speakers presenting the scientific perspective on bioaerosol detection technology and testing and a review of federal biosurveillance activities.

At the second meeting, held September 22–24, 2008, the committee heard from speakers on the topics of bioterrorism risk and risk analysis, BioWatch as a risk-management response, the basis for the BioWatch approach, the current operational approach and future plans, environmental monitoring and public health surveillance and response, surveillance in public health and health care, and laboratory roles in BioWatch and in infectious disease surveillance in the public health and health care systems. Speakers were chosen for their expertise in their fields.

At the third meeting, held November 3–5, 2008, the committee heard from speakers on the topics of critical information needs for decision makers, index case recognition, point-of-care diagnostics, and other operational approaches to environmental monitoring for bioterrorism. The committee also heard briefings on aspects of the threat, on aerosol plume modeling, and on past and projected costs for BioWatch.

The fourth and fifth meetings, held December 2–3, 2008, in Irvine, California, and January 26–27, 2009, in Washington, DC, respectively, were deliberative and writing meetings during which the committee developed and refined its recommendations and the members of the committee worked together to draft the report. The committee also kept in close contact by telephone and electronic communication throughout the study.

The following individuals were invited speakers at meetings of the committee:

Amy Altman, Ph.D.

Luminex Corporation

Atar Baer, Ph.D.

Seattle-King County Department of Health, WA

Vickie Baselski, Ph.D.

University of Tennessee

Paul Benda

Pentagon Force Protection Agency

Steven Bennett, Ph.D.

Department of Homeland Security

Diane Berry, Ph.D.

Department of Homeland Security

Debora Boyle, D.V.M., Ph.D.

University of Minnesota

Michael Brown, Ph.D.

Los Alamos National Laboratory

David Buckeridge, M.D., Ph.D.

McGill University

Michael Bullard, M.D.

University of Alberta, Edmonton