ISIS Zoological Information Management System Development

International Species Information System, Eagan MN

Investigators

Abstract

Our research objectives are to: 1. Establish data standards for zoological data (particularly those relevant to detecting and monitoring zoonotic diseases, including new and emerging). 2. Identify best practices for zoological information management and associated work processes. 3. Development of an integrated comprehensive new information system (ISIS1 ZIMS) to support zoological work processes. 4. Development of a centralized data repository to support and facilitate research and the sharing of information among zoological institutions worldwide. The relevance to human health is that the ISIS network of zoological institutions closely monitor the health of thousands of species of wildlife located in urban centers worldwide. Linked in real-time through ZIMS, this network becomes a powerful bio-sentinel system, with unusual capacity to detect disease threats affecting zoo animals, wildlife nearby, and potentially humans as well (some 50% of new and emerging diseases are zoonotic, affecting humans as well as wildlife, such as West Nile Virus).