SHIC Encourages Use of Standardized Outbreak Investigation Form App

The Swine Health Information Center is encouraging pork producers and veterinarians to download and make use of the Standardized Outbreak Investigation Form App during a swine disease outbreak investigation.As part of its September eNewsletter, the Swine Health Information Center looks at the use of the Standardized Outbreak Investigation Form App.

SHIC Associate Director Dr. Lisa Becton says the app was developed to meet an industry need for a standardized tool to conduct disease outbreak investigations.

Quote-Dr. Lisa Becton-Swine Health Information Center:

This tool is a really unique tool to be able to provide a standardised and consistent format for producers and veterinarians to use during an outbreak.It gives them a format to use during the investigation to try to understand what are the risks, what are the potential causes of the outbreak and then further improve on their own biosecurity.

The app was introduced in early 2023 and it includes both a downloadable form as well as the web-based application entry and both of these can be accessed through the SHIC web site. A lot of the feedback we've had is this does assist in investigations as well as giving a standardised format for those investigations.

Whether it's PRRS or PED, it really helps to increase the accuracy of an investigation and ability to compare it when you have a standardised format. We've also heard it highlights areas of improvement for the farm so, not only allowing people to understand what maybe causing the investigation but also pointing out areas of potential improvement.

Dr. Becton notes information on the Standardized Outbreak Investigation Form App is available through SHIC's web site at swinehealth.org and, for use of the web-based version, veterinarians should contact the Iowa State University-based administrator for access, at soip@iastate.edu, a one-time process.