Innovative Dashboards Help Track Livestock Diseases
Livestock diseases pose serious challenges to farmers, impacting both animal welfare and farm income. In some cases, these diseases must be reported to federal authorities, which can stop livestock movement and disrupt trade. This is especially critical for countries like Canada that export large portions of their beef and pork.
Tracking and managing these diseases is difficult due to Canada’s large geography and diverse farming systems. Recognizing this issue, Dr. Zvonimir Poljak and his research team at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, developed a new digital solution.
They created interactive dashboards using data from the Animal Health Laboratory to track the presence of common diseases in poultry, swine, cattle, and horses. These dashboards allow users to view real-time trends, detect virus types, and identify which production stages are affected. For example, one tool tracks the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) virus, displaying data on monthly test results and virus strains.
So far, the team has built 18 dashboards for diseases such as Influenza A, Salmonella, Mycoplasma bovis, and more. These tools are already helping veterinarians, farmers, and health officials take quicker action to limit disease spread and reduce risks.
The dashboards are also gaining attention from public health agencies, as many animal diseases can also impact humans. Recent human cases of Avian Influenza highlight the importance of tracking zoonotic diseases.
According to the University of Guelph report, this technology could play a key role in preventing outbreaks before they happen by making complex data easier to understand and act upon. The ultimate goal is to improve animal health, support farmers, and strengthen Canada’s disease surveillance systems.
Photo Credit: istock-srdjan-stepic