At the conference, EIS officers, CDC staff and others have the opportunity to present their research, discuss the findings and take part in professional networking. Topics at this year’s conference range from using advanced molecular tools to direct public health action to international infectious disease outbreaks. This year’s theme, Science That Makes a Difference: Anticipating the, “So What?” celebrates the many accomplishments of EIS over the last 66 years and shares the program’s pledge to use the highest-quality scientific data to directly inform decisions to protect our communities. This month, the 66th annual EIS conference is taking place in Atlanta. With Zika virus, officers are continuing to be deployed as the current outbreak continues. These officers were deployed to 17 countries, eight states and CDC’s Emergency Operations Center. During the Ebola epidemic, CDC deployed 156 of 158 EIS officers. You name a disease, and disease detectives have chased it. So what is the role of EIS today? Most people are familiar with diseases like Ebola, Zika and Norovirus. Similarly, EIS Officers have to engage in detailed, one-on-one conversations with each new patient and their loved ones and acquaintances to solve the mystery of a disease and the source of an outbreak. Shoe leather refers to old style detectives who walked the streets wearing out shoes while solving cases. The term “shoe-leather epidemiology” is used to describe the investigation style epidemiologists conduct. These EIS Officers serve on the public health protection frontlines. Since 1951, more than 3,500 EIS officers have responded to requests for epidemiologic assistance within the United States. EIS officers conduct epidemiologic investigations, research and public health surveillance nationally and internationally. Each year, 70–80 people are selected and assigned to CDC or state and local health department positions. Who is responsible for protecting America from the spread of disease and other global health threats? Who works day and night domestically and globally to ensure epidemics in other countries do not hit American soil? The Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS), also known as disease detectives, are the ones responsible, and they take this role very seriously.Įstablished in 1951, EIS is a program administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a two-year postgraduate program of service and on-the-job training for health professionals interested in the practice of epidemiology.