Kiley Christopher

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency Chemical and Biological Technologies Directorate (DTRA CB) has initiated the Biosurveillance Ecosystem (BSVE) research and development program. Work process flow diagrams, with associated explanations and historical examples, were developed based on in-person, structured interviews with public health and preventative medicine analysts from a variety of Department of Defense (DoD) organizations, and with one organization in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and with a major U.S. city health department. The particular nuanced job characteristics of each organization were documented and subsequently validated with the individual analysts. Additionally, the commonalities across different organizations were described in meta-workflow diagrams and descriptions.

Objective

Operational biosurveillance capability gaps were analyzed and the required characteristics of new technology were outlined, the results of which will be described in this contribution.

NBIC collects, analyzes, and shares key biosurveillance information to support the nation’s response to biological events of concern. Integration of this information enables early warning and shared situational awareness to inform critical decision making, and direct response and recovery efforts.

DTRA J9 CB leads DoD S&T to anticipate, defend, and safeguard against chemical and biological threats for the warfighter and the nation.

These agencies have partnered to meet the evolving needs of the biosurveillance community and address gaps in technology and data sharing capabilities. High-profile events such as the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, the West African Ebola outbreak, and the recent emergence of Zika virus disease have underscored the need for integration of disparate biosurveillance systems to provide a more functional infrastructure. This allows analysts and others in the community to collect, analyze, and share relevant data across organizations securely and efficiently. Leveraging existing biosurveillance efforts provides the federal public health community, and its partners, with a comprehensive interagency platform that enables engagement and data sharing. 

Objective

The National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC) and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s Chemical and Biological Technologies Department (DTRA J9 CB) have partnered to co- develop the Biosurveillance Ecosystem (BSVE), an emerging capability that aims to provide a virtual, customizable analyst workbench that integrates health and non-health data. This partnership promotes engagement between diverse health surveillance entities to increase awareness and improve decision-making capabilities.