Equine Syndromic Surveillance in Colorado Using Veterinary Laboratory Test Order Data

The Risk Identification Unit (RIU) of the US Dept. of Agriculture’s Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health (CEAH) conducts weekly surveillance of national livestock health data and routine coordination with agricultural stakeholders. In an initiative to increase the monitored species, health issues, and data sources, CEAH epidemiologists are building a surveillance system based on weekly counts of laboratory test orders along with Colorado State Univ. laboratorians and statistical analysts from the Johns Hopkins Univ. Applied Physics Lab. Initial efforts used 12 years of equine test records from 3 state labs covering most Colorado horse testing. Trial syndrome groups were formed based on RIU experience and published articles. Data analysis, stakeholder input, and discovery of laboratory workflow details were needed to modify these groups and filter test records to eliminate alerting bias. Customized statistical monitoring methods were sought based on specialized lab information characteristics and on likely presentation and health significance of syndrome-associated diseases.