USDA-APHIS-VS utilizes several continuous data streams to increase our knowledge of animal health and provide situational awareness of emerging animal health issues. In addition, USDA- APHIS-VS often conducts pilot projects to see if regular data access and analysis are feasible, and if so, if the information generated is useful. Syndromic surveillance was developed for three goals: a syndromic monitoring system to identify new diseases, as an emerging disease early warning system, and to provide situational awareness of animal health status. Current efforts focus on monitoring diverse data, such as laboratory accessions or poison center calls, grouped into syndromic or other health indicator categories, and are not intended to identify specific pre-determined diseases or pathogens. It is essential to regularly evaluate and re-evaluate the effectiveness of our surveillance program. However, there are difficulties when using traditional surveillance evaluation methods, since the objectives and outcomes of monitoring novel data streams from pilot projects are not easily measurable. An additional challenge in the evaluation of these data streams is the identification of a method that can adapt to various context and inputs to make objective decisions. Until recently, assessment efforts have looked at the feasibility of regular analysis and reporting, but not at the utility of the information generated, nor the plausibility and sustainability of longer term or expanded efforts.
Objective
To implement a systematic and uniform approach to evaluating data sources for syndromic surveillance within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) Veterinary Services (VS) group.