Revue Scientifique Et Technique (International Office Of Epizootics)[JOURNAL]
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200 papers
The World Organisation for Animal Health Observatory: a data-driven approach to address the needs of its Members.
Avendan-Perez G, Weber-Vintzel L
Rev Sci Tech · 2023 May · PMID 37232322 · Publisher ↗
This article reviews the Observatory of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE), including its objectives, direction and progress achieved so far. It explains the benefits offered by this data-dri...
This article reviews the Observatory of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE), including its objectives, direction and progress achieved so far. It explains the benefits offered by this data-driven programme in improving access to data and information analysis while ensuring confidentiality. In addition, the authors examine the challenges that the Observatory faces and its inextricable link to the Organisation's data management. The development of the Observatory is of the utmost importance, not only for its relevance to the development of WOAH International Standards and their implementation worldwide, but also because of its role as one of the drivers of WOAH's digital transformation plan. This transformation is essential, given the major role of information technologies in supporting regulation for animal health, animal welfare and veterinary public health.
Business-centric data solutions for safeguarding animal agriculture in the United States of America.
Estberg L, Luxton J, Spiegel K … +3 more , Pelzel-Mccluskey A, Gomez BL, Vanden Eng JL
Rev Sci Tech · 2023 May · PMID 37232321 · Publisher ↗
Business-centric solutions to data-related problems often yield the greatest positive impacts and improvements for private enterprises but are challenging to design and implement at scale within government agencies. The...
Business-centric solutions to data-related problems often yield the greatest positive impacts and improvements for private enterprises but are challenging to design and implement at scale within government agencies. The core mission of the Veterinary Services of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service is to safeguard animal agriculture in the United States of America, and effective data management underpins these efforts. As this agency works to assist data-driven decision-making in animal health management, it continues to use a blend of best practices from Federal Data Strategy initiatives and the International Data Management Association framework. This paper describes three case studies that focus on strategies to improve animal health data collection, integration, reporting and governance for animal health authorities. These strategies have enhanced the way USDA's Veterinary Services execute their mission and core operational activities for prevention, detection and early response to support disease containment and control.
Economic evaluation of antimicrobial usage surveillance in livestock.
Alarcon P, Strang CL, Chang YM … +1 more , Tak M
Rev Sci Tech · 2023 May · PMID 37232320 · Publisher ↗
There is increased pressure by governments and industry to develop national surveillance programmes to evaluate antimicrobial usage (AMU) in animals. This article presents a methodological approach to cost-effectiveness...
There is increased pressure by governments and industry to develop national surveillance programmes to evaluate antimicrobial usage (AMU) in animals. This article presents a methodological approach to cost-effectiveness analysis of such programmes. Seven objectives are proposed for AMU surveillance in animals: quantifying use, finding trends, detecting hotspots, identifying risk factors, encouraging research, evaluating the impact of policies and diseases, and demonstrating compliance with regulations. Achieving these objectives would assist in making decisions about potential interventions, help to generate trust, incentivise the reduction of AMU and decrease the risk of antimicrobial resistance. The cost-effectiveness of each objective can be found by dividing the cost of the programme by the performance indicators of the surveillance required to meet the objective concerned. The precision and accuracy of surveillance outputs are suggested here as useful performance indicators. Precision depends on the level of surveillance coverage (SC) and surveillance representativeness (SR). Accuracy is influenced by the quality of farm records and SR. The authors argue that there is an increase in marginal cost for each unit increase of SC, SR and data quality. This is caused by the increasing difficulty of recruiting farmers due to potential barriers such as staff capacity, capital availability, computing literacy and availability, and geographical differences, among other factors. A simulation model was conducted to test the approach, using the quantification of AMU as the primary objective, and to provide evidence of the application of the law of diminishing returns. Cost-effectiveness analysis can be used to support decisions on the level of coverage, representativeness and data quality required in such AMU programmes.
Antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance monitoring in pig production in the United States of America.
