Australian Biosecurity Intelligence Network (ABIN)

ABIN (www.abin.org.au) was established with Commonwealth National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) funding, following the identification of a National Biosecurity Framework as a top priority for government funding in 2008.

In essence ABIN aims to make it easier to connect, share, use and create biosecurity intelligence for biosecurity research, surveillance and response through a shared online workspace that can be accessed through the ABIN web portal.

Through ABIN, Australia is leading the way in developing an integrated approach to biosecurity, increasing the quality and quantity of biosecurity intelligence that can be used for more informed and robust decision-making, policy development and operational response.

Mission

To strengthen Australia’s biosecurity research, surveillance, diagnostic and response capability, by enabling researchers, industry and governments, to collaborate, use expertise, share data, information, and generate intelligence using leading edge tools and technologies made available through ABIN’s secure online workspace

ABIN aims to dramatically improve the ability of the biosecurity community of researchers, industry and governments to work together to address common problems or emerging biosecurity issues through ‘real time’ access to data, information and know-how, and use of leading edge tools and technologies to generate biosecurity intelligence.

WildHealth

There is a critical need within the biosecurity community to have systems to rapidly detect, diagnose and respond to emerging diseases in wild and feral animal populations in Australia to best secure our collective health and favourable international trade status. The WildHealth project seeks to directly addresses the most significant gaps in the wildlife health sector through collaboration and information sharing.

The WildHealth community space includes images, video and audio, case histories, and diagnostic tools.

The WildHealth system is open to members of the Australian Society of Veterinary Pathology and the Wildlife Disease Association - Australasia. The primary users of WildHealth are the biosecurity professionals, universities, scientists, researchers, environment departments, veterinarians, zoos and aquaria. Additionally, people working in human health, plant health and livestock will also benefit from the shared resources.

The WildHealth Proof of Concept Project was established to both engage stakeholders within ABIN and to bring within ABIN’s infrastructure the web-based, spatial wildlife health database and data of the Australian Registry of Wildlife Health (Taronga Conservation Society Australia). ABIN’s WildHealth provides a secure online environment to unite the research, biosecurity and wildlife health communities to build our national capability and support the generation of biosecurity intelligence.

The new ABIN website (www.ABIN.org.au), contains video demonstrations of the WildHealth Community space.   Please feel free to Register for access to WildHealth by following the link on the top right corner of the site.