scholarly journals Integrating digital and field surveillance as complementary efforts to manage epidemic diseases of livestock: African swine fever as a case study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0252972
Author(s):  
Michele Tizzani ◽  
Violeta Muñoz-Gómez ◽  
Marco De Nardi ◽  
Daniela Paolotti ◽  
Olga Muñoz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Local Level ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Digital Data ◽  
Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
Public Attention ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Animal Diseases ◽  
Seeking Behavior

SARS-CoV-2 has clearly shown that efficient management of infectious diseases requires a top-down approach which must be complemented with a bottom-up response to be effective. Here we investigate a novel approach to surveillance for transboundary animal diseases using African Swine (ASF) fever as a model. We collected data both at a population level and at the local level on information-seeking behavior respectively through digital data and targeted questionnaire-based surveys to relevant stakeholders such as pig farmers and veterinary authorities. Our study shows how information-seeking behavior and resulting public attention during an epidemic, can be identified through novel data streams from digital platforms such as Wikipedia. Leveraging attention in a critical moment can be key to providing the correct information at the right moment, especially to an interested cohort of people. We also bring evidence on how field surveys aimed at local workers and veterinary authorities remain a crucial tool to assess more in-depth preparedness and awareness among front-line actors. We conclude that these two tools should be used in combination to maximize the outcome of surveillance and prevention activities for selected transboundary animal diseases such as ASF.

scholarly journals Integrating digital and field surveillance to complement efforts to manage epidemic diseases of livestock: African swine fever as a case study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Tizzani ◽  
Violeta Muñoz-Gómez ◽  
Marco De Nardi ◽  
Daniela Paolotti ◽  
Olga Muñoz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Local Level ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
Public Attention ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Animal Diseases ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Seeking Behavior

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has unveiled the importance of stakeholders and ordinary citizens in managing infectious disease emergencies. Efficient management of infectious diseases requires a top-down approach which must be complemented with a bottom-up response to be effective. Here we investigate a novel approach to surveillance for transboundary animal diseases using African Swine fever as a model. We were able to collect data at a population level on information-seeking behavior and at a local level through a targeted questionnaire-based survey to relevant stakeholders such as farmers and veterinary authorities. Our study shows how information-seeking behavior and resulting public attention during an epidemic, can be addressed through novel data streams from digital platforms such as Wikipedia. We also bring evidence on how field surveys aimed at local workers (e.g. farmers) and public authorities remain a crucial tool to assess more in-depth preparedness and awareness among front-line actors. We conclude that they should be used in combination to maximize the outcome of surveillance and prevention activities for selected transboundary animal diseases.

scholarly journals Digital epidemiology reveals global childhood disease seasonality and the effects of immunization

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (24) ◽  
pp. 6689-6694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin M. Bakker ◽  
Micaela Elvira Martinez-Bakker ◽  
Barbara Helm ◽  
Tyler J. Stevenson
Keyword(s):  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Digital Data ◽  
Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
Seasonal Cycles ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Chicken Pox ◽  
Childhood Disease ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Digital Epidemiology

Public health surveillance systems are important for tracking disease dynamics. In recent years, social and real-time digital data sources have provided new means of studying disease transmission. Such affordable and accessible data have the potential to offer new insights into disease epidemiology at national and international scales. We used the extensive information repository Google Trends to examine the digital epidemiology of a common childhood disease, chicken pox, caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV), over an 11-y period. We (i) report robust seasonal information-seeking behavior for chicken pox using Google data from 36 countries, (ii) validate Google data using clinical chicken pox cases, (iii) demonstrate that Google data can be used to identify recurrent seasonal outbreaks and forecast their magnitude and seasonal timing, and (iv) reveal that VZV immunization significantly dampened seasonal cycles in information-seeking behavior. Our findings provide strong evidence that VZV transmission is seasonal and that seasonal peaks show remarkable latitudinal variation. We attribute the dampened seasonal cycles in chicken pox information-seeking behavior to VZV vaccine-induced reduction of seasonal transmission. These data and the methodological approaches provide a way to track the global burden of childhood disease and illustrate population-level effects of immunization. The global latitudinal patterns in outbreak seasonality could direct future studies of environmental and physiological drivers of disease transmission.

Future of academic libraries: Opportunities and Challenges

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (24) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raysh Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Search Engines ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
Technological Innovations ◽  
Information Need ◽  
Digital Resources ◽  
Web Resources ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
High Bandwidth

Rapid advances in technological innovations, affordable high bandwidth networks, explosive growth of web resources,sophisticated search engines, ever growing digital resources and changing information seeking behavior of users are greatly transforming the future of academic libraries. The paper outlines the challenges which are very dominant and posing threat for the existence of academic libraries and suitable strategies requires to be made by the libraries and librarians to meet the expectations and information need of their existing and potential clienteles.

scholarly journals Cancer patients’ information seeking behavior related to online electronic healthcare records

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 146045822110247
Author(s):  
Hanife Rexhepi ◽  
Isto Huvila ◽  
Rose-Mharie Åhlfeldt ◽  
Åsa Cajander
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Information Horizons ◽  
Health Information Sources

Patients’ online access to their EHR together with the rapid proliferation of medical information on the Internet has changed how patients use information to learn about their health. Patients’ tendency to turn to the Internet to find information about their health and care is well-documented. However, little is known about patients’ information seeking behavior when using online EHRs. By using information horizons as an analytical tool this paper aims to investigate the information behavior of cancer patients who have chosen to view their EHRs (readers) and to those who have not made that option (non-readers). Thirty interviews were conducted with patients. Based on information horizons, it seems that non-reading is associated with living in a narrower information world in comparison to readers. The findings do not suggest that the smallness would be a result of active avoidance of information, or that it would be counterproductive for the patients. The findings suggest, however, that EHRs would benefit from comprehensive linking to authoritative health information sources to help users to understand their contents. In parallel, healthcare professionals should be more aware of their personal role as a key source of health information to those who choose not to read their EHRs.

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