Launched in August 2014, Participatory One Health Digital Disease Detection (PODD) detects emerging animal and environmental health threats in Chiang Mai, Thailand. A team of veterinarians, public health officers, livestock officers, community volunteers, technologists, economists, social scientists, and geographic information systems (GIS) experts developed smartphone and web applications for community members to report unusual disease events in backyard and wild animals and humans. Volunteers report potential human or animal disease outbreaks or environmental hazards through the PODD mobile app. These disease reports lead to a local response from health experts who collect lab samples from the disease source in the community and/or send preventive materials such as vaccines.
Within 16 months after launch, 1,340 abnormal events were reported by volunteers through the PODD mobile app. Within two years, more than 3,500 volunteers were trained.