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CHAPTER
[04]

Practical Workflows for Disease Intelligence

The Knowledge Hub becomes valuable when you know how to access the right information at the right time. This section shows practical workflows for searching diseases, interpreting profiles, accessing emergency contacts, and applying disease intelligence to real-world situations.

Searching for Diseases

From the Knowledge Hub Main Section:

  1. Access the Knowledge Hub from Kora's main navigation
  2. Use the search bar to enter disease names, symptoms, or animal types
  3. Browse diseases by animal type (filter to cattle, poultry, wildlife, etc.)
  4. Filter by zoonotic status if concerned about human health risks
  5. View recently accessed diseases for quick reference

During Observations: When recording an animal observation, you can search diseases directly:

  1. While documenting symptoms, click "Search Knowledge Hub"
  2. Enter symptoms or disease names
  3. Review matching diseases without leaving the observation form
  4. Link the observation to a disease profile if you find a match

From Animal Records: When reviewing an animal's health history:

  1. Access the animal's health summary
  2. Click "Research Symptoms" or "Find Related Diseases"
  3. Search based on current symptoms or historical patterns
  4. Compare current presentation with disease profiles

Search Strategies

By Disease Name:

  • Works when you know or suspect a specific disease
  • Use common names (foot-and-mouth disease, mastitis, rabies)
  • System recognises alternative names and abbreviations (FMD, AI for Avian Influenza)

By Animal Type:

  • Filter diseases to show only those affecting your animals
  • "Cattle" shows only cattle diseases
  • "Wildlife" shows diseases relevant to wild animal management
  • "Poultry" focuses on avian diseases

By Symptoms:

  • Search describes what you are observing: "blisters mouth feet"
  • System matches symptoms across disease profiles
  • Results ranked by relevance to your search terms

By Zoonotic Status:

  • Filter to "Zoonotic Only" when concerned about human health risks
  • Quickly identify diseases requiring enhanced precautions
  • Useful for wildlife managers and zoo staff handling unknown species

By Geographic Relevance:

  • Filter to diseases endemic in your region
  • Focus on diseases likely to occur locally
  • Consider outbreak alerts showing currently circulating diseases

Search Examples

Example 1: Symptom-Based Search:

Situation: Several cattle showing lameness, drooling, and blisters around mouth.

Search Terms: "blisters mouth feet cattle"

Results:

  1. Foot-and-Mouth Disease (High relevance - classic symptom match)
  2. Vesicular Stomatitis (Medium relevance - similar symptoms)
  3. Bovine Viral Diarrhea (Low relevance - can cause mouth lesions)

Action: Review FMD profile first (highest relevance), compare symptoms, note emergency notification requirements, access authority contacts immediately.

Example 2: Species-Specific Search:

Situation: Managing a wildlife rescue centre with diverse species.

Search Approach:

  • Filter by "Wildlife" to see wildlife-relevant diseases
  • Further filter by "Zoonotic" for diseases requiring extra precautions
  • Review diseases applicable to species you frequently rehabilitate

Results: Rabies, Leptospirosis, Avian Influenza, Chronic Wasting Disease, West Nile Virus

Action: Bookmark commonly referenced diseases, review biosecurity protocols for zoonotic wildlife diseases, ensure staff familiar with emergency contacts.

Interpreting Disease Profiles

Reading the Disease Profile

When you open a disease profile, scan strategically:

Quick Assessment (30 seconds):

  1. Disease Name and Animal Type: Confirm you are looking at the right disease
  2. Is Zoonotic?: Immediate awareness of human health risk
  3. Transmission Rate: How contagious (high transmission = urgent action)
  4. Short Description: One-sentence summary confirms relevance

Detailed Review (3-5 minutes):

  1. Symptoms: Compare with what you are observing
  2. Incubation and Contagious Periods: Understand timeline
  3. Response Recommendations: What actions to take immediately
  4. Report Disease: Regulatory notification requirements
  5. Emergency Contacts: Who to call right now

Comprehensive Understanding (10+ minutes):

  1. Overview and Description: Full disease background
  2. Human Impact (if zoonotic): Risks to people
  3. Endemic Countries: Geographic context
  4. Latest Outbreaks: Current threat level
  5. Resources and Explainers: Deeper learning

Understanding Epidemiological Parameters

Transmission Rate:

  • 0.3 (Low): Disease requires direct contact. Standard biosecurity (separating sick animals, basic hygiene) usually sufficient.
  • 0.5 (Moderate): Disease spreads through shared resources. Enhanced biosecurity (equipment disinfection, visitor control) needed.
  • 0.7 (High): Disease spreads easily. Strict isolation, movement restrictions, professional veterinary response required.
  • 0.9 (Very High): Extremely contagious. Emergency protocols, potential depopulation, regulatory notification mandatory.

