Evaluation of a Veterinary-Based Syndromic Surveillance System Implemented for Swine

January 5, 2011 — 

Practicing veterinarians play an important role in detecting the initial outbreak of disease in animal populations. A pilot study was conducted to determine the feasibility of a veterinary-based surveillance system for the Ontario swine industry. A total of 7 practitioners from 5 clinics agreed to submit information from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008. The surveillance program was evaluated in terms of timeliness, compliance, geographic coverage, and data quality. Our study showed that the veterinary-based surveillance system was acceptable to practitioners and produced useful data. The program obtained information from 25% of pig farms in Ontario during this time period. However, better communication with practitioners, more user-friendly recording systems that can be adapted to each clinic's management system, active involvement of the clinics' technical personnel, and the use of financial incentives may help to improve compliance and timeliness.

[Editor's note: AASV and the National Pork Board have instituted a similar pilot project involving a number of selected veterinary clinics and diagnostic labs across the U.S. Our objectives, findings and concerns mirror those expressed by the authors. This project is on-going and directed by Dr. Pam Zaabel and Dr. Lisa Becton.]

Del Rocio Amezcua M, Pearl DL, Friendship RM, McNab WB, Evaluation of a veterinary-based syndromic surveillance system implemented for swine, Can J Vet Res. 2010 Oct;74(4):241-51.