%0 Journal Article
%T Identifying an outbreak of a novel swine disease using test requests for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome as a syndromic surveillance tool
%A Terri L O¡¯Sullivan
%A Robert M Friendship
%A David L Pearl
%A Beverly McEwen
%A Catherine E Dewey
%J BMC Veterinary Research
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1746-6148-8-192
%X Retrospective data were collected from the Animal Health Laboratory (AHL) at the University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario Canada and were comprised of weekly counts of PRRSV ELISA and PRRSV PCR diagnostic tests requested by swine practitioners from 2000¨C2007. The results of the PRRSV ELISA and PRRSV PCRs were analysed separately in two models using logistic regression with the dependent variables being: the weekly probability of PRRSV ELISA positivity, and the weekly probability of PRRSV PCR positivity, respectively. The weekly probability of PRRSV PCR positivity decreased during the PVCAD outbreak (OR=0.66, P=0.01). The weekly probability of PRRSV ELISA positivity was not associated with the PCVAD outbreak.The results of this study showed that during the PCVAD outbreak in Ontario from December 2004-May 2006, the probability of a positive PRRSV PCR at the AHL decreased. We conclude that when a decrease in test positivity occurs for a known disease, it may suggest that a new disease agent is emerging in the population. Hence, monitoring the test results of commonly used first-order tests for a known disease (e.g. PRRSV) has the potential to be a unique form of syndromic data for the timely identification of novel disease outbreaks in swine populations.The information captured by veterinary diagnostic laboratories generates an immense database of animal health information and has contributed significantly to the collective knowledge of animal diseases. In addition to playing a role in determining disease etiology, the data are crucial in providing essential health information for disease monitoring and passive disease surveillance systems of livestock industries worldwide [1-3]. In response to the need for improving and implementing coordinated disease surveillance for Canadian livestock sectors, the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance Network (CAHSN) was established and veterinary diagnostic laboratory data contribute significantly to the network [4]. The use of laborat
%K Swine
%K Disease surveillance
%K Laboratory data
%K Syndromic surveillance
%K Diagnostic test requests
%K Test results
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1746-6148/8/192