Surveillance System Standards

blueprint for developing swine surveillance systems. 

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Foreign Animal 

Disease 

  Rapid detection of FAD outbreak on domestic soil 

 

  Detect outbreaks of FAD on foreign soil 

 

  Monitor risk associated with domestic outbreak of FAD 

Trade 

  Document disease-free status 

 

  Describe disease prevalence patterns for regionalization 

Disease control 

  Assess progress in eradication and control campaigns  

 

  Assess progress in education campaigns 

 

  Assess progress in reduction of food-borne pathogens and 

zoonotic disease 

Emerging Animal 

Disease  

  Describe trends in hazards, exposures, and health conditions

 

 

  Recognition of emerging diseases 

 

Surveillance plans, supporting documents, and reports should use similar terminology to 

declare the objectives of the surveillance system.  

 

The objectives of a surveillance system and use of its data for decision-making may change 

over time, and these changes must be documented and shared with stakeholders and 

responsible parties.   

 

Priorities.  Surveillance systems with multiple objectives must identify and justify the priority 

of those objectives.  Criteria prioritization might include impacts on trade and productivity, 

animal welfare concerns, feasibility of control, cost of surveillance, and public health 

implications. Implementation of the surveillance system should demonstrate these priorities. 

See standard 1.12 for priorities in surveillance system implementation.   

 

1.4 

  

Expected Outcomes: Products, Decisions, and Actions 

 

Expected outcomes include the information resulting from the surveillance effort, which is then used 

for decision-making, policy development, and action—as well as the physical products that are 

generated, such as databases and reports.   

Standard: 

Surveillance planning documents articulate the expected outcomes of the surveillance 

system and describe the resulting products, including the decisions and actions 

resulting from implementation.  

 

Expected outcomes: 

a.  Include specific statements for actions to be taken following identification of cases, 

and methods for ensuring timely response.  This may be a reference to a VS 

response plan, to Uniform Methods and Rules (UM&R), or other actions that 

surveillance will trigger. 

b.  Include specific statements regarding actions to be taken when surveillance 

demonstrates freedom from the disease at the chosen threshold of detection, such 

as design prevalence or detection limit. 

                                                 

1

 Bush E, Lautner E, McKean J, Miller L. Swine Futures Project Final Report. U.S. Department of 

Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; 1999. 

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c.  Include specific statements regarding how the surveillance system information will 

affect policy development and agency decision-making.  

d.  Include metrics allowing for evaluating performance of the surveillance. See 

standard 1.14 for surveillance plan performance metrics. 

e.  Are consistent with the objectives of the surveillance system.  

f.  Are a priority for those responsible for managing the surveillance system to ensure 

that the outcomes are realized. 

g.  Are periodically reviewed by stakeholders and responsible parties to compare 

these outcomes with the surveillance system products as part of internal system 

review.  See document describing Surveillance System Evaluation Protocol; for 

more information, e-mail [e-mail].  

 

 

Supporting Information: 

 

The expected outcomes are statements that describe, using clear and specific terms, the 

tangible products that will result from the surveillance system.  Expected outcomes include 

products such as data, reports, and information that will influence policy development or 

decision-making.   

 

Examples of expected outcomes: 

 

  “The surveillance system will produce an annual summary report describing detailed 

information on the status of DISEASE “X” in the United States…” 

  “The surveillance system will provide timely and useful information to Federal and State 

decision-makers that will be used to determine what, if any, additional eradication efforts 

for DISEASE “X” are needed…” 

  “The surveillance system will provide annual updates on the effectiveness of educational 

programs in reducing the incidence of DISEASE “X” in the States of a, b, c, and d…”  

 

Statements of expected outcomes form the foundation for assessment of the surveillance 

system.  

1.5 Stakeholders and Responsible Parties 

Standard:

 

The stakeholders and the individuals responsible for designing, implementing, 

managing, and disseminating information on the surveillance system are clearly 

identified in the surveillance planning documents.   

 

a.  Responsible parties and stakeholders are identified by role, title, group name, 

or agency rather than by name.   

b.  Responsible parties and stakeholders are consulted and engaged in 

surveillance planning and may, in some cases, contribute to the surveillance 

plan and procedures. 

c.  Responsible parties have appropriate and adequate training to fulfill their 

responsibilities. See Chapter 3. 

d.  An Information Technology (IT) team is identified early in the surveillance 

planning process; this team is responsible for developing and implementing 

the database system, including data entry and reporting requirements, for the 

surveillance program.   

 

 

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