Zoonoses National Control Programme for Salmonella

In June 2002 the British Pig Executive (BPEX) introduced the Zoonoses Action Plan (ZAP) Salmonella Monitoring Programme. ZAP was introduced following a report published in 2000, which indicated that pigs were arriving at abattoirs carrying Salmonella and the risk of contamination was present. 

In October 2006 everysite won the contract to redevelop BPEX's original ZAP management system using CASI technology. We were asked to develop a national system for controlling the whole of the salmonella monitoring process. This system includes services for allowing abattoirs to be instructed to take samples, print barcoded sample sheets and send samples for testing. When completed the sample results are returned to the CASI database via a data exchange route setup between the CASI and ELISA testing lab. Once the samples are recorded on the CASI system monthly online and PDF reports are generated using the CASI reporting service.

The completed database and management system has three main component elements.

• The database system with import filters for processing data and sample results
• The public zap website at www.bpex-zap.org.uk / www.bpex-zncp.org.uk
• The zap administration and management system

The functional elements of each component along with the required roles and personas are described below:

Database system and import filters

• CASI core zap scheme database. The core scheme has the following additional data storage scopes:
• ZAP ELISA Samples – Saves the sample sheet requests and then attached testing information when returned by the lab.
• ZAP Synchronisation Data Update – Saves data comparison results awaiting approval or rejection
• ZNCP Level Tracking – Saves the summary information relating to a rolling quarter samples for a member. The tracking assessment will be dated the 1st of the month following the quarter e.g. Sep, Oct, Nov Tracking Assessment is date 01/12/06. This scope was revised in April 2008 to hold additional monthly summary information relevant to the new ZNCP scheme.
• Vet Visit Information – Holds the details of the visits for microbiological testing
• ZAP Action Plan – Holds details of the current action plan required to authorise an extension   
• ZAP Additional Producer Details – Holds all of the ZAP schemes additional producer information like slap marks, corporate affiliations and vet information.
• ZAP Scores – Specifies the format of the agreed data monthly data exchange with the certification bodies.
• ABP Producers – Certificate scope for all producer records certified by Assured British Pigs.
• GENESIS Pig Producers – Certificate scope for all producer records certified by GENESIS.
• NISS Producers – Scope for all non-assured producer records supplied by NISS.
• QMSF Producers – Certificate scope for all producer records certified by QMSF.

In addition to the core zap (zncp) database there are also three related scheme databases in the CASI system. These are used to store the producer and certification information provided by the respective data providers ready to be synchronised with the ZAP core data.

• GENESIS Pigs (ZAP Related Producers)
• QMSFA (Zap related producers)
• NI Non-Assured Herd

The data from Assured British Pigs is already held within the CASI system and is synchronised directly from their scheme records.

Import and Export filters

The ZNCP database system has the following import filters:

• ZNCP core data agent. This compares all data within the core zap database with related scheme information provided by the assured and non-assured data providers. The agent then saves all changes as assessments waiting for approval or notification back to the data provider.
• GENESIS import filter, processes producer and certification information provided by GENESIS. At present this information is provided in a spreadsheet which is regularly emailed to ZAP.  A new database format is due to be provided by GENSIS in March. The new database will require additional development
• QMSF import filter, processes producer and certification information provided by QMSF. The current filter is designed to work on an agreed Microsoft Access database which can be provided by ftp to a tlr server.#
• ZAP Results import agent. This filter processes the results returned by the lab. Where lab results contain a barcode reference the results are saved against the sample requests made by the abattoir. Where data is provided without a corresponding sample sheet reference the results are matched by assurance number and slap mark. At present the import system is designed to work by the specified barcode system. No error reporting is currently provided but could be added to provide a migration path.