Spronk T, Green AL, Vuolo M … +7 more , Ruesch L, Edler R, Haley C, Scaria J, Hennings J, Dee S, Shivley CB
Rev Sci Tech · 2023 May · PMID 37232319 · Publisher ↗
Monitoring antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on farms is recognised as an important component of antimicrobial stewardship, yet the process can be resource intensive. This paper describes a subse...
Monitoring antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on farms is recognised as an important component of antimicrobial stewardship, yet the process can be resource intensive. This paper describes a subset of findings from the first year of a collaboration across government, academia and a private sector veterinary practice focused on swine production in the Midwestern United States. The work is supported by participating farmers and the greater swine industry. Twice-annual collection of samples from pigs along with AMU monitoring occurred on 138 swine farms. Detection and resistance of Escherichia coli from pig tissues was assessed, and associations between AMU and AMR were evaluated. This paper describes the methods utilised and the first-year E. coli-related results from this project. Higher minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for enrofloxacin and danofloxacin in E. coli from swine tissues were associated with the purchase of fluoroquinolones. There were no other significant associations between MIC and AMU combinations in E. coli isolated from pig tissues. This project represents one of the first attempts to monitor AMU as well as AMR in E. coli in a large-scale commercial swine system in the United States of America.
Big data from small animals: integrating multi-level environmental data into the Dog Aging Project.
Xue D, Collins D, Kauffman M … +5 more , Dunbar M, Crowder K, Schwartz SM, Dog Aging Project Consortium, Ruple A
Rev Sci Tech · 2023 May · PMID 37232318 · Full text
Environmental exposures can have large impacts on health outcomes. While many resources have been dedicated to understanding how humans are influenced by the environment, few efforts have been made to study the role of b...
Environmental exposures can have large impacts on health outcomes. While many resources have been dedicated to understanding how humans are influenced by the environment, few efforts have been made to study the role of built and natural environmental features on animal health. The Dog Aging Project (DAP) is a longitudinal community science study of aging in companion dogs. Using a combination of owner-reported surveys and secondary sources linked through geocoded coordinates, DAP has captured home, yard and neighbourhood variables for over 40,000 dogs. The DAP environmental data set spans four domains: the physical and built environment; chemical environment and exposures; diet and exercise; and social environment and interactions. By combining biometric data, measures of cognitive function and behaviour, and medical records, DAP is attempting to use a big-data approach to transform the understanding of how the surrounding world affects the health of companion dogs. In this paper, the authors describe the data infrastructure developed to integrate and analyse multi-level environmental data that can be used to improve the understanding of canine co-morbidity and aging.
Challenges and opportunities of sharing animal health data for research and disease management: a case study of bovine tuberculosis.
Mitchell A, Alexander N, Ellerbeck J … +9 more , Enticott G, Hogarth P, Prosser A, Lambert L, Hackett D, Tait N, Tiller J, Upton P, Wint W
Rev Sci Tech · 2023 May · PMID 37232317 · Publisher ↗
The sharing of animal disease data should be encouraged. The analysis of such data will broaden our knowledge of animal diseases and potentially provide insights into their management. However, the need to conform to dat...
The sharing of animal disease data should be encouraged. The analysis of such data will broaden our knowledge of animal diseases and potentially provide insights into their management. However, the need to conform to data protection rules in the sharing of such data for analysis purposes often poses practical difficulties. This paper sets out the challenges and the methods used for the sharing of animal health data in England, Scotland and Wales - Great Britain - using bovine tuberculosis (bTB) data as a case study. The data sharing described is undertaken by the Animal and Plant Health Agency on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Welsh and Scottish Governments. It should be noted that animal health data are held at the level of Great Britain (rather than the United Kingdom - which includes Northern Ireland), as Northern Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has its own separate data systems. Bovine tuberculosis is the most significant and costly animal health problem facing cattle farmers in England and Wales. It can be devastating for farmers and farming communities and the control costs for taxpayers in Great Britain are over £150 million a year. The authors describe two methods of data sharing - first, where data are requested by, and delivered to, an academic institution for epidemiological or scientific analysis, and second, where data are proactively published in an accessible and meaningful way. They provide details of an example of the second method, namely, the free-to-access website ‘information bovine TB' (https://ibtb.co.uk), which publishes bTB data for the benefit of the farming community and veterinary health professionals.
