The Swine Health Information Center’s Standardized Outbreak Investigation Program (SOIP) was introduced in early 2023 with a downloadable standardized outbreak investigation Word-based form. Now, a web-based application to conduct outbreak investigations is available. Developed in response to an industry need for a standardized tool to make sustainable progress on biosecurity, this expert-built application provides for consistent investigation and data collection. For use of the web-based version, veterinarians will contact the ISU-based administrator for access, a one-time process, at soip@iastate.edu.
The web-based SOIP application automatically generates two reports when an investigation is completed. The full report captures everything that was learned during the investigation to highlight the most significant hazards and second, a summary report helps producers prioritize where they can most effectively invest their resources in biosecurity control measures. With the SOIP application, veterinarians are able to capture biosecurity hazard information to tighten biosecurity ahead of an emerging or transboundary disease challenge.
SOIP application development was led by Dr. Derald Holtkamp, Iowa State University, and collaborators. Dr. Holtkamp engaged a working group of 12 academics and swine veterinarians in building the standardized outbreak investigation form.
By employing the SOIP application, veterinarians have a standardized way to conduct a biosecurity hazard analysis and epidemiological investigation to identify and prioritize biosecurity hazards. The consistent approach to terminology and data collection facilitates comparisons across the industry to identify biosecurity hazards and entry events most frequently associated with outbreaks.