Sample size calculator for declaring a population free of infectious disease (Version 1)
Scientists can leverage natural biological groupings of free-ranging wildlife to measure the prevalence of an infectious pathogen or disease. Specifically, correlation in disease status among individuals within natural groupings may be leveraged to conduct more efficient disease investigations. Unlike traditional sample size calculators, this calculator considers the natural grouping behavior of wild animals on the landscape and its effects on infectious disease transmission. Side-by-side output plots show potential sample savings afforded when correlation is considered relative to the same population where correlation is ignored. The statistical theory is depicted in Booth et al. (2023). This software contains only simple random sampling (SRS) although Booth et al. (2023) shows additional sampling schemes and remarks that scheme matters in sample size computations. We provide tutorials that show a variety of ways that this software can be used within a simple random sampling paradigm to plan real life wildlife health investigations. Tutorials include various diseases and pathogens in cervid species, mammals, herpetofauna, avians, and aquatic species. Later versions of this software will contain additional sampling schemes.
Copyright 2024
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This publication was supported by an agreement with Cornell University, under Federal Award Number AP24WSNWRC00C030 from United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cornell University nor those of Sponsor.