An Integrated Disease Intelligence System
The Knowledge Hub is a comprehensive repository of animal disease information, emergency contacts, and outbreak intelligence built directly into Kora. It is not an external website you visit or a separate app you download. It is woven into the fabric of Kora itself. You can access it wherever you work with animals.
Think of it as having a panel of experienced veterinarians on call 24/7. They are ready to provide instant disease information, emergency contacts, and outbreak alerts. The knowledge is immediately available and automatically applied throughout Kora. No waiting for callbacks.
How It Differs from Traditional Disease References
Traditional Approach: External and Disconnected
Traditionally, when you need disease information, you:
- Leave your animal management system to search government websites, veterinary databases, or academic resources
- Find scattered information across multiple sources with varying levels of detail and reliability
- Manually interpret and apply what you have learned back to your specific situation
- Hope the information is current and relevant to your region
- Search separately for emergency contacts when you need to report diseases
This fragmented approach wastes time, creates uncertainty, and often means critical information arrives too late.
Knowledge Hub Approach: Integrated and Intelligent
With the Knowledge Hub, disease intelligence is:
Built-In: Access disease information without leaving Kora. Search diseases while recording observations, reviewing animal histories, or planning biosecurity measures.
Automatically Applied: When veterinarians diagnose diseases from the Knowledge Hub, Kora instantly retrieves epidemiological parameters (incubation periods, transmission rates, contagious periods). It applies them throughout the system. This means calculating quarantine durations, identifying exposed animals, and scoring transmission risks.
Jurisdiction-Aware: Emergency contacts, regulatory requirements, and outbreak information adapt to your location. If you are in Kenya, you see Kenyan emergency hotlines and outbreak data. If you are in Australia, you see NLIS requirements and Australian authority contacts.
Always Current: Disease profiles, outbreak data, and emergency contacts are maintained centrally. They are updated as new information becomes available. You are not relying on outdated bookmarks or printed reference materials.
Contextually Relevant: Disease information filters by animal type. Managing cattle? See cattle diseases. Working with wildlife? Access wildlife disease profiles. The Knowledge Hub adapts to your context.
What Powers the Knowledge Hub
Professional Veterinary Expertise
The Knowledge Hub's disease profiles are written by a team of experienced veterinarians with over 100 years of combined professional practice. This is not academic theory. It is practical, field-tested knowledge from veterinarians who have diagnosed and managed these diseases throughout their careers.
Each disease profile includes:
- Clinical descriptions: What the disease looks like in practice
- Symptom profiles: Observable signs to watch for
- Transmission characteristics: How disease spreads between animals
- Human health implications: Zoonotic risks and public health considerations
- Emergency response guidance: What to do when disease is suspected or confirmed
- Reporting requirements: Which authorities to notify
This collective expertise ensures the Knowledge Hub provides reliable, practical information. Not just technical descriptions, but actionable guidance for real-world animal management.
Epidemiological Parameters
Beyond descriptions, each disease includes precise epidemiological data:
Transmission Rate (0.0-1.0 scale)
- 0.3 = Low transmission (e.g., Brucellosis - requires direct contact)
- 0.5 = Moderate transmission (e.g., Tuberculosis)
- 0.7 = High transmission (e.g., Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis)
- 0.9 = Very high transmission (e.g., Foot-and-Mouth Disease - extremely contagious)
Incubation Period (1-60 days)
- Time from exposure to when the animal becomes contagious
- Critical for determining exposure windows when tracing contacts
Contagious Period (1-60 days)
- Duration after incubation when animal can spread disease
- Combined with incubation period to calculate total quarantine duration
Zoonotic Multiplier (1.0-2.0 scale)
- 1.2 = Standard zoonotic risk (20% increased concern)
- 1.5 = High-risk zoonotic disease (50% increased concern)
- 2.0 = Critical zoonotic disease (100% increased concern, maximum precaution)
- Applied only when disease is zoonotic (can affect humans)
These are not arbitrary numbers. They are based on established epidemiological research and field experience. They provide science-based guidance for disease management decisions.
The Knowledge Hub Structure
The Knowledge Hub organises information into interconnected components:
1. Emergency Animal Disease Profiles
Over 100 significant diseases affecting:
- Livestock - Cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry, horses
- Wildlife - Endemic and exotic diseases in wild animal populations
- Zoo and Exotic Species - Multi-species disease information for conservation
- Aquatic Species - Fish, crustaceans, mollusks
Each disease profile contains:
- Disease name and classification
- Animal types affected
- Overview and detailed description
- Clinical symptoms
- Transmission characteristics and epidemiological parameters
- Human health impact (for zoonotic diseases)
- Emergency response recommendations
- Reporting requirements and regulatory information
- Links to resources, documents, and educational materials
- Endemic countries (where disease commonly occurs)
- Latest outbreak information
2. Authority Emergency Contacts
Centralised emergency hotlines and regulatory contacts organised by jurisdiction:
What This Provides:
- Emergency disease reporting hotlines
- Regulatory authority contact information
- Specialised disease control centres
- 24/7 emergency response numbers
- Regional veterinary services
Why This Matters: When you suspect foot-and-mouth disease in cattle, you do not need to search "who to call for FMD in [your region]". The Knowledge Hub immediately shows the appropriate emergency contact for your jurisdiction.
