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Vet-geoTools: managing disease outbreaks faster and more accurately
| Acronym: | Vet-geoTools |
| Project type: | Product development |
| Time frame: | 2005 - 2008 |
| Funding agency: | IWT |
| Geographic keyword: Europe | Latin America | Asia | |
| General keyword: Decision support | GIS | Veterinary information system | |
| Specific keyword: List A diseases | Spatial epidemiology | Risk management |
Vet-geoTools is a spatial veterinary information system which aims at managing disease outbreaks faster and more accurately. It is a server-client based system operated by national disease control departments and includes the national contingency plans for (former) List A diseases.
The project has been initiated by Avia-GIS and is a major step towards developing in-house commercial software products. It has received grants from the Institute for the Encouragement of Innovation through Science and Technology in Flanders (IWT). As a first step (2005) an ‘Innovation Study’ was conducted to analyze the database and ICT needs of such a complex tool. During that study available database and GIS systems were analyzed and compared. Based on these results choices were made, partnerships for further development were initiated and an innovation project proposal for the development of a Vet-geoTools prototype was submitted. The project was accepted by IWT end 2006 and a two year development period officially started in January 2007. A marketable product should be available by the second half of 2009.
The three major building blocks of Vet-geoTools are: (a) InterTrace an EU certified livestock traceability database, (b) OrbitGIS a server-client and PC operated GIS engine and a (c) set of specifically developed user tools. InterTrace was developed by PAN-Livestock Services (Reading, UK), shareholder of Avia-GIS. During this project the database will be further adapted to the specific needs of including near real time disease outbreak data and other spatial data sets. OrbitGIS is developed by Eurotronics (Lokeren, Belgium).
Vet-geoTools is a server-client system. Local crisis managers run client software on their PC or laptop which is connected to a central server (crisis centre), through local networks or internet. Data are entered at the premises (outbreak) level through palmtops. All recorded data are archived in the central database which is linked to all other relevant data sources.
Upon start a choice must be made between two operation modes. In ‘default’ mode all tools are available and the system can be used to analyze any stored disease data. The ‘outbreak’ mode is chosen for the near-real time management of a specific disease. The system then automatically is set to all specific thresholds and checklists as set in the selected contingency plan.
Three types of user tools have to be developed: GIS tools, Data tools, and Control panels (all tools were discussed during expert/stakeholder workshops and are adaptable to any national legislation and contingency plans).
- GIS tools:
- Buffer tool: real time management and reporting of buffer zones. The tool includes an option to take into consideration weather factors such as wind direction and speed (wind models), and air temperature/humidity (e.g. BTV, HPAI, FMD).
- Farm history tool: management of all relevant information related to contacts/movements ‘from and to’ positive farms based on official records, farm records and questionnaire.
- Logistics tool: management of all ‘risk’ movement and transport within and between buffer zones through the calculation of lowest risk routes.
- Premises tool: management of outbreak spread within premises using polygons.
- Spatial epidemiology tool: set of GIS functions for the spatial analysis of outbreaks.
- Data tools:
- Data exchange: management of data exchanges between InterTrace and external entities.
- Documents: management of all automated lists and reports.
- Map check-out: management of map-outputs for sharing/dissemination.
- Human resources: contact relations management system (CRM).
- Control panels:
- Scenarios: disease spread models.
- Users: user access (security levels).
- Updates: external spatial data sets.
- Outbreak checklist: to do checklist based on contingency plans.
- Avia-GIS: project initiator and cofunder. Development inputs: InterTrace upgrades (in collaboration with PAN-Livestock), Buffer wind models GIS tool, Farm history GIS tool Subcontracts the logistics tool, Spatial epidemiology GIS tool, All data tools and control panels. The Logistics GIS tool is subcontracted to the Department of Applied Mathematics, Biometry and Process-control from Faculty of Applied Bio-engineering from the University of Gent.
- Eurotronics: project partner and cofunder. Development inputs: Extension of OrbitGIS, Buffer GIS tool, Premises GIS tool.
- Both partners are involved with systems analysis, and validation.
Legend to the figures:
Figure 1: Vet-geoTools overview.
Figure 2: Vet-geoTools software components.
Figure 3: Vet-geoTools web-based disease information system.