The public zncp website at www.bpex-zap.org.uk / www.bpex-zncp.org.uk

The new ZNCP website provides a portal for access to the following services:

• Public news and document libraries
• Information on the platinum pig award
• Login facilities and forgotten password service
• Registration forms for abattoirs, vets and producers – the producer registration form attempts to automatically link a user account to their zap core producer record based on provision of details. Where information doesn’t match notification is given to the ZAP team. The vet and abattoir account registration forms simply send an email to the ZAP team as most contacts are already setup on the system and they can then simply reset the existing accounts username and password and email out to the user.

In addition to the public services once authenticated administrators have access to the following services:

Authenticated users who are a contact for an abattoir also have access to the following services:

• Create Sample Sheets – lets users create a sheet of samples prior to sending to the laboratory
• Revise Sample Sheets – lets users access all of the sample requests. They can print duplicate sample sheets and remove samples which were entered by mistake or never taken.
• Producer Reports – access all of the individual producer reports for producers which had samples taken at their abattoirs
• Veterinarians (users who are contacts for a vet practice) and other authorised users can access the following services:
• Report Producer Information – this allows action plan information and details of vet visits to be recorded against producer records
• Producer Reports – access to all of the individual reports on the producers which are linked to the users veterinary practices.

Users who are contacts for a corporate group can access the following service:

• Producer reports – access to all of the individual reports for producers which are members of the contacts corporate groups

Registered users who are contacts for producers can also access their own report.

The bpex administration and management system

The bpex administration system provides access to the following tools, services and facilities:

• Users and Contacts – provides access to all of the entity accounts on the system. Edit contact details and control access rights and permissions for users.
• ZAP Producers – all of the users which have registered as a contact for a producer.
• Approve or reject applications to register as a contact for a producer and access the producers’ online results.
• Abattoirs – all of the abattoirs and their contacts
• Corporate Details – all of the corporate groups and their contacts
• Vet Practices – all of the vet practices
• Veterinary Register – all of the individual vets
• ZAP Managers – all of the users in this group have administrator permissions for the zap system
• NISS – users in this group have access to the NISS online database tools

Producer Records – access to all of the zap core scheme details.

• View and Edit Members
• Membership Overview 
• Membership Information
• Sites
• Contacts
• Approve Updates
• Certificates
• Visits and Action Plans
• Samples and Results
• Merge Records
• Download Spreadsheet
• Scheme Reports

ZNCP Management

• Monthly ZNCP Tracks – Generate and assign zncp percentage levels to producers based on lab sample results.
• Track Samples – Keep track of the number of samples being taken at each laboratory and track any overdue samples which haven’t returned from the laboratory
• Sample Sheet Log files - Access to download the abattoir sample sheet logs which record activity of FBO’s building sample sheets.
• ZNCP PDF Reports – edit the HTML templates for the monthly (and 4 monthly) ZNCP reports. You can also use the preview links to generate small sample reports based on small set of ZNCP data.
• Approve Data Changes – Review all of the data changes between the ZAP core database and the data providers information
• ZNCP Management Reports
  • 1. Summary of % Positives - Summary by region
    2. Units by ZNCP Sample Range - Sample summary by region
    3. Units % (Positive + Suspect) Range - Percentage summary by region
    4. ZNCP UK Geospatial - Rolling annual results from the latest month
    5. ZNCP NI Geospatial - Rolling annual results from the latest month
    6. English Sample Pie Chart - Pie chart of the samples in the specified report period
    7. Scottish Sample Pie Chart - Pie chart of the samples in the specified report period
    8. NI Assured Sample Pie Chart - Pie chart of the samples in the specified report period
    9. All Assured Pie Chart - Pie chart of the samples in the specified report period
    10. NI (all) Sample Pie Chart - Pie chart of the samples in the specified report period
    11. NI Non-Assured Pie Chart - Pie chart of the samples in the specified report period
    12. % Positive Graph - ZNCP rolling annual % (Positive + Suspect) by region
• Communications – send emails, faxes or mailings to any registered users or company contacts. These services can be used to send reports in invites to view online information.