The Canadian Swine Health Intelligence Network, created on behalf of the Canadian Swine Health Board, allows swine veterinarians to share information among their peers on disease issues developing in their regions.

Information gathered through an on-line survey where veterinarians report on diseases they've encountered in the past three months, whether the incidence of disease is changing and provide comments, is shared through a national communications network.

Dr Chris Byra, with Greenbelt Swine Veterinary Services, one of a group of companies involved in the creation of the network, estimates over half of the swine practitioners across Canada, representing 80 to 90 per cent of the swine herd, provided data for the first series of veterinary network meetings.

Dr Chris Byra- Greenbelt Swine Veterinary Service :

The first group were held in late-July followed by a national meeting made up of people from those three meetings and they share information about new emerging swine health problems, sometimes diseases, sometimes other types of problems.

The information that supports the discussions comes from a clinical impression survey of all of the veterinarians in Canada that are all asked to participate.

They are also supported by the other part of the project we were developing and that's a data network which will include information about what is seen on farms during the year. These will bring that information together to the veterinary network, the communication part and we will be making recommendations out of that group.

There'll be updates and so on coming from that to further educate or help with the control of diseases in pig herds in Canada.

Dr Byra says so far the reporting has been done by email but in the future it will probably include a discussion forum and other web based tools.