OpenEpi is free and open source software for epidemiologic statistics. It can be run from a web server or downloaded and run without a web connection. A server is not required. OpenEpi provides statistics for counts and measurements in descriptive and analytic studies, stratified analysis with exact confidence limits, matched pair and person-time analysis, sample size and power calculations, random numbers, sensitivity, specificity and other evaluation statistics, R x C tables, chi-square for dose-response, and links to other useful sites.

FSANZ and other government agencies in Australia and New Zealand monitor the food supply to ensure that it is safe, and that foods comply with standards for microbiological contaminants, pesticide residue limits and chemical contamination. FSANZ has a Bi-National Surveillance and Enforcement Strategy which allows food/health agencies in Australia and New Zealand to discuss and share information about monitoring and surveillance of the food chain in Australia and New Zealand. FSANZ acts as the central point for collection of Food surveillance data from public health units in Australia and New Zealand. This data includes the results of general compliance testing, and specially targeted surveys conducted in the various jurisdictions.

This website includes a consolidation of the most relevant resources for laboratory surveillance. These include: Identification and Diagnosis of Parasites of Public Health Concern (DPDx), Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS), National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS), National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS), Public Health Laboratory Information System (PHLIS), the National Molecular Subtyping Network for Foodborne Disease Surveillance (PulseNet).

This article presents a review of current approaches to risk-based surveillance in veterinary health and medicine. Emerging animal and zoonotic diseases and increasing international trade have resulted in an increased demand for veterinary surveillance systems. However, human and financial resources available to support government veterinary services are becoming more and more limited in many countries world-wide. Intuitively, issues that present higher risks merit higher priority for surveillance resources as investments will yield higher benefit-cost ratios. The rapid rate of acceptance of this core concept of risk-based surveillance has outpaced the development of its theoretical and practical bases.

PulseNet International is a network of National and regional laboratory networks dedicated to tracking foodborne infections world-wide. Each laboratory utilizes standardized genotyping methods, sharing information in real-time. At this site, it is possible to find projects, publications, protocols, upcoming events, and other resources.

The purpose of OutbreakNet Team is to ensure rapid, coordinated detection and response to multi-state outbreaks of enteric diseases and promote comprehensive outbreak surveillance.Here, it is possible to find reports, data, investigations, A-Z search list, and other resources.

This report was commissioned by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) to evaluate current foodborne disease surveillance in New Zealand as part of a program to improve the quality of epidemiological information that is gained from foodborne disease surveillance, investigation and reporting.

The project goal of this report is to examine and summarize a range of the international initiatives in countries with similar agricultural production systems that have been designed and implemented to provide ongoing, permanent, national surveillance systems to monitor antimicrobial resistance trends among selected enteric organisms from animals and animal-derived food sources.”

The enhanced notified enteric disease surveillance trial began on 1 July 2007 and ran until 30 June 2008. The overall aim of the trial was to establish a demonstration site Public Health Service (PHS), to measure quality, timeliness and completeness of data collected and submitted to Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited (ESR), via the national disease database (EpiSurv) for notified cases of enteric diseases.

The goal of this report was to ascertain how a comprehensive national Salmonella surveillance program could be established in New Zealand, which incorporates laboratory and key attribute information (e.g. location, animal species, animal age, animal sex, feed type) on Salmonellae isolated from humans and animals (farmed, domestic and wild), as well as animal feeds, human food and the environment.

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aging established OzFoodNet in 2000 as a collaborative initiative with Australia's State and Territory health authorities to provide better understanding of the causes and incidence of foodborne disease in the community and to provide an evidence base for policy formulation.

This document describes the evolving role of participatory and rapid rural appraisal techniques in veterinary epidemiology with particular reference to disease surveillance. The use of participatory and qualitative research techniques is discussed in relation to conventional quantitative research. The document addresses the methods used in qualitative enquiry to assure that the analysis is rigorous and that results are trustworthy (Pretty, 1994). It also presents a number of PRA tools that have been applied in animal health reconnaissance and suggests other tools that may merit application. Finally, future directions for participatory qualitative research are discussed relative to the challenges facing veterinary epidemiology today.

The Foodborne Outbreak Online Database has been designed to allow the public direct access to information on foodborne outbreaks reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most outbreaks are reported to the National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS) by the state, local, territorial, or tribal health department that conducted the outbreak investigation. Outbreak reporting is voluntary. Multi-state outbreaks are generally reported to NORS by CDC.

Here, the researchers show that many of the branches of some scenario trees have identical outcomes and are therefore redundant. The authors demonstrate how to prune branches and derive compact representations of scenario trees using matrix algebra and Bayesian belief networks.

