PetVet DX Bioinformatics Enters Industry-First Infectious Disease Surveillance and Prevention Contract with the USDA

The New Orleans-based company will use AI and human intelligence to assist the USDA in monitoring potential outbreaks and preventing them before they happen

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, UNITED STATES, July 12, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — PetVet DX Bioinformatics, a New Orleans-based animal healthcare solutions provider, has announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is intending to contract with the organization to perform global animal infectious disease monitoring. The monitoring will examine vast swaths of data from social media posts to livestock futures and more for hints on when and where the next big infectious disease outbreak will occur and strategize how health agencies can respond.

PetVet Dx Bioinformatics was started by David Kutrucz, a clinician molecular scientist and entrepreneur, in the aftermath of the 2022 Avian Influenza outbreak. The company made headlines in the early days of the Avian Influenza pandemic for raising alarm bells about a disease outbreak at Super Bowl LV ahead of some governments and global public health organizations.

The company uses a blend of artificial intelligence and human intelligence to scour various sources of data to monitor potential disease outbreaks.

The USDA shared its interest in the matter in February, announcing its intention to work with the company’s services for one year, with the option to extend for another.

“This interest is aimed at sourcing a solution that will enhance our ability to conduct real-time monitoring of key information sources to identify emerging health threats,” a PetVet Dx spokesperson said in an email.

The contract will also strengthen preparedness and planning activities to support government agencies and local public health bodies.

It could be the first time an animal health company has done something like this on this scale.

“USDA is not aware of other events-based surveillance systems similar to PetVet Dx Bioinformatics in other states. Many state health departments do conduct basic media monitoring for internal situational awareness,” a PetVet Dx spokesperson said.

Instead of sole-sourcing PetVet Dx Bioinformatic services from the outset, states chose to give other interested companies a chance to bid if they could provide the same service. If no other company submitted a bid by the closing date, the USDA had the green light to select PetVet Dx Bioinformatics, which they intended to do, the PetVet Dx spokesperson added.

Because the contract hasn’t been fully executed, the USDA doesn’t have an exact idea of how it will use the information it gathers to help other health-focused organizations within the US, like the CDC and state health departments.

“New Orleans is really quite well positioned to do a data-driven kind of health warning dashboard system. We hope this makes farmers, pet owners, and the general public confident that private industry is working on their behalf.” the PetVet Dx spokesperson said.

Those interested in trying the product should get in touch with PetVet Dx. To learn more about the company, visit www.petvetdx.com.

Shelby Riley
PetVet Dx
+1 318-693-1838
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