Biosurveillance

Biosurveillance is the automated monitoring of information sources to detect an emerging epidemic resulting from either natural causes or bioterrorism. It provides public health officials with the information needed to quickly detect and manage disease outbreaks.

Detection and Response

Health officials and epidemiologists must consider such problems as the dynamics of spread, associated ecological or climatic factors, possible quarantine decisions, and resource allocation.

GIS aids detection, response to, and management of outbreaks:

• Through mobile and network connectivity, collecting, analyzing, displaying, and sharing data from a variety of locations and sources to determine patterns and spread
• By disseminating threat information among all the various response agencies (health, police, emergency medical services [EMS], public works, etc.) about emerging infectious diseases and the agents that cause them
• By providing a common view of incident outbreaks, vulnerable populations, quarantine requirements, facilities for ad hoc medical and vaccine distribution centers, areas that require security, and response actions along with available resources, hospital status, and more
• By providing a broader view of disease occurrence at a variety of levels from regions to individual cases and supporting coordination with adjacent jurisdictions and higher-level government agencies


• Training First Responders—ArcUser, July-September 2006

Syndromic Surveillance

Syndromic surveillance processes health data to determine a "normal range" of symptoms or illness outbreaks. When normal ranges are exceeded, it provides an early warning. GIS supports syndromic surveillance by

• Displaying clusters of disease outbreaks across a geographic area
• Identifying demographic factors
• Displaying dynamic spatial patterns
• Identifying priority actions to anticipate spread

GIS has emerged as a powerful, evidence-based practice technology for early detection and timely response to disease outbreak. It is an information technology that can educate health professionals and the public on the threat of emerging infectious diseases and the agents that cause them.

GIS can help public health agencies, emergency managers, and community leaders with critical challenges presented by pandemic influenza. The following is a brief summary of how GIS solutions meet these challenges:

• Address management/geocoding services
• Vaccine/Antiviral logistics system
• Community outbreak response environment
• Mass casualty patient management system

Bioterrorism and Emergency Preparedness

• Health Resources and Services Administration
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response—Cooperative Agreement Award Notice and Grant Guidance
• HRSA Announces New Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program