However, major gaps in our preparedness include access to bulk supplies of vaccines and other medical supplies, bulk protective equipment, and timelier field detection and monitoring capability. This is the critical time for preventing mass casualties and we need more help to be ready. Disease surveillance capabilities are critical to early detection of a release of a biological agent. When people get sick, they seek care from their doctor or a hospital. Disease surveillance is a fundamental function of public health at the local, state and federal levels.
Surveillance is our early warning system that something is wrong.
In order to participate effectively in disease surveillance and response, local health departments must be able to send and receive information quickly to and from local doctors and hospitals, to and from health departments in neighboring jurisdictions, to and from the state health department, and to and from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The local health department does the work on the ground, such as tracking down who has been exposed to a disease, sometimes obtaining laboratory specimens for accurate diagnosis, and taking whatever measures are necessary to prevent further spread. The local health department also is responsible for giving accurate and timely information to the media and the community. Every day, my colleagues in other jurisdictions face outbreaks of illness caused by salmonella, E. Coli bacteria, the hepatitis A virus, meningococcal bacteria, and a frightening array of new antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Agents of biological terrorism are highly similar to other agents of disease in that they may be insidious in onset and difficult to recognize.