Epidemiology: Open Access
Open Access

Abstract

From the origin in 1996 of the U.S. program for the forensic and law enforcement investigation of suspicious and actual
bioterrorism events, it was recognized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Centers for Disease Control that
law enforcement and public health must work together closely to resolve whether or not questionable infectious disease
outbreaks were or a natural, accidental or deliberate origin. Today, in the U.S. and elsewhere, law enforcement and public
health closely coordinate their efforts in many ways, routinely and during crises. There are three key scientific contributors to
informing processes and decisions in these events: microbial forensics, infectious disease epidemiology and infectious disease
biosurveillance. For both law enforcement and public health, decisions can be informed by all three sources. Microbial forensics,
supported by traditional forensics, seeks to identify evidence, and extract as much information of value to investigators and
Government officials as possible, leading to the determination of whether a crime has been committed and identifying who
was responsible so that legal action can occur. Epidemiology seeks to identify the causative agent and pathways and source
of the outbreak so that public health measures can be instituted to manage and minimize the effects on populations and
society. Biosurveillance monitors routine disease background as well as identifies eruptive events of note that require further
investigation. All three should be leveraged to inform actions and decision making. The dynamics between these fields will be
discussed and scenarios will be used to illustrate the interactions.

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