Scanning disease surveillance is a means to characterise the current disease situation within a given population, identify changes in prevalence of both known and emerging diseases, and determine when measures such as targeted investigation are necessary. DEFRA and the AHT have national programmes of scanning surveillance in place in the UK for farmed livestock and birds, and the equine population, respectively. In contrast, little data is available for the small animal population.

The aim of SAVSNET, the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network, is to provide information on the prevalence of disease in the UK vet visiting small animal population. SAVSNET incorporates two major elements. The first involves collating results of diagnostic tests carried out at commercial laboratories. The second part encompasses data retrieval from private practitioners to obtain real-time syndromic-surveillance data.

To date, we have identified 25 laboratories undertaking small animal diagnostics: those approached so far are keen to participate. The software we are using for the real-time syndromic-surveillance is used by 20% of the UK market, totalling 765 premises nationwide. This software will allow us to access data from up to 150,000 consultations per day, based on estimated figures. Together, these data will provide a previously unavailable insight into the dynamics of the small animal disease status within the UK. This programme initially aims to use gastrointestinal disease as an exemplar, and will expand to include other syndromes as the project develops.

In order to ensure shared ownership of this national surveillance effort, SAVSNET is supported by the University of Liverpool, Vet solutions, DEFRA, BSAVA, the AHT and seven industrial partners. The data will be made freely available online, published on the SAVSNET website www.savsnet.co.uk forming part of quarterly reports, and will include focus articles providing useful up-to-date information on topical issues such as recent outbreaks of endemic, as well as emerging disease.

 The SAVSNET session took place at BSAVA Congress on Friday 3 April 2009 between 16.50 and 17.30. Lecturers for this session included A. Tierney, K.P. Coyne, S. Dawson, R.M. Gaskell, J. Bryan, R. Newton and A.D. Radford.

BSAVA Members and Non-Members can access all MP3 downloads from the SAVSNET session through the below link. Should you have any problems in accessing your MP3 downloads, please telephone 01452 726700, or email administration@bsava.com.

Click here to access the SAVSNET session in full >>