P - R
type: Concept

RSVP
type: Concept
definition: Rapid Syndrome Validation Project Los Alamos National Laboratory is collaborating on a new tool that will provide public health officials with an early warning and response system for threats to public health. The threat to public health from infectious diseases is increasing. New, evolving and emerging diseases have appeared in unexpected locations with increasing regularity as society becomes more mobile. Diseases such as HIV, dengue fever and hantavirus present unique and significant challenges to the public health infrastructure, both in recognizing their presence and dealing with their effects. The familiar flu virus takes a significant toll every year, causing thousands of deaths, mostly among the aged or the young. The threat of bioterrorism also has increased. A rogue group could introduce virulent biological pathogens into a popula- tion with potentially catastrophic results, if we do not have the tools to detect and respond. Most flu epidemics are recognized only after they happen, and therefore, appropriate medical attention is often too late. http://www.eurekalert.org/features/doe/2001-06/danl-rsv061302.php
in scheme: projects