In the summer of 2001, New Jersey (NJ) was in the process of developing surveillance activities for bioterrorism. On September 11, 2001, the U.S. suffered a major terrorist attack. Approximately a month later, Anthrax-laced letters were processed through a New Jersey Postal Distribution Center (PDC). As a result of these events, the state instituted simplistic surveillance activities in emergency departments (ED's). Over time, this initial system has developed into a broader, more streamlined approach to surveillance that now includes syndromic data e.g., Influenza-like illness (ILI) as well as the use of technology (automated surveys, real-time data connections, and alert analysis) to achieve surveillance goals and provide daily information to public health partners in local health departments and DHSS response colleagues.
Objective
To describe the improvements in New Jersey's Emergency Department surveillance system over time.