T-RACING: THE DIGITAL TOOL HELPING TRACK LIVESTOCK DISEASE OUTBREAKS

Developed by the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, T-Racing is a new tool designed to track disease transmission in livestock with remarkable precision. Recently featured in the scientific journal PLOS ONE, the application was created to support field epidemiology and help identify farms exposed to infection more quickly and clearly.

At the heart of T-Racing lies a technique known as “movement network analysis”. It maps animal movements between farms as a dynamic network of links, while also taking into account the timing of those movements. This approach makes it easier to identify potential infection routes and the farms at higher risk. Crucially, T-Racing automatically translates complex datasets into clear, practical information to guide veterinary health authorities’ response. “We designed T-Racing – says Dr Luca Candeloro, lead author of the study – to make these kinds of analyses available to people working in the field, without needing advanced IT skills. The tool uses official data and turns it into a hands-on resource for disease containment.”

The system was tested during actual outbreaks of bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis, both of which require strict animal monitoring. Typically, this kind of analysis would involve a time-consuming manual process to gather and cross-reference information from multiple sources. T-Racing streamlines the task, making it faster and more intuitive to identify likely transmission routes and the farms involved. It can also integrate additional sources of data, for example, genetic information about pathogens, further strengthening its ability to support real-time decision-making.

This is a concrete example of how digital technology can enhance public veterinary health systems, improving containment strategies in livestock and helping prevent zoonoses, diseases that can be passed from animals to humans. “Rapidly tracing how a disease spreads – says Dr Lara Savini, second author of the study – is essential for both animal and human health, fully in line with the One Health approach”.

T-Racing’s potential was highlighted during the recent COVEPI Day, where the tool was officially presented to veterinary professionals. “The response was extremely positive – says Dr Daria Di Sabatino, one of the event’s organisers – especially thanks to its ability to improve emergency response management in the field”.

In the future, T-Racing could potentially be integrated into VETINFO, Italy’s national veterinary data platform managed by IZS Teramo for the Ministry of Health. Such integration could represent a significant step forward in strengthening disease surveillance and outbreak control nationwide, ultimately helping to safeguard both animal and public health.