National Biosurveillance Integration SystemNational Biosurveillance Integration System(NBIS) (NBIS)

Prepared for:Biosurveillance Information Exchange Working Group

February 22, 2006

National Policy for Biodefense

April 2004, The National Policy for Bio-defense (HSPD-10) directly tasks the Secretary of Homeland Security to:

“establish a National Biosurveillance Group (NBSG) that capitalizes

upon existing surveillance systems focused on, respectively, human

disease, food, agriculture, water, meteorology, and the environment.

This group will collate, integrate, and analyze the information from these

systems with relevant threat and intelligence information and disseminate

this all-source information to appropriate Federal departments and

agencies.”

NBIS Mission

The National Biosurveillance Group provides decision-makers early recognition of biological events of potential national significance, to include natural disease outbreaks, accidental or intentional use of biological agents, and emergent biohazards through the acquisition, integration, analysis, and dissemination of information from existing human disease, food, agriculture, water, meteorological, and environmental surveillance systems and relevant threat and intelligence information.  The resulting improved information sharing and enhanced situational awareness facilitates national decision-making to enable timely response. 

Key Terms• NBIS - National Biosurveillance Integration System – the overarching

program • NBSG - National Biosurveillance Group – the DHS personnel and

Interagency SMEs that operate the National Biosurveillance Integration Center.

• NBIC - National Biosurveillance Integration Center – the DHS facility housing the NBSG

• NBIS Lite – a prototype information technology (IT) system • NBIS v2.0 – a robust IT system designed to support the comprehensive

information and knowledge requirements of the NBIS Program. • NMA - NBIS Member Agencies – those Departments, Agencies, and

Organizations internal and external to the DHS participating in the NBIS through information sharing and analysis.

• GBSE - Global Biological Security Environment – the aggregate of biological conditions and related factors that comprise or pose an extant or emergent hazard to the health of human, animal, and plant life particularly with respect to the United States and its interests. Also includes non-biological indicators that may signal a potential or emerging biological condition that threatens such.

• BCOP - Biosurveillance Common Operating Picture – the graphical representation of the GBSE derived from the composite feeds of NBISv2

• Networked biosurveillance community will greatly enhance situational awareness of all members and supported decision-makers

• Shared situational awareness will improve community understanding of bio-hazards, their etiologies and their markers

• Informed network members are able to perform their detection functions more effectively – Develop an analytic rhythm that produces

cooperative, synergistic, system-wide surveillance• Cross-domain analysis will improve detection

time and surveillance fidelity

Network-centric Approach

NBIS IT

-

Intelligence CommunityNBIS IT System ConceptNBIS Operating Environment

Industry

VA

DoD

DOT

DoD

HHS

FDA

DOS

USDA

FAO

CDC

NOAA

DOE

OiE

EPA

USGS

WHO

DHS

Other

CommercialSources

Fusion

• Conditioning• Fusion• Detection

National Biosurveillance Group

MessageBrokerLayer

CommonOperating

Picture

Archived(as submitted)

Fused Processed(analyzed)

• Event Recognition• Situational Awareness• Information Sharing

HS

OC

, IIMG

, & Interagency P

artners

USPS

Hazards of Concern

• Human Pathogens– High Mortality– Ease of transmission– Economic Impact– Psychological Impact

• Animal Pathogens– Ease of transmission to Humans– Ease of transmission within and between species– Economic Impact

• Plant Pathogens– Economic concerns– Human / Animal Health Concerns

• Environmental, Water Pathogens– Human/ Animal Health Concerns– Economic Concern– Psychological Concern

Enhanced Surveillance

7

Event Progression

Det

ectio

n T

ime

24 hrs

48 hrs

72 hrs

Domain Detection Thresholds(e.g. intelligence, syndromic surveillance, etc.)

Agency A

Agency B

Agency C

Multi -domain cueing can reduce detection

threshold below independent domain thresholds

Single domain threshold reached informs all members

NBIS Detection Window

NBIS Objectives•Improved info sharing•Reduced detection time

DOES NOT Involve

• Event Response• Agency roles are defined under the National Response Plan (NRP)

• Attribution – Terrorist Act • The FBI has this role

• Represent a parallel reporting structure outside the NRP

• Replace the role of any interagency partner• Include information on individuals• Completely eliminate uncertainty in the

biosurveillance equation

Implementation Phases

• Phased approach that builds capability• Avian disease oriented initially for current threat• Phases

– Phase 1 – Watch center active (Nov – Dec 2005)– Phase 2 – NBIS Lite (Dec 2005 – Jun 2006)

• Daily General Disease Reports– Avian Flu Supplement

• Weekly AI Summary• Bio Informational Notices• Web based portal for the NBSG

– Phase 3 – NBIS-V2 ( Jul 2006)• All hazards taxonomy• Robust information feeds• Limited decision support capability• Analyst chat• BCOP

NBSG Staffing

• 24/7 Watch Desk within the HSOC• Agency representatives assigned to NBSG will:

– Assist in analysis specific to their agency’s information

– Provide insight into the capabilities and operations of their agency

– Facilitate coordination and 2-way information sharing– NMA representatives should be:

• Conversant in all major operational aspects of their agency• Possess analytic expertise in their agency’s area of focus• Capable of working in a dynamic interagency environment

• ~40 personnel total

Current Reports

• Daily General Disease Report – CONUS and OCONUS– Supplemental Avian Influenza Update

• Weekly Avian Influenza SITREP– Global– Confirmations include OIE/WHO/EU Labs, Military Labs

and Local Government agencies– Geographic expansion– US Border Surveillance

• Biological Event Informational Notices

Avian Influenza SITREP

• Weekly SITREP Product is intended for the Secretary and NBSG

• All classification levels• Reflects global tactical tracking of both

suspected and confirmed Avian Influenza in animals and humans

• Represents input from multiple NBSG partner agencies and approximately one million open source materials scanned per day

• Early indication and warning is the goal

Example Product: Avian Influenza SITREP (2 of 3)

QUESTIONS?