Comparing national and global data collection systems for reporting, outbreaks of H5N1 HPAI.

Determining if outbreak data collected by regional or international organizations can reflect patterns observed in more detailed data collected by national veterinary services is a necessary first step if global databases are to be used for making inference about determinants of disease maintenance and spread and for emergency planning and response. We compared two data sources that capture spatial and temporal information about H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks reported since 2004 in four countries: Bangladesh, Egypt, Turkey, and Vietnam. One data source consisted of reports collected as part of each country's national veterinary services surveillance program, while the other data source included reports collected using the Emergency Prevention System for Priority Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases (EMPRES-i) global animal health information system.

Perspectives on using remotely-sensed imagery in predictive veterinary epidemiology and global early warning systems.

Recent disease epidemics and their spread around the world have illustrated the weaknesses of disease surveillance and early warning systems (EWS), both at national and international levels. These diseases continuously threaten the livestock sector on a worldwide basis, some with major public health impact. EWS and accurate forecasting of new outbreaks of epidemic livestock diseases that may also affect wildlife, and the capacity for spread of such diseases to new areas is an essential pre-requisite to their effective containment and control.

Geographic information systems applied to the international surveillance and control of transboundary animal diseases, a focus on highly pathogenic avian influenza.

To respond to the lack of early warning in dealing with livestock diseases, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) developed and launched the Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases (EMPRES) programme in 1994. Emphasis was placed on the prevention of emergencies due to transboundary epidemic diseases of livestock of significant economic, trade and/or food security importance. EMPRES early warning activities, mainly based on disease surveillance, reporting and epidemiological analysis are supported by the EMPRES-i information system which enables integration, analysis and sharing of animal health data, combined with relevant layers of information, such as socio-economic, production and climatic data.