National Significant Disease Investigation Program

Following a successful pilot in 2008–09, the National Significant Disease Investigation (SDI) Program has been established. Significant diseases are broadly defined as those that may impact trade, regional or national productivity or public health. The program, funded by Animal Health Australia from livestock industry and government subscriptions, aims to boost Australia’s capacity for the early detection of diseases by recruiting greater participation of private veterinary practitioners and subsidising the cost of their disease investigations. This program is additional to any current state or territory department initiatives for disease investigations. During the 2008–09 pilot period a subsidy was paid and data collected for 240 cases. A budget has been provided for approximately 300 cases in 2009–10.

Subsidies for disease investigations

The National SDI Program subsidises livestock disease investigations by veterinary practitioners where financial limitations to their investigation exist (e.g. low economic value of individual livestock relative to the cost of veterinary services). Subsidies of $200 (or $300 for investigations at remote locations¹) are available for both the initial field and clinical evaluation, and for a follow-up investigation. In return, the practitioner must provide a case report of the investigation. Diagnostic specimens for laboratory testing must be submitted to the animal health laboratory as directed by the local department veterinary officer and will be treated under current department arrangements. The National SDI Program also contributes to the cost of laboratory analyses.

Benefits of the program

The benefits of this program are broad with a great potential to grow. Summary case data (including presenting symptoms), animal numbers and the response taken, will be collated centrally in the National Animal Health Information System. This data will enable future analysis of disease trends and assist the promotion of general surveillance² capacity in Australia, as it will show the activity of private veterinary practitioners over space and time.

Australia’s general surveillance capability will be significantly strengthened by a greater involvement of private veterinary practitioners promoted through this program. General surveillance has a key role in the early detection of emergency diseases as demonstrated in previous outbreaks in Australia: Menangle virus in a New South Wales piggery in 1997; Hendra virus in Queensland horses in 1994, 1999 and 2008; and sporadic anthrax in New South Wales and Victoria. Enhanced surveillance is critical not only for the early detection of disease, but to maintaining market access for the export of live animals and animal products.

How the program works

The following steps outline the procedure followed by the veterinary practitioner:

1. The veterinary practitioner becomes aware of a case that fits the criteria of a ‘significant’ event:
   • High morbidity, mortality and/or rate of spread.
   • Findings suggest a potential for significant public health, trade or production impacts.
   • A prior investigation fails to establish a diagnosis.
2. The practitioner contacts their government department veterinary officer to discuss the case eligibility, and the availability, of an SDI program subsidy.
3. Investigation details are reported to the government department using the form provided by the department or by downloading the electronic SDI program Record of Animal Disease Event (ROADE) form (117 KB) .
4. Payments are made to the practitioner by the government department (note that practitioner billing of clients is entirely independent of this program).

Note: Where there is a genuine suspicion of a notifiable animal disease, it is the practitioner’s legal responsibility to notify their state or territory animal health authority who will take the lead in any investigation and may fund the investigation independently of the SDI program (i.e. the SDI subsidy is not available for such investigations).

For further information contact your state coordinator, listed in the table below.

State and territory National SDI Program Coordinators

¹Locations are considered remote when significant extra travelling is required by the practitioner compared with routine visits and is at the discretion of the department veterinary officer.

²General surveillance is based on a network of people and organisations that detect, investigate and diagnose morbidity and mortality events. General surveillance is often opportunistic in nature, can generate a broad picture of the disease situation within a region, and has the potential to raise alerts to emergency disease events.