Evaluation of Biological Agent Clinical Sampling and Analysis

In the absence of effective environmental sampling, the military medical system will likely provide the first indication of a biological warfare attack. IDA evaluated how various clinical sampling and analysis tactics, techniques and procedures influence the timing and accuracy of diagnostic results, which can provide critical situational awareness that informs the implementation of disease response measures, revised planning, and treatment of ill individuals. The report includes a scientific literature review, models disease and technology combinations following a biological exposure event, and analyses the modeling results to determine how these factors affect the timing and accuracy of diagnostic results.