title: Infectious diseases investment decision evaluation algorithm: a quantitative algorithm for prioritization of naturally occurring infectious disease threats to the U.S. military.
abstract: Identification of the most significant infectious disease threats to deployed U.S. military forces is important for developing and maintaining an appropriate countermeasure research and development portfolio. We describe a quantitative algorithmic method (the Infectious Diseases Investment Decision Evaluation Algorithm) that uses Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center information to determine which naturally occurring pathogens pose the most substantial threat to U.S. deployed forces in the absence of specific mitigating countermeasures. The Infectious Diseases Investment Decision Evaluation Algorithm scores the relative importance of various diseases by taking into account both their severity and the likelihood of infection on a country-by-country basis. In such an analysis, the top three endemic disease threats to U.S. deployed forces are malaria, bacteria-caused diarrhea, and dengue fever.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Pharmaceutics Corp., Westlake Village, CA 91362-5280, USA.
authors.forename: W Neal
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Burnette
authors.forename: Charles H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hoke
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scovill
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abrams
authors.forename: Lynn W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Kitchen
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hanson
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Palys
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Vaughn
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003657:Decision Making; D006285:Health Planning / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel; D014481:United States