Distributed Biosurveillance Systems Using Sensible Agent Technology to Improve Coordination and Communication among Decision - Makers

Protecting the population from chemical-biological attacks and outbreaks of infectious disease is a fundamental goal of health agencies, and early warning is critical for an effective response. However, such biosurveillance activities are inherently challenging due to the complexities involved in coordinating participants; determining the reliability of information; and drawing epidemiological conclusions. By applying Sensible Agent (SA) multi-agent system (MAS) technology to the biosurveillance domain, we can reduce the burden on the TDH epidemiologist by distributing and coordinating decision-making, as well as help the TDH manage the uncertainty of incoming data and understand how that uncertainty impacts resulting epidemiological assessments.