SALUS solution relevancy

Biosurveillance National Initiative

The following excerpts are taken directly from national biosurveillance reports, directives, and recommendations. SALUS is a global biosurveillance solution that was built with these guidelines in mind.

Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 10 (2004): Pillar of Biodefense

HSPD-21: Public Health and Medical Preparedness (2007)

The U.S. Government to develop a nationwide, robust, and integrated biosurveillance capability, with connection to international disease-surveillance system, in order to provide early warning and ongoing characterization of disease outbreaks in real-time.

Nat. Strategy for Biosurveillance and Nat. Biosurveillance Science and Technology Roadmap (2013)

  1. Integrate capabilities, including combining human, animal, and plant health data - "One Health" approach
  2. Build capacity, including development and use of point-of-care diagnostics
  3. Foster innovation, including new detection and health information exchange approaches
  4. Strengthen partnership domestically and internationally

President's Council of Advisors on Sciences and Technology (PCAST) (2014)

  1. Biosurveillance based on genomics sequencing of pathogens as well as of DNA and RNA extracted from clinical samples - use of metagenomics
  2. Referential database based on genomics sequencing of identified pathogens
  3. Development of appropriate computational methods and tools
  4. Surveillance efforts in diverse settings, including the human population and agriculture - development of microbial sequencing approach

PCAST 2016

Briefly, the nation needs a robust national capability for surveillance of human, animal, and plant pathogens that integrates environmental, epidemiological, and clinical information with genomic sequence data and analysis on a routine basis.

  • improve and accelerate the detection of biological pathogens by monitoring relevant cases, including those from unknown origins
  • provide an understanding of the genetic diversity of the pathogen causing the outbreak - important for faster initiation of vaccine development
  • provide information about the origin and spread of an outbreak
  • quickly determine whether and how any given organism has been engineered or altered

Read the 2018 National Biodefense Strategy: here