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3237802 
Journal Article 
The Defense Medical Surveillance System and the Department of Defense serum repository: Glimpses of the future of public health surveillance 
Rubertone, MV; Brundage, JF 
2002 
Yes 
American Journal of Public Health
ISSN: 0090-0036
EISSN: 1541-0048 
92 
12 
1900-1904 
WOS:000179453400011 
The Defense Medical Surveillance System (DMSS) is the
central repository of medical surveillance data for the US armed forces. The DMSS integrates data
from sources worldwide in a continuously-expanding relational database that documents the
military and medical experiences of servicemembers throughout their careers. The Department of
Defense Serum Repository (DoDSR) is a central archive of sera drawn from servicemembers for
medical surveillance purposes. Currently, the DMSS contains data relevant to more than 7 million
individuals who have served in the armed forces since 1990, and the DoDSR contains more than 27
million specimens that are linkable to data in the DMSS. Recent applications of the DMSS and
DoDSR provide glimpses of the capabilities and uses of comprehensive public health surveillance
systems.