A research contributes to improve the monitoring of the health of European aquaculture crops
on June 7, 2011
Funded by the European Agency for food security (EFSA) and started in the year 2010, the study concludes that currently available on the network data sources have a low quality of the information, due to the lack of content and detail. Apart from the sources provided by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and considering the definition of "emerging disease" provided by this organization, as a reference, the researchers of the IRTA not identified in Internet no source to fulfill these requirements.
However, the data obtained will be of value for risk managers. In fact, the study has allowed to create an inventory of sources of relevant information and assess its quality for the identification of possible emerging diseases that pose a threat to the populations of European aquaculture. The project used a technique of direct survey to determine the availability of data on trade, production and health monitoring related to surveillance and the monitor of the fish diseases, as well as the program automated the indirect control of the web-based sources.
Following the recent publication of the report of 'DataQuest', the Deputy director of the Division of scientific activities of the American Association of veterinary medicine, Dr. David Scarfe, expressed interest in the results of the project. In particular, highlighted the recommendation for the creation of a system for monitoring syndromic, (i.e., a system able to detect early indicators relating to emerging risks of aquatic diseases through a continuous monitor of the sources of data) that is capable of searching indicators relating to emerging risks.