Incubation Period: The incubation period tells you how far back to look when identifying exposed animals.

Example: FMD has a 14-day incubation period.

  • Diagnosis Date: March 15
  • Exposure Window: March 1-15 (14 days before diagnosis)
  • Contact Tracing: Identify all animals that shared locations with infected animal between March 1-15

Contagious Period: Combined with incubation period to calculate total quarantine duration.

Example: FMD has 7-day contagious period (before symptoms) + 14-day incubation.

  • Minimum Quarantine: 21 days (incubation + contagious period)
  • Monitoring: Daily health checks throughout quarantine
  • Release: Only after quarantine completes AND animal shows no symptoms

Zoonotic Multiplier: Adjusts risk assessment for diseases that can affect humans.

Example: Standard disease with 0.5 transmission rate:

  • Non-zoonotic: Risk score = 50/100
  • Zoonotic (1.2 multiplier): Risk score = 60/100 (20% increase, enhanced precautions)
  • High-risk zoonotic (1.5 multiplier): Risk score = 75/100 (50% increase, significant precautions)

This multiplier triggers:

  • Enhanced PPE requirements
  • Public health notification
  • Isolation of zoonotic cases
  • Heightened staff awareness

Comparing Diseases (Differential Diagnosis)

When symptoms could match multiple diseases:

Scenario: Poultry showing respiratory symptoms and sudden deaths.

Search Results:

  1. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI): Notifiable, emergency response
  2. Newcastle Disease: Notifiable, requires rapid control
  3. Infectious Bronchitis: Not notifiable, manageable with veterinary care

Compare:

  • HPAI: Very high transmission (0.9), zoonotic (1.5 multiplier), immediate notification required
  • Newcastle: High transmission (0.7), some zoonotic risk (1.2 multiplier), rapid response needed
  • Infectious Bronchitis: Moderate transmission (0.5), not zoonotic, veterinary consultation recommended

Decision: All three diseases warrant immediate veterinary consultation. However, HPAI and Newcastle require emergency notification to authorities while awaiting veterinary assessment. Implement maximum biosecurity immediately (total isolation, no movements) until disease is identified.

The Knowledge Hub does not replace veterinary diagnosis. It helps you understand the severity, take appropriate immediate actions, and know when emergency notification is required even before the veterinarian arrives.

Accessing Emergency Contacts

Finding the Right Contact

From Disease Profiles: When viewing a disease that requires notification:

  1. Scroll to "Report Disease" section
  2. Click "Emergency Contacts for [Your Jurisdiction]"
  3. See relevant authority contact information
  4. Note whether reporting is immediate, within 24 hours, or within a specific timeframe

From the Authority Contacts Section:

  1. Access "Emergency Contacts" from Knowledge Hub
  2. View contacts organised by your jurisdiction (detected automatically from account settings)
  3. Browse by contact type:
    • Emergency disease hotlines
    • Veterinary services
    • Wildlife authorities
    • Zoonotic disease / public health contacts
  4. Search for specific agencies or disease types

During Veterinary Observations: When a veterinarian diagnoses a notifiable disease:

  1. Disease profile automatically displays
  2. Emergency contacts shown prominently
  3. "Notify Authorities" button pre-fills disease information
  4. Contact details ready for immediate calling/emailing

What to Report

When you contact authorities about suspected disease:

Essential Information:

  1. Your contact information: Name, phone, property location
  2. Animal details: Species, number affected, age/sex if relevant
  3. Symptoms observed: What you are seeing that prompted concern
  4. Timeline: When symptoms started, how rapidly progressing
  5. Suspected disease: What you think it might be (if known)
  6. Actions taken: Isolation, biosecurity measures already implemented
  7. Other properties/animals: Recent movements, shared equipment, neighboring farms

