{"title":"Regulation of toxins and bioregulators under the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention","authors":"Michael Crowley, Malcolm Dando","doi":"10.1016/j.jobb.2024.03.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jobb.2024.03.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this paper we highlight how the apparent double coverage of toxins and bioregulators by both the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in fact masks a regulatory gap that has left such potentially dangerous agents neglected by both the control regimes during a period of rapid advances in relevant chemical, life and associated sciences and technologies. We first review what toxins, bioregulators and other mid-spectrum agents are and why they are of such concern and then examine how they are regulated under the BTWC and CWC. This paper then examines an illustrative range of contemporary chemical and life science research and associated activities of concern drawn from case study research on China, India, Iran, Russia, Syria and the United States, and assesses how the CWC and BTWC States Parties have inadequately addressed these threats. We then examine how both the CWC and BTWC Review Conferences failed to address these long-term challenges, and we end by providing a series of recommendations for how both regimes can be strengthened in this area.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":52875,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity","volume":"6 2","pages":"Pages 99-112"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2588933824000098/pdfft?md5=aa875d726ef0ce2dc9e47193a67fbf86&pid=1-s2.0-S2588933824000098-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140399615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alina C. Teuscher , Charlotte Ruhnau , Nicole Stöcklin , Fabienne Wichmann , Evelyn Ilg Hampe , Claudia Bagutti
{"title":"Effectiveness of chemical inactivation of infectious liquid biological waste: A randomized sample study of research laboratories in Switzerland","authors":"Alina C. Teuscher , Charlotte Ruhnau , Nicole Stöcklin , Fabienne Wichmann , Evelyn Ilg Hampe , Claudia Bagutti","doi":"10.1016/j.jobb.2024.02.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobb.2024.02.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Laboratory wastewater has been suggested as an important escape route for microorganisms from research environments. Likely reasons for the unintentional release of laboratory organisms are shortcomings in the handling of infectious liquid biological waste (LBW) and inadequate inactivation procedures. We developed an analytical approach to investigate the use of chemical inactivation (CI) procedures in Swiss research laboratories by on-site random sampling of presumably inactivated infectious LBW and testing it for the presence of infectious lentiviruses (HIV-1) and adenoviruses (AdV). In addition, standard operating procedures (SOPs) for CI were collected and evaluated, and laboratory-staff knowledge of CI processes was assessed using a questionnaire. Although we found several deficiencies in the technical knowledge and training of laboratory staff on the CI of LBW, as documented by 27 returned questionnaires, no infectious viruses were detected in the eight LBW samples collected. Whilst we acknowledge that the number of LBW samples and SOPs is small, we conclude that CI of LBW containing infectious lentiviruses and adenoviruses does not result in the systematic release of considerable amounts of infectious viruses into the environment from research laboratories in Switzerland.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":52875,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity","volume":"6 1","pages":"Pages 16-26"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2588933824000049/pdfft?md5=3b90d552352992df0ce804399f533c54&pid=1-s2.0-S2588933824000049-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140069441","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Raqqasyi R. Musafir, Agus Suryanto, Isnani Darti, Trisilowati
{"title":"Stability analysis of a fractional-order monkeypox epidemic model with quarantine and hospitalization","authors":"Raqqasyi R. Musafir, Agus Suryanto, Isnani Darti, Trisilowati","doi":"10.1016/j.jobb.2024.02.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jobb.2024.02.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The monkeypox epidemic has become a global health issue due to its rapid transmission involving nonhuman-to-human transmission in nonendemic areas. Various actions, such as quarantine, vaccination, and hospitalization, have been implemented by worldwide governments. Given the relatively high cost and strict implementation of vaccination, our focus lies on quarantine and hospitalization. In this paper, we study the monkeypox epidemic involving quarantine and hospitalization through fractional-order mathematical modeling. The proposed model considers six classes of human populations (susceptible, exposed, infected, quarantined, hospitalized, and recovered) and three classes of nonhuman populations (susceptible, exposed, and infected). The basic properties of the model have been investigated, and its equilibrium points have been obtained, namely monkeypox-free, nonhuman-free endemic, and endemic. We have derived the basic reproduction numbers for human-to-human and nonhuman-to-nonhuman transmissions, denoted as <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>R</mi><mrow><mn>0</mn><mi>h</mi></mrow></msub></mrow></math></span> and <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>R</mi><mrow><mn>0</mn><mi>n</mi></mrow></msub></mrow></math></span> respectively. The existence and stability (both locally and globally) of each equilibrium point depend on <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>R</mi><mrow><mn>0</mn><mi>h</mi></mrow></msub></mrow></math></span> and <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>R</mi><mrow><mn>0</mn><mi>n</mi></mrow></msub></mrow></math></span> relative to unity. We performed calibration and forecasting of the model on the weekly monkeypox case data of the human population in the United States of America from June 1 to September 23, 2022. Research findings indicate that the fractional-order model shows better calibration and forecasting compared to the corresponding first-order model based on the root mean square error. Furthermore, the best-fitting model calibration indicates <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>R</mi><mn>0</mn></msub><mo>=</mo><mi>max</mi><mrow><mo>{</mo><msub><mi>R</mi><mrow><mn>0</mn><mi>h</mi></mrow></msub><mo>,</mo><msub><mi>R</mi><mrow><mn>0</mn><mi>n</mi></mrow></msub><mo>}</mo></mrow><mo>></mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></math></span>, suggesting the potential for endemic conditions in humans. However, the best forecasting shows <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>R</mi><mn>0</mn></msub><mo><</mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></math></span>, possibly due to various policies such as vaccination. Given the relative cost and stringency of vaccination implementation for monkeypox control, we perform numerical simulations and sensitivity analyses on the basic reproduction number, particularly focusing on the impact of quarantine and hospitalization rates. Simulations and sensitivity analysis indicate that simultaneous increases in quarantine and hospitalization rates can reduce the basic reproduction number <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>R</mi><mrow><mn>0</mn><mi>h</mi></mrow></msub></mrow></math></spa","PeriodicalId":52875,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity","volume":"6 1","pages":"Pages 34-50"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2588933824000062/pdfft?md5=f27d3468b5e20300f8c775eb07d682e9&pid=1-s2.0-S2588933824000062-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140281839","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bobo Liu , Cui Huang , Jingcheng Wu , Tianchan Yi , Zhiming Yuan
{"title":"Legal framework for the sharing of pathogens: Issues and recommendations","authors":"Bobo Liu , Cui Huang , Jingcheng Wu , Tianchan Yi , Zhiming Yuan","doi":"10.1016/j.jobb.2023.12.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jobb.2023.12.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The sharing of pathogens is of great significance for the continuous and comprehensive testing and monitoring of viral samples, vaccine and drug development, and the study of drug resistance and mutability of viral samples. This paper reviews the current legal framework in the field of pathogen sharing, analyzes existing issues, and proposes recommendations to improve the legal framework of pathogen sharing.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":52875,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity","volume":"6 1","pages":"Pages 27-33"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2588933824000025/pdfft?md5=8e4e2f6c2ef7232cfa548aad5fb982ef&pid=1-s2.0-S2588933824000025-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139813021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xiaofeng Hu , Baichuan Xu , Mingliang Chen , Kexin Li , Yang Xiao , Shengnan Liang , Chuanfu Zhang , Hui Ma , Hongbin Song
{"title":"Development and assessment of cutting-edge biotechnologies","authors":"Xiaofeng Hu , Baichuan Xu , Mingliang Chen , Kexin Li , Yang Xiao , Shengnan Liang , Chuanfu Zhang , Hui Ma , Hongbin Song","doi":"10.1016/j.jobb.2024.03.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobb.2024.03.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The emergence of advanced biotechnologies has intensified in recent years. The rapid development of these biotechnologies has had a wide and profound impact globally, with the majority on the frontier of biosecurity technologies. The global biosecurity situation is currently highly challenging, with the characteristics of internationalization, extremely serious harm, and complex development. The misuse and abuse of biotechnologies are common, which thereby endanger biosecurity. The international community and governments have attached great importance to cutting-edge biotechnologies and are implementing laws and regulations to control and prevent biosecurity-related influences. By tracking the frontier progress of the new technologies generated from gene editing, gene drives, synthetic biology, and related cross-disciplines as applied in the biosecurity field, we analyzed the development trends in biotechnologies and their potential influence. On the one hand, this paper proposes that there is an urgent need for global cooperation to formulate management, control strategies, and measures for cutting-edge technologies in biosecurity to jointly promote their sound development. On the other hand, the international community should jointly shoulder the responsibility for safeguarding biosecurity and restrict the biotechnologies to rational applications within legal and ethical frameworks. This paper aims to provide a reference for the prevention of misuse and abuse of biotechnologies and support global cooperation in biosecurity governance.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":52875,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity","volume":"6 1","pages":"Pages 51-63"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2588933824000074/pdfft?md5=9abbd3566fd8f9b379370669cf9d0310&pid=1-s2.0-S2588933824000074-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140309764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Emerging bedaquiline resistance: A threat to the global fight against drug-resistant tuberculosis","authors":"Prakasini Satapathy , Ramaiah Itumalla , Ahmad Neyazi , Abdul Mobin Nabizai Taraki , Mahalaqua Nazli Khatib , Shilpa Gaidhane , Quazi Syed Zahiruddin , Sarvesh Rustagi , Mehrab Neyazi","doi":"10.1016/j.jobb.2024.01.