The Metropolitan Atlanta Surveillance Task Force originated as a result of the 1999 West Nile virus outbreak in the Northeast, which caused public health officials in Atlanta to recognize the potential for the disease to spread to Georgia. Atlanta's size (3.5 million residents) and number of political jurisdictions (10 counties each with a board of health) meant developing a coordinated response plan would be a challenging task. To address these issues, in early 2000, staff from the five health districts in the metro Atlanta area and the state health department voluntarily convened the Metropolitan Atlanta Surveillance Task Force (MASTF) to create a regional approach to this emerging infection. MASTF developed a plan for public education, environmental monitoring, and disease surveillance.

The goal of this program is to create a regional approach to emerging infection based on public education, environmental monitoring, and disease surveillance.

In July 2001, the first human case of West Nile illness in Atlanta was detected. During that season, all of the metro Atlanta counties subscribed to the MASTF plan. As a result, the public heard consistent health messages about preventive measures they could take to lower their risk of illness. MASTF recently entered its fourth year of existence, with heavily attended and regularly scheduled monthly meetings. While West Nile has remained a central focus, MASTF has evolved into a forum where other emerging public health threats could be discussed. MASTF members, for example, recently shared strategies and plans around anthrax, smallpox vaccination, SARS, avian influenza and other new threats.