In a giant leap forward for the livestock industry, the Animal Health Laboratory (AHL) at the University of Guelph introduces the Ontario Interactive Animal Pathogen Dashboards (IAPD), providing real-time analysis and reporting on livestock pathogens.
Dr. Zvonimir Poljak, associate professor in the Department of Population Medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College, is the driving force behind this innovative initiative. He emphasizes the dashboards’ potential to provide veterinarians and animal surveillance partners with valuable data insights and the ability to track current and historical pathogen trends.
“We are thrilled to go live with the IAPD system, which aims to help veterinarians and animal health professionals monitor and respond to outbreaks. The dashboards hold the potential to significantly improve livestock disease surveillance and control measures, safeguarding the health and well-being of animals and the livestock industry as a whole,” said Dr. Poljak.
His team, including Dr. Maria Spinato, director of the Animal Health Laboratory, Dr. Tanya Rossi, Animal Health Network and data manager and Tatiana Petukhova, research associate in the Department of Population Medicine, has achieved several remarkable milestones.
Their research paper, “Development of interactive dashboards for monitoring endemic animal pathogens in Ontario, Canada,” was recently published in the prestigious Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. Additionally, the project has garnered attention at the Canadian Animal Health Laboratorians Network conferences in 2022 and 2023 and the Ontario Association of Swine Veterinarians conference in 2022.
Funding for the IAPD is provided by Food from Thought, the Ontario Animal Health Network, and the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, a collaboration between the Government of Ontario and the University of Guelph.
For those interested in accessing the IAPD and taking advantage of its capabilities, visit the website: https://iapd.lsd.uoguelph.ca/
