Data management and analysis systems for bluetongue virus zoning in Australia

Bluetongue virus (BTV) monitoring data in Australia is managed using a secure web-enabled centralised database. Scientists across the country submit virological and entomological data from sentinel and other sites using the Internet. Automated reporting and mapping systems make this data immediately available to all users. This system underpins the process used for defining zone boundaries. Immediate access to monitoring results allows the zones to be redefined as soon as any evidence of expansion of the area of BTV activity is detected. The method used to define zone boundaries, incorporating detailed information on vector and virus activity, property boundaries and subdivision boundaries, geography and climate, is described.