Veterinary Epidemiology: information system & database software

An integral part of any epidemiological investigation is the ability to store and manage the data appropriately. A number of programs are available to facilitate this, including EpiInfo, which has been described elsewhere:

• AnSWR (Software system for coordinating and conducting large-scale, team-based analysis projects that integrate qualitative and quantitative techniques) http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/software/answr/index.htm

• CDC EZ-Text (Developed to assist researchers create, manage, and analyze semi-structured qualitative databases) http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/software/ez-text/index.htm

• EpiData (Comprehensive easy to use tool for simple or programmed data entry and for data documentation) http://www.epidata.dk/

• GLiPHA (The Global Livestock Production and Health Atlas is a user-friendly, highly interactive electronic atlas providing a scaleable overview of spatial and temporal variation of quantitative information related to animal production and health through the combination of maps, tables and charts) http://kids.fao.org/glipha/

• NetEpi Collection (Data collection and data management tool which can be used either through a Web browser interface or via a programmatic interface. http://code.google.com/p/netepi/

• OpenOffice (Open source application suite which includes a database management program) http://www.openoffice.org/