Conceptualising the technical relationship of animal disease surveillance to intervention and mitigation as a basis for economic analysis

摘要: Surveillance and intervention are resource-using activities of strategies to mitigate the unwanted effects disease. Resources scarce, allocating them disease mitigation instead other uses necessarily involves loss alternative sources benefit people. For society obtain maximum benefits from using resources, gains must be compared resource costs, guiding decisions made with objective achieving optimal net outcome. Economics provides criteria guide aimed at optimising use scarce resources. Assessing is no exception. However, technical complexity means that economic evaluation not straightforward because relationship surveillance intervention. We argue analysis magnitudes distribution costs for any given strategy, hence outcome in terms, requires considered three conceptually distinct stages. In Stage I, 'sustainment', sustain a free or acceptable status by preventing an increase pathogen eliminating it when occurs. The role document remains below defined threshold, giving early warning incidence significant changes risk, enabling response. If contained, situation needs assessed as II, 'investigation'. Here, obtains critical epidemiological information decide on appropriate strategy reduce eradicate III, 'implementation'. III informs choice, timing, scale interventions documents progress directed prevalence reduction population. This article originates research project develop conceptual framework practical tool surveillance. Exploring between source value cost crucial. A linking key relationships proposed. Three stages identified. Avian influenza, salmonella, foot mouth presented illustrate framework.