Abstract
BackgroundTick paralysis, resultant from envenomation by the scrub-tick Ixodes holocyclus, is a serious threat for small companion animals in the eastern coast of Australia. We hypothesise that surveillance systems that are built on Internet search queries may provide a more timely indication of high-risk periods more effectively than current approaches.MethodsMonthly tick paralysis notifications in dogs and cats across Australia and the states of Queensland (QLD) and New South Wales (NSW) were retrieved from Disease WatchDog surveillance system for the period 2011–2013. Internet search terms related to tick paralysis in small companion animals were identified using Google Correlate, and corresponding search frequency metrics were downloaded from Google Trends. Spearman’s rank correlations and time series cross correlations were performed to assess which Google search terms lead or are synchronous with tick paralysis notifications.ResultsMetrics data were available for 24 relevant search terms at national level, 16 for QLD and 18 for NSW, and they were all significantly correlated with tick paralysis notifications (P < 0.05). Among those terms, 70.8, 56.3 and 50 % showed strong Spearman’s correlations, at national level, for QLD, and for NSW respectively, and cross correlation analyses identified searches which lead notifications at national or state levels.ConclusionThis study demonstrates that Internet search metrics can be used to monitor the occurrence of tick paralysis in companion animals, which would facilitate early detection of high-risk periods for tick paralysis cases. This study constitutes the first application of the rapidly emerging field of Internet-based surveillance to veterinary science.
Highlights
Tick paralysis, resultant from envenomation by the scrub-tick Ixodes holocyclus, is a serious threat for small companion animals in the eastern coast of Australia
Tick paralysis notifications and Google trends data Between 1st January 2011 and 31st December 2013, a total number of 8,414 tick paralysis cases were registered nationally in the Disease WatchDog website in both canines and felines; a total of 4,891 (58 %) cases were reported as originating in New South Wales (NSW) and 3,523 (42 %) in QLD (Fig. 1)
This difference is statistically significant, cross-correlations analyses between the two states time series showing that the peak of notifications in QLD leads the peak in NSW by one month
Summary
Resultant from envenomation by the scrub-tick Ixodes holocyclus, is a serious threat for small companion animals in the eastern coast of Australia. We hypothesise that surveillance systems that are built on Internet search queries may provide a more timely indication of high-risk periods more effectively than current approaches. Tick paralysis is a potentially fatal neurological condition affecting companion animals, livestock and humans. It occurs globally, but the majority of cases are restricted to the Pacific Northwest regions of North America and the eastern coast of Australia [1]. Given the acute clinical presentation of the disease and the potentially fatal outcome, reliable surveillance data for the early warning of the occurrence of high-risk periods is essential for the timely preparedness of primary care services. Data are collected from practicing veterinarians as cases of diseases are diagnosed, providing monthly online updates
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