Management of animal health data to inform policy in China.
Gao L, Liu H, Guo F … +1 more , Wang Y
Rev Sci Tech · 2023 May · PMID 37232316 · Publisher ↗
In the past ten years, with the development of computer and internet technology, the informatisation of animal health data management has continuously improved, thus strengthening the role of animal health information in...
In the past ten years, with the development of computer and internet technology, the informatisation of animal health data management has continuously improved, thus strengthening the role of animal health information in supporting decision-making. This article outlines the legal basis, management system and collection procedure for animal health data in the mainland of China. Its development and application are also briefed, and its future development is envisioned based on the current situation.
Assessing the quality of data for drivers of disease emergence.
Horigan V, Kelly L, Papa A … +4 more , Koopmans MPG, Sikkema RS, Koren LGH, Snary EL
Rev Sci Tech · 2023 May · PMID 37232315 · Publisher ↗
Drivers are factors that have the potential to directly or indirectly influence the likelihood of infectious diseases emerging or re-emerging. It is likely that an emerging infectious disease (EID) rarely occurs as the r...
Drivers are factors that have the potential to directly or indirectly influence the likelihood of infectious diseases emerging or re-emerging. It is likely that an emerging infectious disease (EID) rarely occurs as the result of only one driver; rather, a network of sub-drivers (factors that can influence a driver) are likely to provide conditions that allow a pathogen to (re-)emerge and become established. Data on sub-drivers have therefore been used by modellers to identify hotspots where EIDs may next occur, or to estimate which sub-drivers have the greatest influence on the likelihood of their occurrence. To minimise error and bias when modelling how sub-drivers interact, and thus aid in predicting the likelihood of infectious disease emergence, researchers need good-quality data to describe these sub-drivers. This study assesses the quality of the available data on sub-drivers of West Nile virus against various criteria as a case study. The data were found to be of varying quality with regard to fulfilling the criteria. The characteristic with the lowest score was completeness, i.e. where sufficient data are available to fulfil all the requirements for the model. This is an important characteristic as an incomplete data set could lead to erroneous conclusions being drawn from modelling studies. Thus, the availability of good-quality data is essential to reduce uncertainty when estimating the likelihood of where EID outbreaks may occur and identifying the points on the risk pathway where preventive measures may be taken.
From top to bottom: gridded human population estimates in data-poor situations.
Stevens KB
Rev Sci Tech · 2023 May · PMID 37232314 · Publisher ↗
Where disease risks are heterogeneous across population groups or space, or dependent on transmission between individuals, spatial data on population distributions - human, livestock and wildlife - are required to estima...
Where disease risks are heterogeneous across population groups or space, or dependent on transmission between individuals, spatial data on population distributions - human, livestock and wildlife - are required to estimate infectious disease risks, burdens and dynamics. As a result, large-scale, spatially explicit, high-resolution human population data are being increasingly used in a wide range of animal- and public-health planning and policy development scenarios. Official census data, aggregated by administrative unit, provide the only complete enumeration of a country's population. While census data from developed countries are generally up-to-date and of high quality, in resource-poor settings they are often incomplete, out of date, or only available at the country or province level. The challenges associated with producing accurate population estimates in regions that lack high-quality census data have led to the development of census-independent approaches to small-area population estimations. Known as bottom-up models, as opposed to the census-based top-down approaches, these methods combine microcensus survey data with ancillary data to provide spatially disaggregated population estimates in the absence of national census data. This review highlights the need for high-resolution gridded population data, discusses problems associated with using census data as top-down model inputs, and explores census-independent, or bottom-up, methods of producing spatially explicit, high-resolution gridded population data, together with their advantages.
