Real-time disease surveillance tools for the swine industry in Minnesota

The ultimate challenge for integrating geographic information systems (GIS) into swine veterinary activities in the United States is to develop systems that deliver effective decision support to practising veterinarians seeking to control hyper-endemic viral diseases such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). Through collaboration with specialist swine veterinarians and state agencies we have developed two tools designed to enable real-time surveillance for swine diseases, based on capture of veterinary clinical data via the internet. The first is an ArcIMS-based Web-mapping application that enables authorised veterinarians to explore high resolution maps of swine premises throughout the state of Minnesota. This is coupled with a database that enables veterinarians to edit or update farm attribute data, including disease status via the internet. The system is generic so that novel or emerging disease syndromes can be incorporated. The second application is an extension to the Rapid Syndrome Validation Project-Animals which was developed for beef cattle to detect changes in disease incidence through recording of patterns of symptoms. The rationale behind these initiatives is that recent technological advances in relevant disciplines provide opportunities for innovation in surveillance that can enhance the capacity of the industry to combat its most pressing disease challenges in a more efficient manner. The acceptance of these novel tools by industry will assist veterinarians and producers in managing common disease problems, and hopefully serve to diminish the historic reluctance of producers to share information about disease status.