Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET)

Even though half of adults own pets, health surveillance and research in companion animals has long been neglected globally, with no comprehensive active surveillance system in place to detect and demonstrate disease outbreaks, population trends and to inform matters that affect humans as well, such as use of antibiotics in animals.

SAVSNET was created in 2008 and harnesses electronic health records from veterinary practices and diagnostic laboratories and environmental data for rapid and actionable research and surveillance, prioritising areas such as antimicrobial use and resistance, climate and environment, and infection and zoonosis.

Its key aims include monitoring disease trends over time, identifying populations at risk and highlighting appropriate interventions as well as monitoring treatments and outcomes, with this data made available for academics and others.

The impact of SAVSNET has been recognised by government and pharmaceutical companies, and it plays a leading role in national companion animal surveillance and UK disease preparedness. A case study of how its data can be utilised came into effect in 2019 and 2020 during an unprecedented outbreak of gastroenteric disease in dogs.

Using methodologies developed in SAVSNET, the team harnessed syndromic data from electronic health records to track the outbreak in near-real time both temporally and spatially and launched regularly updated websites aimed at both owners and vets.

These included evidence-based case descriptions, treatment recommendations and biosecurity advice. This information reached thousands of people through the website and social media. Through case and control questionnaires and sample collection tools, we determined that the likely cause of the outbreak was a canine enteric coronavirus variant within just eight weeks.

SAVSNET also rapidly responded to government requests for data about the potential for pets to act as hosts for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which helped to inform policy and advice during the early days of the pandemic.