Management and analysis of high-throughput sequence data for infectious animal diseases.
Ellis RJ, Jenkins TL
Rev Sci Tech · 2023 May · PMID 37232313 · Publisher ↗
Advances in technology and decreasing costs have accelerated the use of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) for both diagnosis and characterisation of infectious animal diseases. High-throughput sequencing offers several ad...
Advances in technology and decreasing costs have accelerated the use of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) for both diagnosis and characterisation of infectious animal diseases. High-throughput sequencing offers several advantages over previous techniques, including rapid turnaround times and the ability to resolve single nucleotide changes among samples, both of which are important for epidemiological investigations of outbreaks. However, due to the plethora of genetic data being routinely generated, the storage and analysis of these data are proving challenging in their own right. In this article, the authors provide insight into the aspects of data management and analysis that should be considered before adopting HTS for routine animal health diagnostics. These elements fall largely into three interrelated categories: data storage, data analysis and quality assurance. Each has numerous complexities and may need to be adapted as HTS evolves. Making appropriate strategic decisions about bioinformatic sequence analysis early on in project development will help to avert major issues in the long term.
Surveillance and risk assessment for early detection of emerging infectious diseases in livestock.
Drewe JA, Snary EL, Crotta M … +2 more , Alarcon P, Guitian J
Rev Sci Tech · 2023 May · PMID 37232312 · Publisher ↗
Those who work in the area of surveillance and prevention of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) face a challenge in accurately predicting where infection will occur and who (or what) it will affect. Establishing surveil...
Those who work in the area of surveillance and prevention of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) face a challenge in accurately predicting where infection will occur and who (or what) it will affect. Establishing surveillance and control programmes for EIDs requires substantial and long-term commitment of resources that are limited in nature. This contrasts with the unquantifiable number of possible zoonotic and non-zoonotic infectious diseases that may emerge, even when the focus is restricted to diseases involving livestock. Such diseases may emerge from many combinations of, and changes in, host species, production systems, environments/habitats and pathogen types. Given these multiple elements, risk prioritisation frameworks should be used more widely to support decision-making and resource allocation for surveillance. In this paper, the authors use recent examples of EID events in livestock to review surveillance approaches for the early detection of EIDs, and highlight the need for surveillance programmes to be informed and prioritised by regularly updated risk assessment frameworks. They conclude by discussing some unmet needs in risk assessment practices for EIDs, and the need for improved coordination in global infectious disease surveillance.
Challenges involved in the collection of appropriate data for the completion of disease outbreak risk assessments.
Hill-Ernesto R, Simons RRL, Evans D … +1 more , Horigan V
Rev Sci Tech · 2023 May · PMID 37232311 · Publisher ↗
Risk assessment is an essential tool used in the control of disease outbreaks. Without it, key risk pathways might not be identified, resulting in potential spread of disease. The devastating effects of disease spread ca...
Risk assessment is an essential tool used in the control of disease outbreaks. Without it, key risk pathways might not be identified, resulting in potential spread of disease. The devastating effects of disease spread can ripple through society, affecting the economy and trade and having considerable impact on animal health and potentially human health. The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE) has highlighted that risk analysis, which includes risk assessment, is not consistently used across all Members, with some low-income countries making policy decisions without prior risk assessment. The failure of some Members to rely on risk assessment could be caused by a lack of staff and risk assessment-related training, poor funding in the animal health sector, and lack of understanding regarding the use and application of risk analysis. However, to complete effective risk assessment, high-quality data must be collected, and other factors such as geographical conditions, use (or not) of technology, and varying production systems all influence the ability to collect these data. Demographic and population-level data can be collected during peacetime in the form of surveillance schemes and national reports. Having these data before an outbreak occurs better equips a country for controlling or preventing disease outbreaks. In order for all WOAH Members to meet risk analysis requirements, an international effort must be made for cross-working and the development of collaborative schemes. Technology can play an important role in the development of risk analysis, and low-income countries must not be left behind in the efforts to protect animal and human populations from disease.