Global Early Warning System for Major Animal Diseases (GLEWS) is a joint system that while linking networks from the international community and stakeholders, also assists in prediction, prevention and control of zoonotic disease threats through sharing of information, epidemiological and risk analysis. Information provided through this resource includes the GLEWS taskforce, triggers and GLEWS diseases, and related links.

The Institute of Medicine’s (IOM’s) Forum on Microbial Threats convened a workshop addressing Global Infectious Disease Surveillance and Detection: Assessing the Challenges—Finding Solutions on December 12 and 13, 2006. Workshop participants examined current and emerging methods and strategies for the surveillance, detection, and diagnosis of human, animal, and plant diseases in order to assess resource needs and opportunities for improving and coordinating global infectious disease surveillance, detection, and reporting.

In June 2008, the Institute of Medicine's and National Research Council's Committee on Achieving Sustainable Global Capacity for Surveillance and Response to Emerging Diseases of Zoonotic Origin convened a workshop. This workshop addressed the reasons for the transmission of zoonotic disease and explored the current global capacity for zoonotic disease surveillance.

The aim of the Aquatic Animal Health Code is to assure the sanitary safety of international trade in aquatic animals (amphibians, crustaceans, fish and molluscs) and their products. This is achieved through the detailing of health measures to be used by Competent Authorities of importing and exporting countries to avoid the transfer of agents pathogenic for animals or humans, while avoiding unjustified sanitary barriers. Disease diagnoses, surveillance, risk analysis, general recommendations, veterinary public health, and animal welfare are all topics included.

This report from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) discusses animal disease diagnosis, surveillance, risk analysis, general recommendations in disease prevention and control, trade measures, veterinary public health, and animal welfare.

These guidelines have been written for public health practitioners, food and health inspectors, district and national medical officers, laboratory personnel and others who may undertake or participate in the investigation and control of foodborne disease outbreaks. While the book focuses on practical aspects of outbreak investigation and control, it also provides generic guidance that can be adapted to individual countries and local requirements. At the field level it will be valuable in initial epidemiological, environmental and laboratory investigations, in implementation of appropriate control measures, and in alerting investigators to the need to seek assistance for more complex situations. At national and regional levels, the guidelines will assist decision-makers in identifying and coordinating resources and in creating an environment appropriate for the successful management of foodborne disease outbreaks.

The Guidelines describes the overall approach to outbreaks of foodborne diseases, including preparation, detection, investigation, control, and follow-up. The Guidelines also describes the roles of all key organizations involved in these outbreaks, provides recommendations for processes to improve communication and coordination among multiple agencies during multijurisdictional outbreaks, and identifies indicators that different organizations can use to gauge their performance in responding to foodborne disease outbreaks.

C-EnterNet is designed to cover 5 or 6 sentinel sites across Canada with continuous and episodic surveillance activities for each of four components: humans, food, water, and food animals. Most of the planned surveillance activities have been implemented in the Region of Waterloo, Ontario over the course of 2005. More specifically, C-EnterNet was able to generate site-specific incidences for reportable human enteric diseases and risk factor data for endemic cases. In addition, C-EnterNet began to collect pathogen data from most of the a priori important sources of exposure within the site’s geographical area, including untreated surface water, stored and fresh manure from dairy and swine farms, and retail raw meat. This inaugural report provides results of the first 12 months of operation, from mid-2005 to mid-2006.

This Toolbox is an area on NACCHO's Web site where you can find useful public-health-related tools. Toolbox is a free service available for public use, intended to promote and advance public health objectives. Enter a keyword or select a toolkit to find search-able information.

The National Enteric Surveillance Program (NESP) is a national surveillance program designed to provide timely analysis and reporting of laboratory confirmed enteric disease cases in Canada. NESP attempts to provide an up-to-date picture of the current status of major enteric infectious diseases in the human population such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shigella, Vibrio, Verotoxigenic E. coli, Yersinia and more recently intestinal parasitic organisms such as Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Entamoeba and Cyclospora as well as enteric viruses such as Norovirus and Rotavirus. Using the program, it is possible to find a list of reports with annual summaries of data, ranging from 1999 through 2006.

Notifiable Diseases On-Line is a web based application developed by the Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control of the Public Health Agency of Canada to enhance dissemination of surveillance data collected on notifiable diseases in Canada.The application contains information on the number of cases reported for several of the notifiable diseases as well as their rate in the population. The database includes some of the main reportable foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella, Campylobacter and Verotoxigenic E. coli.

Unit that deals with animal health surveillance activities. The website includes information on disease surveillance, surveillance methods and plans, the National Animal Health Surveillance System, the National Animal Health Reporting System, and more

Resources to support WHO's STEPwise approach to risk factors program for the surveillance of risk factors for noncommunicable diseases. Includes access to the STEPS framework, the survey instrument, planning manual, templates for EpiData and EpiInfo, and more