The aim of this particular workstream is to design and pilot a disease syndromic surveillance programme, potentially as a model for a Welsh national scheme. The pilot project utilises data collected from a small number of Welsh farm animal practices that are members of Iechyd Da and Menter a Busnes (Milfeddygon Gogledd Cymru), both partner organisations in Arwain DGC. The aspiration is this data will be used to support farm animal health and surveillance in the United Kingdom.
Disease surveillance is very useful to advise farmers, vets and other stakeholders on risks and alert them to possible emerging/re-emerging disease. As a diagnostic laboratory already contributing data to UK surveillance we see there is a knowledge gap at the farm-level. We hope that this pilot project collecting syndromic data from Welsh practices will develop the methodology to give us a deeper understanding of the Welsh livestock disease status and act as an early warning system for new diseases.
Jonathan King MRCVS. Centre Manager, Wales Veterinary Science Centre.