Reshaping surveillance for infectious diseases: less chasing of pathogens and more monitoring of drivers.
Drewe JA, George J, Hasler B
Rev Sci Tech · 2023 May · PMID 37232310 · Publisher ↗
Animal health surveillance, despite its name, tends to focus on looking for disease. Often this involves searching for cases of infection with known pathogens (‘pathogen chasing'). Such an approach is both resource int...
Animal health surveillance, despite its name, tends to focus on looking for disease. Often this involves searching for cases of infection with known pathogens (‘pathogen chasing'). Such an approach is both resource intensive and limited by the requirement for prior knowledge of disease likelihood. In this paper, the authors propose the gradual reshaping of surveillance towards the systems level, focusing on the processes (‘drivers') that promote disease or health, rather than on the presence or absence of specific pathogens. Examples of relevant drivers include land-use change, increasing global interconnectedness, and finance and capital flows. Importantly, the authors suggest that surveillance should focus on detecting changes in patterns or quantities associated with such drivers. This would generate systems-level, risk-based surveillance information to identify areas where additional attention may be needed, and, over time, inform the implementation of prevention efforts. The collection, integration and analysis of data on drivers is likely to require investment in improving data infrastructures. A period of overlap would allow the two systems (traditional surveillance and driver monitoring) to be compared and calibrated. This would also lead to a better understanding of the drivers and their linkages, and thereby generate new knowledge that can improve surveillance and inform mitigation efforts. Since surveillance of drivers may give signals when changes are occurring, which could act as alerts and enable targeted mitigation, this might even enable disease to be prevented before it happens by directly intervening in the drivers themselves. Such surveillance focused on the drivers could be expected to bring additional benefits, since the same drivers promote multiple diseases. Further, focusing on drivers rather than pathogens should enable control of currently unknown diseases, making this approach particularly timely, given the increasing risk of emergence of new diseases.
Enhanced passive surveillance for early detection of African and classical swine fevers.
Schettino DM, Perez D, Lantigua E … +7 more , Beemer O, Remmenga M, Vanicek C, Lopes G, Arzt J, Reyes R, Perez A
Rev Sci Tech · 2023 May · PMID 37232309 · Publisher ↗
African swine fever (ASF) and classical swine fever (CSF) are transboundary animal diseases (TADs) of pigs. Much effort and resources are regularly put into preventing these diseases' introduction in free areas. Passive...
African swine fever (ASF) and classical swine fever (CSF) are transboundary animal diseases (TADs) of pigs. Much effort and resources are regularly put into preventing these diseases' introduction in free areas. Passive surveillance activities bring the highest chances for the early detection of TAD incursions because they are routinely and widely conducted at farms, and because these activities focus on the time between introduction and when the first sample is sent for diagnostic testing. The authors proposed the implementation of an enhanced passive surveillance (EPS) protocol based on collecting data through participatory surveillance actions using an objective and adaptable scoring system to aid the early detection of ASF or CSF at the farm level. The protocol was applied in two commercial pig farms for ten weeks in the Dominican Republic, which is a CSF- and ASF-infected country. This study was a proof of concept, based on the EPS protocol to aid detection of substantial variations in the risk score triggering testing. One of the followed farms had score variation, which triggered testing of the animals, although the test results were negative. The study enables assessment of some of the weaknesses associated with passive surveillance and provides lessons applicable to the problem. Results demonstrate the potential for overcoming some issues preventing the broad application of EPS protocols and suggest that standardised approaches may contribute to the early detection of CSF and ASF introductions.
Wildlife health surveillance: gaps, needs and opportunities.
Delgado M, Ferrari N, Fanelli A … +7 more , Muset S, Thompson L, Sleeman JM, White CL, Walsh D, Wannous C, Tizzani P
Rev Sci Tech · 2023 May · PMID 37232308 · Publisher ↗
Disease emergence represents a global threat to public health, economy and biological conservation. Most emerging zoonotic diseases have an animal origin, most commonly from wildlife. To prevent their spread and to suppo...