For Zoonotic Diseases: Additional Information: 8. Human exposure: Who has contacted affected animals 9. Symptoms in people: Any illness in workers/family members 10. Precautions taken: PPE used, hand washing, exposure prevention

Emergency Contact Examples

Example 1: Suspected FMD in Cattle (Emergency Notification):

Call: National Veterinary Emergency Hotline (automatically displayed based on jurisdiction)

Report: "Hello, this is John Smith calling from Valley View Farm in [County]. I am observing what I believe may be foot-and-mouth disease in three cattle. The animals have severe lameness, blisters around their mouths, and excessive drooling. Symptoms started yesterday. I have isolated the three affected animals and implemented complete biosecurity. No movements on or off the property. I have 250 cattle total on the property. My number is [phone]. I need immediate veterinary assessment."

Expected Response:

  • Emergency veterinary investigation scheduled (often within hours)
  • Guidance on biosecurity measures to implement immediately
  • Movement restrictions imposed on property
  • Instructions to await official assessment before taking further action

Example 2: Rabies-Suspect Wildlife (Public Health + Wildlife Authorities):

Call: Both wildlife disease reporting AND zoonotic disease notification

Report to Wildlife Authority: "I am calling from [Wildlife Rescue Centre]. We have a bat brought in by a member of the public showing neurological symptoms consistent with rabies. The bat attacked the person who brought it in. We have isolated the bat and are awaiting rabies testing. The person who was bitten has been referred to emergency medical care. We need guidance on specimen submission for rabies testing and appropriate handling protocols."

Report to Public Health: "This is [Name] from [Wildlife Centre]. We have a rabies-suspect bat case. A member of the public was bitten and is currently at [Hospital] for post-exposure prophylaxis. The bat is isolated and awaiting testing. We are reporting this potential human rabies exposure as required."

Expected Response:

  • Instructions for rabies specimen collection and submission
  • Confirmation that bite victim is receiving appropriate medical care
  • Guidance on quarantine/isolation for any other potentially exposed animals
  • Follow-up rabies testing coordination

Tracking Outbreaks

Using Outbreak Information for Risk Assessment

Viewing Current Outbreaks:

  1. Access "Outbreak Tracking" from Knowledge Hub
  2. View outbreaks filtered by:
    • Geographic proximity (your region, neighboring countries)
    • Diseases relevant to your animals
    • Zoonotic outbreaks (human health concern)
    • Outbreak status (active, contained, resolved)

Example: Avian Influenza Outbreak Alert:

Outbreak Details:

  • Disease: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1
  • Location: Eastern Europe (300km from your location)
  • Date: Reported 2 weeks ago, active
  • Scale: 15 commercial poultry farms affected
  • Zoonotic: Yes, human cases among farm workers

Risk Assessment:

  • High risk: Disease is geographically close and highly mobile (wild bird vector)
  • Zoonotic concern: Staff working with poultry need awareness
  • Proactive response needed: Do not wait for disease arrival

Actions Based on Outbreak Intelligence:

  1. Review disease profile: Understand HPAI transmission, symptoms, emergency protocols
  2. Implement preventive biosecurity: Wild bird exclusion, enhanced biosecurity
  3. Staff training: Review HPAI symptoms, emergency notification procedures, PPE requirements
  4. Contact preparedness: Bookmark emergency hotline, ensure staff know notification requirements
  5. Monitor flock closely: Daily health checks, early symptom detection
  6. Review outbreak updates: Check for spread closer to your location

This proactive approach can prevent catastrophic losses. It means acting on outbreak intelligence before disease arrives.

Using Educational Resources

When to Use Explainers

Scenario 1 - Learning Disease Concepts: You keep seeing "incubation period" in disease profiles and want to understand what it really means for your management decisions.

Action:

  1. Search glossary for "Incubation Period"
  2. Read linked explainer "Understanding Incubation Periods and Quarantine"
  3. Learn: Incubation is when animal is infected but not yet showing symptoms, critical for determining quarantine length and contact tracing windows

Scenario 2 - Understanding Zoonotic Risks: You're working with wildlife rescue and want to understand when diseases can affect humans.

