AMMS establishes biosecurity defense system

The project of "The Establishment and Application of Comprehensive Prevention and Control Technology System for New Infectious Diseases" headed by Cao Wuchun and Li Song, researchers of the Academy of Military Medical Sciences (AMMS) of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA)，won the first prize of the National Scientific and Technological Progress Award on February 14, 2012.

According to Cao Wuchun, director of the State Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biosecurity (SKLPBS) of the AMMS, the new infectious diseases are not only havocking human health and are also likely to cause social panic and unrest. Countries in the world are highly concerned about these new infectious diseases. During the past 2 decades, the AMMS pooled the wisdom of hundreds of researchers of 7 research groups of 4 research institutes to tackle key research problems. Taking into consideration the actual harm of new infectious diseases, the AMMS made breakthroughs in fields of identifying new pathogens and discovering new natural sources of infection, and developed technologies and products with independent intellectual property rights for drugs prevention and control and emergency disposal. A infectious disease detection and vector control platforms at the national strategy level have been established, which symbolizes that China owns a relatively complete "biosecurity defense system" from now on.

It is reported that the team of researchers with the AMMS was the first to identify pathogens of new infectious diseases such as H5N1 avian flu virus and Hepatitis G Virus (HGV) in China. The team developed drug candidates for SARS prevention and treatment with independent intellectual property rights and established an emergency production system of flu and avian flu drugs.