Data analysis supports monitoring and surveillance of sheep health and welfare in the Netherlands

Monitoring and surveillance of sheep health and welfare are of major importance for early detection of disease outbreaks. As in other European countries, there is a national notifiable disease surveillance system in the Netherlands. Additionally, Royal GD implemented a voluntary monitoring and surveillance system for sheep in 2003 which is built on a consultancy helpdesk, diagnostic testing including post-mortem examination, veterinary networks, and, since 2006, an annual data analysis, performed by collecting, aggregating and analysing routine census data from five data sources and four nationally operating organizations.