Disease emergence represents a global threat to public health, economy and biological conservation. Most emerging zoonotic diseases have an animal origin, most commonly from wildlife. To prevent their spread and to support the implementation of control measures, disease surveillance and reporting systems are needed, and due to globalisation, these activities should be carried out at the global level. To define the main gaps affecting the performance of wildlife health surveillance and reporting systems globally, the authors analysed data from a questionnaire sent to National Focal Points of the World Organisation for Animal Health that inquired on structure and limits of wildlife surveillance and reporting systems in their territories. Responses from 103 Members, covering all areas of the globe, revealed that 54.4% have a wildlife disease surveillance programme and 66% have implemented a strategy to manage disease spread. The lack of dedicated budget affected the possibility of outbreak investigations, sample collection and diagnostic testing. Although most Members maintain records relating to wildlife mortality or morbidity events in centralised databases, data analysis and disease risk assessment are reported as priority needs. The authors' evaluation of surveillance capacity found an overall low level, with marked variability among Members that was not restricted to a specific geographical area. Increased wildlife disease surveillance globally would help in understanding and managing risks to animal and public health. Moreover, consideration of the influence of socio-economic, cultural and biodiversity aspects could improve disease surveillance under a One Health approach.
Infectious disease modelling to inform policy.
Smith GC, Kao RR, Walker M
Rev Sci Tech · 2023 May · PMID 37232307 · Publisher ↗
With modelling becoming increasingly important in helping to inform decisions about animal diseases, it is essential that the process be optimised to gain the maximum benefit for the decision-maker. Here, the authors set...
With modelling becoming increasingly important in helping to inform decisions about animal diseases, it is essential that the process be optimised to gain the maximum benefit for the decision-maker. Here, the authors set out ten steps that can improve this process for all concerned. Four steps describe initialisation to ensure that the question, answer and timescale are defined; two steps describe the modelling process and quality assurance; and four steps describe the reporting stage. The authors believe that this greater emphasis at the beginning and end of a modelling project will increase the relevance of the work and understanding of the results, and thus contribute towards better decision-making.
Disease outbreak response: why epidemiology plays a central role.
Avigad R, Ellis-Iversen J, Gibbens J … +2 more , Hepple R, Paterson A
Rev Sci Tech · 2023 May · PMID 37232306 · Publisher ↗
The need to control transboundary animal disease outbreaks is widely recognised, as is the need for evidence-based decisions regarding which control measures to implement. Key data and information are required to inform...
The need to control transboundary animal disease outbreaks is widely recognised, as is the need for evidence-based decisions regarding which control measures to implement. Key data and information are required to inform this evidence base. To ensure effective communication of the evidence, a rapid process of collation, interpretation and translation is required. This paper describes how epidemiology can provide the framework through which relevant specialists can be engaged to this end, and highlights the central role of epidemiologists, with their unique combination of skills, in this process. It provides an example of an evidence team led by epidemiologists, namely the United Kingdom National Emergency Epidemiology Group, which was established to address this need. It then goes on to consider the different strands of epidemiology, the need for a wide multidisciplinary approach, and the importance of training and preparedness activities to facilitate rapid response.
Data-driven investment and performance management in the livestock sector.
Peters AR, Thevasagayam S
Rev Sci Tech · 2023 May · PMID 37232305 · Publisher ↗
Evidence-based decision-making is now axiomatic in many sectors and has become increasingly important in prioritising development in low- and middle-income countries. In the livestock development sector, there has been a...
Evidence-based decision-making is now axiomatic in many sectors and has become increasingly important in prioritising development in low- and middle-income countries. In the livestock development sector, there has been a lack of data on health and production required to establish an evidence base. Thus, much strategic and policy decision-making has been based on the more subjective grounds of opinion, expert or otherwise. However, there is now a trend towards a more data-driven approach for such decisions. The Centre for Supporting Evidence-Based Interventions in Livestock was established in Edinburgh by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2016, to collate and publish livestock health and production data, lead a community of practice to harmonise livestock-data-related methodologies, and develop and monitor performance indicators for livestock investments.
