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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2005


CONTACT: Columbia/Boone County Health Department
               (573) 874-7345

Early warning biosurveillance system now serving Boone County
									
	(COLUMBIA, MO) - Boone County has implemented FirstWatch*, a new biosurveillance system that can provide early warning for disease outbreaks and possible bioterrorist attacks in the community. The fully automated surveillance system, reviews real-time information from 9-1-1 calls for trends indicating the possible outbreak of disease, illness or patterns of injury, either from natural causes or acts of terrorism.    FirstWatch* continuously scans 9-1-1 calls, comparing the symptoms and complaints reported by patients that may be identified with specific events.  
	When a combination of symptoms or complaints that have been identified as "triggers" are reported above a normal level for the community, public health officials are notified via email or a pager number. Trigger criteria is determined by utilizing the ProQA Medical Priority Dispatching Software to calculate the combinations of symptoms and complaints. Combinations of 18 different triggers are used for influenza including: abnormal breathing, clammy skin, seizures, and sudden onset of severe pain. 
	The implementation of the FirstWatch* system has been a collaboration between the Columbia/Boone County Health Department (CBCHD) and the Columbia/Boone County Office of Public Safety Joint Communications (PSJC). The 
9-1-1 calls are received by PSJC and the CBCHD then responds accordingly when alerted that a trigger has been activated. Funding for the system was provided through the 2003 Homeland Security Grant. FairCom®, a local company, donated the c-tree server database technology software component in support of public safety. The donated software is crucial to the operation of the FirstWatch* system.
	The system is the first of its type for influenza surveillance and currently monitors trends in communities including: Fort Worth, Texas; Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Okla.; Kansas City, Columbia, and Independence, Mo.; Kansas City, Johnson County and Sedgwick County, Kan.; and Des Moines, Iowa. The FirstWatch* software currently serves more than 14 million people in 16 states in a variety of surveillance capacities.
	The FirstWatch® system has been collecting data in Boone County since late summer in 2004 and became fully functional in January 2005. For more information, please contact the CBCHD at (573) 874-7354.

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