Jurisdiction-Specific Organisation:
- National Level: Country-wide emergency contacts and regulatory authorities
- Subnational Level: State, province, or regional contacts where applicable
- Disease-Specific: Some diseases have dedicated emergency response hotlines
This centralisation ensures you reach the right authority quickly during disease emergencies. It reduces confusion, speeds response, and ensures regulatory compliance.
3. Outbreak Tracking
Current disease outbreak information helps you assess risks:
- Which diseases are currently circulating in your region
- Recent outbreak locations and dates
- Zoonotic potential of circulating diseases
- Trends in disease occurrence
This real-time intelligence helps you:
- Implement preventive biosecurity before disease arrives
- Understand elevated risks for certain diseases
- Coordinate with regulatory authorities tracking outbreaks
- Make informed decisions about animal movements and purchases
4. Resources and Documents
Supplementary materials including:
- Government disease fact sheets
- Regulatory guidelines and requirements
- Biosecurity protocols and checklists
- Diagnostic and treatment references
- Educational materials
These resources provide deeper dives into specific topics when you need more detail than the disease profile provides.
5. Explainers (Educational Content)
Plain-language explanations of disease concepts, organised by category:
- Disease mechanisms (how diseases work)
- Epidemiological concepts (transmission, incubation, quarantine)
- Biosecurity principles
- Regulatory frameworks
- Zoonotic disease risks
Explainers help you understand the "why" behind disease management recommendations.
6. Glossary
Terminology definitions for over 1,000 animal health and disease management terms:
- Medical terminology (clinical, diagnostic, treatment)
- Epidemiological terms (transmission, prevalence, incidence)
- Regulatory terminology (notifiable diseases, quarantine, movement restrictions)
- Biosecurity concepts
Search by term or browse alphabetically. Helps you understand technical language in disease profiles, veterinary reports, and regulatory documents.
How the Knowledge Hub Stays Current
Centralised Maintenance
The Knowledge Hub is maintained centrally by the Kora team in collaboration with veterinary experts. Updates to disease profiles, emergency contacts, and outbreak information are deployed automatically. You always access current information without manual updates.
Regular Review
Disease information, epidemiological parameters, and emergency contacts are reviewed regularly to ensure accuracy and currency. When regulations change, emergency contact numbers update, or new outbreaks occur, the Knowledge Hub reflects these changes promptly.
Community Contribution
While core disease profiles are professionally curated, Kora users contribute to the knowledge ecosystem:
- Reporting outbreaks in their regions
- Sharing experiences with disease management
- Providing feedback on resource usefulness
- Suggesting additional diseases or topics for coverage
This collaborative approach ensures the Knowledge Hub evolves to meet real-world needs.
Access and Availability
Who Can Access the Knowledge Hub
Everyone: The Knowledge Hub is available to all Kora users, regardless of user type or permission level:
- Farmers researching symptoms before calling a veterinarian
- Veterinarians accessing disease profiles during clinical consultations
- Wildlife managers understanding zoonotic risks
- Regulatory authorities tracking disease trends
- Students learning animal health management
- Hobbyists managing backyard animals
Disease intelligence is a universal need. Kora does not restrict access based on professional credentials.
How You Access It
The Knowledge Hub is integrated throughout Kora:
- Dedicated Knowledge Hub Section: Browse diseases, explore outbreaks, access resources
- Contextual Access: Disease information appears where you need it (during observations, while reviewing animal health histories)
- Search Functionality: Quick search across diseases, explainers, glossary terms
- Links from Veterinary Observations: When veterinarians diagnose diseases, their observations link directly to Knowledge Hub disease profiles
You do not need special permissions, separate logins, or external access. It is simply available whenever you are working with animals in Kora.
The Integration Advantage
The Knowledge Hub's power comes from integration, not just information availability.
Example - Traditional Approach:
- Veterinarian diagnoses foot-and-mouth disease
- You search online for FMD information
- Learn it has a 14-day incubation period
- Manually identify which animals were near the infected animal
- Calculate exposure windows and quarantine durations
- Search for emergency contact information
- Call regulatory authority to report
- Implement quarantine based on your understanding
Example - Knowledge Hub Approach:
- Veterinarian diagnoses foot-and-mouth disease from Knowledge Hub
- Kora automatically:
- Retrieves FMD disease profile (14-day incubation, 7-day contagious period, 0.9 transmission rate)
- Calculates 21-day total quarantine duration
- Identifies all animals that shared locations during exposure window (past 14 days)
- Scores exposure risk (85/100 for extended contact with high-transmission disease)
- Recommends daily monitoring protocols
- Displays emergency contact for your jurisdiction
- Links to FMD biosecurity resources
- You implement recommended quarantine and contact authorities
The knowledge does not just inform. It activates throughout Kora. This transforms static information into intelligent, automated guidance.