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobb.2024.01.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Bedaquiline resistance is increasingly observed in the treatment of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (TB), yet standardized regimens for managing bedaquiline-resistant TB are lacking. Studies indicate a high proportion of bedaquiline-resistant cases have previously been treated for TB, and often involve strains resistant to quinolones. Regular monitoring of the culture status in patients receiving bedaquiline resistance treatment is advised. Methods such as experimental evolution, protein modeling, genome sequencing, and phenotypic analysis have been instrumental in identifying the mechanisms of bedaquiline resistance. Specifically, variants in the Rv0678 transcriptional repressor of the MmpS5-MmpL5 efflux system are linked to this type of resistance. Bayesian probability estimates show promise in determining the genotypic–phenotypic association for bedaquiline resistance, suggesting potential utility in clinical practice. Future research should explore the practical application of Bayesian probabilities in managing bedaquiline resistance. Sequencing-based technologies are anticipated to play a vital role in the early detection and management of drug-resistant TB strains.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":52875,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity","volume":"6 1","pages":"Pages 13-15"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2588933824000037/pdfft?md5=d5f9804ce3df9bf26151600a69d3d566&pid=1-s2.0-S2588933824000037-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139744271","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bobo Liu, Cui Huang, Jingcheng Wu, Tianchan Yi, Zhiming Yuan
{"title":"Legal Framework for the Sharing of Pathogens: Issues and Recommendations","authors":"Bobo Liu, Cui Huang, Jingcheng Wu, Tianchan Yi, Zhiming Yuan","doi":"10.1016/j.jobb.2023.12.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobb.2023.12.004","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":52875,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity","volume":"78 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139872916","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laith AL-Eitan, Malek Alnemri, Haneen Ali, Mishael Alkhawaldeh, Ahmad Mihyar
{"title":"Mosquito-borne diseases: Assessing risk and strategies to control their spread in the Middle East","authors":"Laith AL-Eitan, Malek Alnemri, Haneen Ali, Mishael Alkhawaldeh, Ahmad Mihyar","doi":"10.1016/j.jobb.2023.12.003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobb.2023.12.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs), like malaria and mosquito-borne viruses (MBVs), have caused the deaths of millions of people. Their threat resides in the variety of transmission modes that they possess, along with the wide selection of favorable hosts, such as humans, cattle, and rodents. MBDs are increasingly gaining a reputation as one of the most dangerous threats to public health in recent years. Mosquito numbers have been increasing in recent years as a result of multiple factors such as climate change and deforestation. This situation highlights the urgent need for actions to mitigate mosquito and MBD pathogen distributions. In the Middle East, many outbreaks of MBDs have been reported in the region. However, there are no reports of any endemic episodes of MBDs. The Middle East has faced many challenges over the years; however, the Syrian refugee crisis may be strongly related to the spread of infectious diseases. As mass gatherings and high-density populations are common features in the region, it is possible to understand why MBDs can spread easily. This review summarizes the state of MBDs in the Middle East, highlighting the different types of MBDs that have been reported in the region and discussing how to move forward with controlling their spread and limiting the risks they pose. According to the data reported by the electronic State Parties Self-Assessment Annual Reporting Tool (e-SPAR), the capacity to anticipate MBVs varies among Middle East countries. Therefore, the Middle East is on the frontline in the challenge to control a potential public health crisis. Consequently, the countries of the Middle East should be encouraged to improve their health and research capacities to mitigate the threat posed by MBDs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":52875,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity","volume":"6 1","pages":"Pages 1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2588933824000013/pdfft?md5=0d46b66e1068695b0413d46469474233&pid=1-s2.0-S2588933824000013-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139487464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dual-use oversight: Is the scientific community fit for Purpose? What should be done if it is not?","authors":"Lijun Shang, Kathryn Millett, Malcolm Dando","doi":"10.1016/j.jobb.2023.11.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobb.2023.11.001","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":52875,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity","volume":"5 4","pages":"Pages 153-154"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S258893382300050X/pdfft?md5=bcd084c1af90f93e4dcecab63e313d64&pid=1-s2.0-S258893382300050X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138557494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}