Antimicrobial use in animals: a journey towards integrated surveillance.
Jeannin M, Magongo M, Gochez D … +5 more , Valsson O, Erlacher-Vindel E, Davies B, Arroyo Kuribrena M, Yugueros-Marcos J
Rev Sci Tech · 2023 May · PMID 37232304 · Publisher ↗
In 2015, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE) initiated the annual collection of data on antimicrobials intended for use in animals using a Microsoft Excel questionnaire. In 2022, WOAH initiate...
In 2015, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE) initiated the annual collection of data on antimicrobials intended for use in animals using a Microsoft Excel questionnaire. In 2022, WOAH initiated the migration to a customised interactive online system: ANIMUSE Global Database. This system enables national Veterinary Services not only to monitor and report data more easily and more accurately, but also to visualise, analyse and use data for surveillance purposes to their own benefit in the implementation of national action plans on antimicrobial resistance. This journey started seven years ago, with progressive improvements in the way data are collected, analysed and reported and continuous adaptations to overcome various challenges encountered (e.g. data confidentiality, training of civil servants, calculation of active ingredients, standardisation to enable fair comparisons and trend analyses, and data interoperability). Technical developments have been key in the success of this endeavour. However, it is important not to underestimate the importance of the human element: to listen to WOAH Members and their needs, and to exchange to solve issues, adapt tools, and gain and maintain trust. The journey is not over yet, and more developments are foreseen, such as to complement current data sources with data collected directly at the farm level; strengthen interoperability and integrated analysis with cross-sectoral databases; and facilitate institutionalisation of data collection and systematic use in monitoring, evaluation, lesson learning, reporting and, eventually, surveillance of antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance when implementing and updating national action plans. This paper describes how all these challenges were overcome and how future challenges will be addressed.
A framework for assessing confidence in freedom from infection in animal disease control programmes.
Van Schaik G, Madouasse A, van Roon AM … +15 more , More SJ, Graham DA, Frossling J, Gethmann J, Fourichon C, Mercat M, Agren E, Sauter-Louis C, Gunn G, Eze J, Humphry R, Henry MK, Guelbenzu M, Nielen M, Santman-Berends IMG
Rev Sci Tech · 2023 May · PMID 37232303 · Publisher ↗
In the Surveillance Tool for Outcome-based Comparison of FREEdom from infection (STOC free) project (https://www.stocfree.eu), a data collection tool was constructed to facilitate standardised collection of input data, a...
In the Surveillance Tool for Outcome-based Comparison of FREEdom from infection (STOC free) project (https://www.stocfree.eu), a data collection tool was constructed to facilitate standardised collection of input data, and a model was developed to allow a standardised and harmonised comparison of the outputs of different control programmes (CPs) for cattle diseases. The STOC free model can be used to evaluate the probability of freedom from infection for herds in CPs and to determine whether these CPs comply with the European Union's pre-defined output-based standards. Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) was chosen as the case disease for this project because of the diversity in CPs in the six participating countries. Detailed BVDV CP and risk factor information was collected using the data collection tool. For inclusion of the data in the STOC free model, key aspects and default values were quantified. A Bayesian hidden Markov model was deemed appropriate, and a model was developed for BVDV CPs. The model was tested and validated using real BVDV CP data from partner countries, and corresponding computer code was made publicly available. The STOC free model focuses on herd-level data, although that animal-level data can be included after aggregation to herd level. The STOC free model is applicable to diseases that are endemic, given that it needs the presence of some infection to estimate parameters and enable convergence. In countries where infection-free status has been achieved, a scenario tree model could be a better suited tool. Further work is recommended to generalise the STOC free model to other diseases.
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