Action:

  1. Access explainer "Zoonotic Diseases: Protecting Yourself and Your Team"
  2. Learn: What zoonotic means, which diseases pose human health risks, appropriate precautions, when to notify public health
  3. Implement: PPE protocols, handwashing stations, staff training on zoonotic disease awareness

Using the Glossary

During Disease Research:

  • Encountering unfamiliar terms in disease profiles? Click the term to see glossary definition.
  • Reading veterinary reports with technical language? Search glossary for plain-language explanations.
  • Regulatory documents using specialized terminology? Glossary translates to understandable language.

Example Terms You'll Encounter:

  • Aerosol Transmission - Disease spread through air (droplets from coughing, sneezing)
  • Carrier Animal - Animal that harbors disease without showing symptoms but can infect others
  • Endemic vs. Epidemic - Constantly present vs. sudden increase in cases
  • Fomite - Objects that carry disease (boots, equipment, vehicles)
  • Seroconversion - Development of detectable antibodies after infection or vaccination

Complete Workflow Examples

Workflow 1: Researching Unusual Symptoms

Starting Point: You observe several sheep with sudden onset of mouth lesions and drooling.

Step 1 - Initial Search

  • Access Knowledge Hub
  • Search: "mouth lesions sheep"
  • Results show: Bluetongue, Foot-and-Mouth Disease, Orf, Contagious Ecthyma

Step 2 - Review Top Results

  • Open Bluetongue profile
  • Symptoms match: mouth lesions, drooling, also notes swelling of face, tongue, sometimes lameness
  • Check: Is Zoonotic? No
  • Check: Transmission Rate? 0.6 (Moderate - vector-borne, transmitted by midges)
  • Check: Report Disease? Notifiable in most jurisdictions

Step 3 - Compare with FMD

  • Open FMD profile as differential
  • Symptoms similar but FMD also causes foot blisters (not observed in your sheep)
  • FMD transmission rate 0.9 (Very High), immediate emergency notification
  • Bluetongue more likely based on symptom match

Step 4 - Access Emergency Contacts

  • View "Report Disease" section in Bluetongue profile
  • Emergency contact for your jurisdiction displayed
  • Note: Notifiable disease, report within 24 hours of suspicion

Step 5 - Take Action

  • Call emergency hotline, report suspected Bluetongue
  • Implement isolation of affected sheep
  • Await veterinary investigation for confirmation
  • Review Bluetongue resources for biosecurity recommendations

Outcome: Early detection, appropriate notification, awaiting professional diagnosis with emergency protocols already in place.

Workflow 2: Preparing for Nearby Outbreak

Starting Point: Outbreak alert shows African Swine Fever (ASF) detected in neighboring country.

Step 1 - Review Outbreak Details

  • Access Outbreak Tracking
  • View ASF outbreak: Location 200km away, spreading, 5 farms affected
  • Status: Active, control measures ongoing
  • Zoonotic: No (but extreme economic impact)

Step 2 - Research Disease

  • Open ASF disease profile
  • Learn: Transmission rate 0.8 (High), incubation 4-19 days, contagious period variable
  • Understand: No treatment, no vaccine, mortality up to 100% in outbreaks
  • Response: Depopulation typically required

Step 3 - Assess Your Risk

  • You manage a commercial pig farm 200km from outbreak
  • Disease is spreading, border controls uncertain
  • High mortality, no treatment available
  • Extreme biosecurity urgency

Step 4 - Implement Preventive Measures

  • Review ASF-specific biosecurity protocols (linked in disease profile)
  • Implement maximum biosecurity:
    • Ban all farm visits
    • Enforce strict vehicle disinfection
    • Review feed sourcing (avoid contaminated regions)
    • Daily pig health monitoring for early symptom detection
    • Staff training on ASF symptoms and emergency notification

Step 5 - Prepare Emergency Response

  • Bookmark ASF emergency contact
  • Ensure staff know immediate notification requirements
  • Prepare for potential movement restrictions
  • Establish relationship with veterinarian for rapid consultation if symptoms appear

Outcome: Proactive biosecurity based on outbreak intelligence, farm prepared for rapid response if disease approaches.

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