BSAVA To Work With University Of Liverpool To Create A Vital National Surveillance Programme
13 years ago
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28th November, 2011 12h53
BSAVA has established an exciting and valuable partnership with the University of Liverpool to develop a national UK disease surveillance network for companion animals.
The Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network, SAVSNET, was established in 2008 by a team of respected veterinary scientists at the University of Liverpool with the aim to monitor the disease status of the UK small animal population (mainly dog, cat and rabbit).
When funding for the pilot project came to an end in August 2011, BSAVA believed that not only would the profession benefit from this valuable source of information, but that it is in fact vital for the successful management of disease in small animals.
Building on a successful pilot
SAVSNET will provide a single resource for accessing data on pet animal diseases for veterinary scientists, members of the public and policy makers. The pilot study has already shown that 7% of more than 5,000 animals are admitted to veterinary practices with vomiting or diarrhoea; 6% for itchy skin disease; 3% for respiratory disease; 2% for tumours; and less than 1% for the treatment of aggression.
Researchers looked at how frequently and what types of antibiotics were used across a group of veterinary practices in England and Wales. The work aimed to further understanding into the types of diseases that were being seen by vets and if there were any differences in the way they were treated.
The team found that 35% of dogs and 48% of cats received antibacterials as part of their consultation. The most common group of antibacterials used were called beta-lactams, which includes penicillin. Research showed that 16 practices varied considerably in their use of these drugs, with some twice as likely to use them as others. This may suggest that different diseases are seen in different practices, or that practices treat them differently.
Ambitious beginnings
The SAVSNET project began as collaboration with the AHT and computer software company Vet Solutions, backed by a consortium including Dechra, Defra, IntervetSP, Merial, Novarits, Pfizer and Virbac, and additionally supported by BSAVA.
Developing a surveillance system had long been a pet project of Professor Rosalind Gaskell, of the Small Animal Infectious Diseases research group at Liverpool, and it was largely through her efforts that the original funding consortium was put together.
Dr Alan Radford now leads the project at Liverpool together with an impressive team which includes Prof. Susan Dawson, Drs Peter John Noble, Philip Jones and Christian Setzkorn, as well as Ros. Alan said “SAVSNET is an exciting initiative for our pet animals and promises to give new insights into important health and welfare problems. Examples include the role an animal’s breeding may have on its susceptibility to disease such as heart disease and arthritis, the way important drugs like antibacterials are used in animals, and whether there are disease hotspots such as diarrhoea or flu-like signs in certain parts of the country. It will also allow us to identify the emergence of new diseases if they occur in our pets”.
Dr Radford, who has led the partnership plans with BSAVA, believes as a joint scheme, SAVSNET could radically transform the way we understand small animal diseases and positively influence the protocols of individual practices. He says, “We have found the right partner with BSAVA, a non-commercial organisation run by veterinary professionals who know the impact such a scheme can have on animal welfare. The team at University of Liverpool will now get on with plans to roll this out on a national scale and is looking forward to talking to interested parties about it at BSAVA Congress in April”.
Diagnostic data
So far, SAVSNET has successfully piloted two elements; the first involves recruitment of veterinary diagnostic laboratories, the collection and collation of their anonymised results, and the compilation of quarterly reports based on the findings. In the second part of the project, SAVSNET captured practice data in near real-time on the diagnosis and treatment by practitioners of more syndromic conditions, for example, diarrhoea and vomiting, respiratory disease and pruritus.
Engagement essential
Participation by diagnostic labs and practices will obviously be completely voluntary. And all data gained will be made completely anonymous before being reported. For more information email
[email protected].
BSAVA President Andrew Ash says; “SAVSNET ticks all the boxes for BSAVA. High quality large scale epidemiological research helps us fulfil our obligations as a charity to public good, the information on disease surveillance gives us the information to treat animals better, and the research papers help us inform veterinary policy and education. This is an important scheme for both animal and human health.”
BSAVA Vice President, Mark Johnston, is looking forward to supporting the project throughout his presidency. Like many of the members he will represent he works in practice and has a vested interest in the success of the programme. He says; “BSAVA and SAVSNET share the same strategic educational and scientific objectives. So BSAVA is pleased to partner with the Liverpool team on this exciting and challenging project which will provide valuable information to the veterinary profession about the prevalence of companion animal diseases, including the identification of potential disease outbreaks and novel pathogens. There are huge potential benefits for pets and veterinary practitioners alike and we hope that as many practices and labs as possible will choose to become involved in this important initiative.”
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