Common database on the epidemiological situation of swine fever in wild boar in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, and Germany

In September 2002, the Institute of Epidemiology started the development of an animal-based database system on the epidemiological situation of swine fever in wild boar in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany (federal states of Northrhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland) in close cooperation with the working group for swine fever in wild boar of the European Commission. The database was realized as an internet project and permits data entry and analysis via an internet browser. Access to the website is restricted by safety mechanisms. The users must authenticate themselves by user names and passwords. All users of the database nominated by the EU member states are able to read and analyze the content of the database, access rights for modification of the country data (add, edit or delete) are given to a defined group of users only. Data entry includes the characterization of the individual wild boar (sex, age, cause of death and localization) as well as the results of laboratory diagnostic investigations (virology and/or serology) and can be done via a HTML mask in the browser as well as by upload via a batch file for larger amounts of data. For this purpose, interfaces with database systems of the diagnostic investigation authorities have been established.

In addition to the analysis in table-form which is stratified according to time period, administrative units (e.g. member state, federal state, district), age classes, and results, an internet map server also enables the display of the results in map-form considering administrative borders and topographic characteristics. The map functionality has been extended by implementation of the map explorer now enabling a combination of the laboratory results with the area setting of the restriction and vaccination areas as well as flexible colouring and design of the maps.