Evaluation of factors influencing the quality of disease notifications in Switzerland

One of the major elements of disease surveillance in Switzerland is the notification and recording of disease outbreaks. All those who keep, look after or medicate animals are obligated to notify outbreaks or suspicion of 80 diseases to a veterinarian or to the regional veterinary office (RVO, cantonal veterinary office). Diagnostic laboratories report positive results to the RVO as well. All notifications are proofed by the RVO and then submitted to the Swiss Federal Veterinary Office (SFVO) where notifications are collected centrally and published. The project's aim was to identify which factors influence the recognition of diseases and which factors support or impede the notification itself, or its quality, on different levels of the notification process. By interviews and online surveys different factors identified at the level of RVO, veterinary practitioners, laboratories and farmers were assessed according to their value and relevance. The results indicate a high standard of disease surveillance, at least in the self-recognition of the involved persons. However, there is a potential to increase the notification process both with better legal and institutional framework as well by improvements in the relations of the involved parties and the realization of the notification process.