Global Biosurveillance Ready

The Alert and Response Operations is a crucial component of the Integrated Biosurveillance Branch. The section tracks and reports infectious on infectious diseases and other health events of military interest worldwide.

Available Products

ARO's flagship product is the weekly AFHSD Health Surveillance Update. This report highlights health events by geographic combatant command and covers over 450 unique diseases, vectors, and pathogens that could impact military readiness and health. Detailed information on specific events is available through disease-specific surveillance summaries (e.g., Ebola, COVID-19), situation reports (e.g. earthquakes in Turkey and Syria), ad hoc executive summaries and spot reports.

Top Ten Events Reported for 2022

1. COVID-19
2. Mpox
3. Dengue
4. Novel influenza
5. Cholera
6. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever
7. Ebola virus disease
8. Acute hepatitis of unknown etiology
9. Seasonal influenza
10. Leptospirosis

Connect on Real-time Health Threats

As a direct connection to GCCs and Force Health Protection leadership, ARO provides access to near real-time data and information on militarily relevant health threats. In 2022, they responded to requests for information on a wide range of health topics, including the global burden of cholera, tickborne encephalitis in the U.S. European Command, and new malaria vectors in U.S. Africa Command.

Access Information Quickly

The Health Surveillance Explorer offers access to a variety of health surveillance products and information from IB, AFHSD’s Global Emerging Infections Surveillance Branch, and other sources (e.g., National Center for Medical Intelligence, CDC, WHO, etc.).