pest and disease surveillance and the role

of new technology

Dr Mike Robson, Plant Protection Service, FAO

Dar Es Salaam, 31 March 2008

outline of presentation

1. what is surveillance

2. improving national surveillance

3. technology to support surveillance

1. what is surveillance?

“ The ongoing systematic collection and analysis of data and the provision of information which leads to action being taken to prevent and control a (pest or) disease”...

www.medterms.com

applied to plant pests & diseases... According to the international standard,

“ISPM 6: Guidelines on Surveillance”

...official surveysare for 3 purposes:

detection – establish the baseline (what pests are present – emphasis on identification) – drawing up pest list)

delimiting - how far has a problem spread (quantification, mapping) – establishing pest free areas for bactrocera invadens

monitoring – repeated to identify trends[from ISPM 6]

comments on a full reading of ISPM 6...

...the definitions are oriented towards international trade, (and focus on obligations of NPPO)

...it is an international standard, some things may seem ‘strange’ in local context or theoretical

however, the reality is that international pest reporting under IPPC is only just starting

surveillance and reporting is already more established

OIE reporting rules (use of WAHIS), guidance on establishing freedom from animal disease

National monitoring using own tools, such as TADinfo

animal movements make diseases more difficult to track/ map; diagnosis requires sampling to support observations

however, there are potentially fewer disease/ host combinations

for animals

...but, why DO surveillance?[ this is a REAL question – will it actually help?; surveillance is

not an end in itself!]

survey in order to: recognise new problems early, ‘nip in the bud’ monitor pest or disease free status to be able

to trade provide early warning to nearby districts who

may be affected, particularly if pests or diseases are avoidable

understand patterns and trends (research) to counter in longer term

2. improving national surveillanceMinistry of Agriculture may

have roving survey activity undertake fixed plot research (direct or through

university) carry out specific pest control activities, eg for fruit flies

Local district agriculture officers

Local agricultural research stations

Farmer field schools, other development projects

in most countries, common problems with surveillance are to:

reinforce partnerships between the different agencies involved

provide adequate people, equipment, funds for data collection; standardise methods, data collection formats

improve technical capacity to analyse, map data

develop communications to issue timely warning messages at right level

3. technology to support surveillance

stages in surveillance

Data capture

=>Data Analysis

=>Warning Messages

=>Monitoring trends over time

data, information, knowledge data => how many affected, where

information => (data with context) it is getting worse, or better; it depends on the weather...

knowledge => what needs to be done (this is normal, it won’t affect yield; low cost practices to assist a “natural” solution; treat or spray)

technology for surveillance data capture1. Pen and paper (<$1/user)

2. Cell phone ($1-200?)

3. Personal Digital Assistant – PDA ($5-700)

4. Laptop ($1500)

comparing technologies for data captureMethod For Against

Paper - cheap, accessible- minimal training needed

- gets lost or “filed”- data cannot be used for multiple purposes

Cell phone - widely used already (minimal equipment costs)- data in digital form

- running costs- no standard format

PDA or other customised handheld device

- designed for field conditions- allows roving survey- data standardised

- more expensive- cost to implement

laptop - maximum flexibility - not designed for field use- expensive

technologies for analysisneeds a database of survey records

visualise raw data (charts) and spatially (maps)

view data over time, to establish patterns in incidence, change/spread

include other factors (soil, climate, roads), to explain/establish causes

develop models to identify where there might be a threat

technologies for sharing warning broadcast –

news media (TV, radio, newspaper) posters, other informational materials

targeted – extension workers - training activities,

specialist “clinics” peer-to-peer information sharing dial-in response services, hotline cell phone

Some current examples

SMS – used for data collection over a wide area

install software to manage (receive and send) large number of SMS messages

train users Bangladesh, for farmers to report local rising flood

water levels West Bengal, for early reporting of avian influenza

track messages and report, issue warnings---

- format of messages, ease of integration with database

- confidence in reports?- resources to follow up?

Digital Pen – used in a pilot for livestock surveillance in Namibia

used by vet inspectors based on a standard form printed on special

paper a pen with built-in camera to record and

transmit image hard copy can also be retained

- - - - technically complex (pen, communications,

handwriting recognition software, database)- proprietary (SA company), so expensive,

recurring costs

P.D.A. - crop surveillance project in India, to quantify pest and disease outbreaks

handheld device used by district research station scientists

touch screen, protected against water & dust; daylight viewing screen, long battery life

has GPS and sensors for humidity, temp. allows surveyors to return to precise spot and

monitor - - -

- equipment can prove device was taken to field but not accuracy of what was recorded

- still requires trained surveyors

…scale of P.D.A. exercise after initial test, running in 9 districts – both rain-

fed and irrigated - in Andhra Pradesh (total area covered approx 100,000 sq km) for March-October, 2008

equipment set up for cotton, rice, groundnut, pulses

180 devices to be deployed

Essentially for use by trained surveyors

Initially 20/ district (need to train new surveyors)

Next, a cell-phone based surveillance

pilot in Tanzania