virus illustration. Thom Leach | Science Photo Library | Getty Images In 2003, 47 people in six Midwestern states caught monkeypox from pet prairie dogs that became infected after being kept with rodents imported from Ghana, Africa. Today’s outbreak, which has already infected more than 14,100 people in the US and more than 41,000 … Read more

U.S. regulators clear way for more monkeypox vaccine shipments

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U.S. regulators clear way for more monkeypox vaccine shipments

Michael Nicot, a health worker, prepares to vaccinate on July 12, 2022 at the Prevention of Monkeypox The Pride Center in Wilton Manors, Florida. Joe Redl | Getty Images Thousands more doses of the monkeypox vaccine are expected to begin shipping to the US soon after federal health officials said they had completed an inspection … Read more