The BioWatch Program: Detection of Bioterrorism

Abstract

This report discusses some aspects of the BioWatch Program which may be of particular interest to policymakers. For example, Congress may be interested in whether these types of detection systems can substitute for or supplement other mechanisms in protecting the general populace; whether this detection system was implemented optimally; how the success of this system is to be evaluated; whether the implementation, operational, and expansion costs for the BioWatch Program make it a cost-effective federal investment; and how to optimize and streamline performance in the future. Since the BioWatch Program is a federal program implemented using state infrastructure, Congress may wish to examine how this new program coordinates with already existing public health and counterterrorism programs, as well as consider the roles and responsibilities of the federal government and coordination with state governments in an actual bioterrorism event.