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Scientists traveled to Laos in 2020 to take samples from bats to help determine the origin of COVID-19 and to assess the likelihood of other SARs viruses among the bat population. In doing so, they found that bats in Laos harbored a close cousin virus to SARS-CoV-2, and that the virus had the same capabilities to infect humans.

The Conversation discusses how reporting biosafety errors could improve biosecurity efforts worldwide. With no international standards for reporting biological incidents, a reporting system could play a vital role in laboratory research oversight.

Concerns over another Ebola outbreak are spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a boy has died with laboratory confirmation that he had the disease. Three of of his neighbors also died, with the potential causes of death being listed as malaria, Ebola, measles, and meningitis.

Peru has declared a health emergency due to an outbreak of dengue. Fifteen regions are under the health emergency, with concerns by the Peru Minister of Health that more regions will be included. Currently, there are 42 percent more dengue cases reported this year as compared to the same time in 2020.

A new Hendra virus variant has been confirmed in a horse in New South Wales. Researchers were able to quickly develop a diagnostic tool to detect this new variant, and continued research is being conducted to further study the virus.

Montana Department of Livestock personnel have confirmed tuberculosis in a herd of cattle in Blaine County. This is the first time in a decade that a case of bovine tuberculosis has been confirmed in a Montana beef cattle herd.

Typically, Burkholderia pseudomallei, which causes melioidosis is linked to international travel. However, when a US patient with no international travel was diagnosed with meliodosis, an epidemiologic investigation was able to determine the cause. To read more about this novel route B. pseudomallei exposure, click the blue box!

President Xi Jinping, has said "biosecurity is an important part of national security" and is encouraging the Communist Party leadership in China to increase laboratory oversight when it comes to dangerous pathogens. Click on the blue link to read more about how biosecurity issues, new and old are intertwined.

The scientific community is concerned of signs that a drug resistant form of malaria has been found in Uganda. These concerns are increased based on testing and which shows that by 2019 nearly 20 percent of samples taken had mutations suggesting that treatment was ineffective, causing the patient to take longer to recover from the illness.

Early detection of of infectious diseases in horses could change equine biosecurity in the future. To learn more about how a isothermal technology and in-field tests are being used, click the blue "read more" button!