Computational Tools to Support Exposure Characterization within an Integrated Biological and Chemical Warfare Defense Platform (IBCWD)
P.G. Georgopoulos and P.J. Lioy (EOHSI, UMDNJ - R.W. Johnson Medical School and Rutgers University)
An Integrated Biological and Chemical Warfare Defense Platform (IBCWD) is currently being developed by a consortium of universities,non-profit research institutes, and software developers for the Office of Naval Research Laboratory (ONRL). This prototype is a proof-of-concept system directed at creating and evaluating scenarios and plans of action to be carried out by emergency management agencies that are preparing to respond to a public health threat from a a chemical or biological warfare agent (CBWA). Scenarios and plans are developed and compared by the user and the system, after the prototype system has characterized and presented likely public health threats. Specifically, probabilities of outbreaks of infectious diseases, such as anthrax,are inferred or "fused" from simulated hospital records, laboratory tests, biological and weather sensors and text sources. Several diseases may be indicated, and the system user is encouraged to explore the situation - using several navigational tools - for planning, training or responding purposes. Potential spread of disease is calculated from weather conditions, speculations regarding source and release conditions, and detailed dispersion models. The work presented here focuses on the applicability requirements for atmospheric models and the limitations of available modeling tools.