The European Commission (EC) regulation no. 854/2004 requires a systematic monitoring of chemical and microbiological contaminants in live bivalve molluscs, live echinoderms, live tunicates and live marine gastropods for human consumption through surveillance plans to be implemented in all European Union (EU) countries.A consortium of five Adriatic countries was set up in the framework of the Instrument of Pre-accession Assistance Adriatic Cross-border Cooperation Programme (IPA Adriatic CBC) 2007- 2013 with the aim of collecting data and distribute information on harvesting and production in mollusc areas. A web-based geographical information system (GIS) application was developed to support the partners to manage data and to make these data available to final users, policy makers and to risk assessors. The GIS for the Strengthening of Centres for Aquaculture Production and Safety surveillance in the Adriatic countries (CAPS2) is divided into two levels, the national and the supranational one, and it distributes spatial and epidemiological information coming from various data acquisition and management sites. The great innovation is the possibility for each country to use online drawing, modifying and change of the geographic areas according to national surveillance needs. Currently it hosts data coming from about 230 production and relay areas with more than 29,478 laboratory tests performed on collected samples since August 2014. Data collected are used by each national competent authority to classify production or relay areas according to the EC regulation mentioned and to conduct risk assessment studies to evaluate the level of consumers’ exposure to contaminants in the consumption of bivalve mollusc products.
To support African veterinary laboratory services, the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise puts in place an operational system called ''SILAB for Africa'' (SILABFA); this is a web application used by a laboratory information management system to support laboratory diagnostic activities and to meet the needs of various African countries. SILABFA was designed to collect and manage all necessary information on samples, tests, and test results. The system involves the entry of sample data on arrival, the tracking of samples through the various sections of the laboratory, and the collection of test results. It automates the generation of test reports and monitors outbreaks through data interrogation functions and eliminates multiple registrations of the same data on paper records. SILABFA is currently installed in Namibia,
IntroductionA system to support decisions and operations in cases of epidemic emergency has been designed and implemented, in order to improve the decision-making capabilities of Veterinary Services for outbreaks of exotic diseases.MethodsThe system implementation consisted of: 1) drafting contingency plans for OIE List A diseases; 2) implementing an automated information network, linking Local Veterinary Unit and the Regional Epidemiological Centre; 3) implementing a Geographical Information System (GIS), to be automatically connected to the animal identification database and to the ANIMO (Animal Movement) system; 4) supplying the personnel of Veterinary Services with the necessary tools, instruments and materials; 5) personnel training. Integration of activities led to the implementation of a telematic support system for the management of epidemic emergencies, providing the Veterinary Services with the information necessary to the management of exotic disease outbreaks. The system has been implemented from a structural point of view as follows:Data warehouse design and implementation, fed by ORACLE DATA MART SUITE operational databases,Implementation within the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise Web site, of a controlled access telematic system, where:static pages were implemented in HTML and the dynamic ones in PERL;GIS was used to design and update maps;Downloading of documents and forms was made possible as well as the generation of tables and graphs in real time.ResultsIn the event of an outbreak it is possible to: map relevant data and information (i.e. Protection and Surveillance Zones); to produce disease trend data both in tabular and graphical form and the indicators for the disease management and control. Contingency plans of OIE list A disease are provided through the Internet for consultation and downloading. All the forms for administrative and epidemiological data collection are provided for and can sent by e-mail to the proper veterinary authority and other stakeholders.DiscussionThe system has been tested both by a simulated foot and mouth disease outbreak and a real Swine Vesicular Disease outbreak. The existence of written and standardised procedures, the availability of updated and pertinent information for outbreaks management and the support of a telematic system has allowed the rationalisation the actions to be implemented and to speed up intervention time.
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