SAFOSO AG Reports Findings in African Swine Fever (Integrating digital and field surveillance as complementary efforts to manage epidemic diseases of livestock: African swine fever as a case study): Tick-Borne Diseases and Conditions – African Swine Fever

2022 JAN 14 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Daily Veterinary News -- New research on Tick-Borne Diseases and Conditions - African Swine Fever is the subject of a report. According to news reporting from Liebefeld, Switzerland, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “SARS-CoV-2 has clearly shown that efficient management of infectious diseases requires a top-down approach which must be complemented with a bottom-up response to be effective. Here we investigate a novel approach to surveillance for transboundary animal diseases using African Swine (ASF) fever as a model.”

Funders for this research include Zurich Insurance Company LTD, Fondazione CRT, Fondazione CRT, Zurich Insurance Company LTD, Leonardo Fellowship Program, Circular Health Initiative at University of Florida.

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from SAFOSO AG, “We collected data both at a population level and at the local level on information-seeking behavior respectively through digital data and targeted questionnaire-based surveys to relevant stakeholders such as pig farmers and veterinary authorities. Our study shows how information-seeking behavior and resulting public attention during an epidemic, can be identified through novel data streams from digital platforms such as Wikipedia. Leveraging attention in a critical moment can be key to providing the correct information at the right moment, especially to an interested cohort of people. We also bring evidence on how field surveys aimed at local workers and veterinary authorities remain a crucial tool to assess more in-depth preparedness and awareness among front-line actors.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “We conclude that these two tools should be used in combination to maximize the outcome of surveillance and prevention activities for selected transboundary animal diseases such as ASF.”

For more information on this research see: Integrating digital and field surveillance as complementary efforts to manage epidemic diseases of livestock: African swine fever as a case study. PLOS ONE, 2021;16(12). PLOS ONE can be contacted at: Public Library Science, 1160 Battery Street, Ste 100, San Francisco, CA 94111, USA. (Public Library of Science - www.plos.org; PLOS ONE - www.plosone.org)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Violeta Munoz-Gomez, SAFOSO AG, Liebefeld, Switzerland. Additional authors for this research include Michele Tizzani, Marco De Nardi, Daniela Paolotti, Olga Munoz, Piera Ceschi, Arvo Viltrop and Ilaria Capua.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0252972. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

Publisher contact information for the journal PLOS ONE is: Public Library Science, 1160 Battery Street, Ste 100, San Francisco, CA 94111, USA.

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