agricultiii'al culleKes and uni\ersities .... 

 diagnostic laboratories .... inspection services 

 at public stockyards and auction markets .... 

 antemortem and po.-^tmortem inspections at 

 slauRhterlng plants operating under Federal, 

 State, and municipal suiiervision .... lns])ec- 

 tion at poultry slaughterinK plants .... i-eports 

 from regulatory officials of the Public Health 

 Service, and State and Federal Departments 

 of Agriculture .... and from Federal and 

 State Wildlife Conservation Services .... all 

 of these are current sources of useful infor- 

 mation. 



Several survey methods can be used to aug- 

 ment data supplied by routine reporting. One 

 method is to conduct a survey on a herd-by- 

 herd basis or, in a serological sur\e\'. at se- 

 lected laboratories, to determine the prexalence 

 of selected diseases in the field. 



This method is valuable not oidy as an aid 

 in determining the prevalence of certain di.s- 

 eases but also as a "monitor" for diseases 

 not known to be in the area — particularly 

 foreign diseases. Samples can be obtained l)y 

 veterinarians taking pai't in a field survey or 

 they can be chosen at random or by design 

 from those received at laboratories in the 

 course of routine work. Samples can also be 

 collected from animals at slaughterhouses or 

 concentration points, and in the case of wild- 

 life during organized hunts, trapping pro- 

 grams, or as "kill-specimens" obtained at check 

 stations dui'ing hunting seasons. 



Another method is to make a comprehensive 

 survey of representative herds to obtain infor- 

 mation on a variety of infectious diseases and 

 other disorders. The survey might include 

 repeat visits and the reports could include 

 valuable data on disease prevalence in a herd 

 ovei' an extended period of time. 



Still another approach is to organize prac- 

 ticing veterinarians on a selected area basis so 

 that on specified days or during particular 

 periods they make detailed reports of all dis- 

 eases encountered. 



Also, cooperative owners might be asked to 

 keep accurate records of disease losses in their 

 herds over a period of time. 



Processing 



To simplify processing the reports, they 

 should be prepared on standardized forms, con- 



solidated, summarized, and distributed at ap- 

 propriate intervals. As soon as the quality 

 and quantity of data are adequate, the infor- 

 mation can be placed on machine records to 

 obtain more complete analyses. 



Processing .should be handled an<l i)lanne(l so 

 that e\entually reports can be consolidated into 

 a single source reference to form a picture of 

 the incidence and prevalence of a livestock 

 disease. 



From time to time it becomes necessary to 

 i-educe summary reports to simple figures. 

 The source data are necessarily varied and in- 

 tiiicuced by a great many factors. And while 

 it may not be difficult to assess statistically the 

 effects of some factors, others are more elu- 

 sive. And these elusive variables must be 

 considered in analyzing available data. 



Benefits from disease reporting 



To be of most value, reports should be on 

 a monthly, semiannual, anmuil, and special 

 Ijasis. They are of particular interest to ani- 

 mal di.sease regulatory and public health of- 

 ficials, manufactui-ers of biologicals, medical 

 schools — both veterinary and human — and 

 many other specialized groups. 



Through their use, officials and professional 

 medical analysts are able to chart disease 

 trends on an area, State, regional, and national 

 scale. The I'ecurrence of disease cycles, of 

 great importance in di.sea.se-control activities, 

 can be recognized through a compilation of 

 morljidity data. With this information appro- 

 piiate measures can be taken sooner to reduce 

 losses. This is made possible through knowl- 

 edge of the course the disease has taken in a 

 certain area, or is likely to assume at a par- 

 ticular time, or under any given circumstances. 



A reporting .system is of inestimal)le use in 

 the sound evaluation of research requirements 

 and is invaluable if control and eradication 

 l)r()grams are to be given adequate advanced 

 planning. 



Routine clinical reports regularly submitted 

 by practitioners pinpoint geographical areas 

 where detailed investigations and surveys 

 should be conducted. Systematic disease re- 

 porting l)y regulatory inspectors at stockyards 

 and slaughtering establishments is of special 

 value, since these data can be directly related 

 to known animal numbers. 



53 



