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BIOSECURITY Conference Fosters Dialogue on Biosecurity More than 1,100 scientists, medical personnel, first responders, and regular citizens attended the BioSecurity 2002 conference held in Las Vegas on Nov. 18 to 21. Organized by HMS, Harvard Medical International, HSPH, and Key3Media Events, the sessions covered four areas: the science of biosecurity; surveillance, biodetection, and early warning systems; planning and preparedness; and consequences management. A special track on vaccines was organized by the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences. Ehud Barak (left) greets Robert Crone at the national biosecurity conference in Las Vegas. Dennis Kasper, HMS executive dean for academic programs, and Robert Crone, president and CEO of Harvard Medical International, opened the conference, while keynote speakers on the first day were Kenneth Shine, director of the Rand Center for Domestic and International Health Security and former head of the Institute of Medicine, and Ehud Barak, former prime minister of Israel. The first day was devoted to the science of biosecurity and included a presentation on the diagnosis and treatment of major bioterrorist threats by Stephen Calderwood, HMS professor of medicine (microbiology and molecular genetics) and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital, and David Hooper, HMS associate professor of medicine and chief of the Infection Control Unit at MGH. Netting Infectious Agents Second day keynoters were Colonel Patrick Kelly, director of the Department of Defense Global Emerging Infections System (DoD-GEIS) and director of the Division of Preventive Medicine at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, and Lieutenant Colonel Julie Pavlin, chief of the Field Studies Department at Walter Reed. "The short answer to the question is 'yes.' Yes, in case after case, it is possible to design technology to protect liberty and security at the same time" --Jeffrey Rosen The two spoke on some of the systems the Department of Defense uses to track emerging infectious diseases. The DoD-GEIS was developed in 1996 due to a presidential directive that required the department to support the global surveillance, training, research, and response to emerging infectious disease threats. "We have a powerful network we can use to service the nation," Kelly said. The DoD-GEIS is a collection of medical units with more than 1,000 people in labs around the world, in places such as Kenya, Thailand, Egypt, and Indonesia, conducting research and surveillance. Pavlin described the Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-based Epidemics (ESSENCE). Established in 1997, it analyzes and monitors disease trends in military personnel. After Sept. 11, its potential as a nationwide surveillance system became apparent, and it was expanded to include all fixed military institutions around the globe. In partnership with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, a similar system to track the civilian population is being developed that would track over-the-counter medication and school absenteeism. These indicators would provide for early detection since most people with symptoms wait a few days before seeing a health provider. Later that day, in a session on whether technology can protect both liberty and security, panelists Jennifer Leaning and Jeffrey Rosen both agreed that it is important to continue to protect personal liberties even though enhanced security is needed. "The short answer to the question is 'yes.' Yes, in case after case, it is possible to design technology to protect liberty and security at the same time," said Rosen, associate professor of law at George Washington University. Leaning, an HSPH professor of international health, agreed. She emphasized the importance of protecting individual freedoms while addressing national security and bioterrorism. "We have an obligation to minimize the harm, as well as maximize the good. And there are very few exceptions when a state can infringe on individual liberties," Leaning said. More Threats Other sessions at the four-day conference addressed topics such as molecular approaches for early detection of biothreat agents, livestock diseases as a threat to national security, bioterrorism and the transportation industry, and coordinating public and private sector responses before, during, and after a bioterrorism event. "One of the objectives of the conference was to provide a forum for the attendees to share their experiences in dealing with bioterrorist and similar events," said Miles Shore, the Bullard professor of psychiatry at HMS and vice chair of the conference planning committee. "The interaction that took place allowed that to happen." As a result of the success of this year's conference, next year's is already being planned. For more information, visit www.biosecuritysummit.com.