DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC FOR. AVIAN FEVER (INFLUENZA) IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This project, Expert System on Avian and Fever Diagnosis, is a software system tailored for use in the Diagnosis of Avian Fever Diseases. The software is an expert system with a database containing an expert knowledge. The user only uses it to determine whether he or she has any of the diseases within its domain and also Present expert system uses inference rules and plays an important role that will provide certain methods of diagnosis for treatment. The software has been designed to be interactive with audio capability eliciting from the user if they have symptoms of the diseases. The user response helps the expert system to determine the level at which the disease is present. The user is further advised on what next to do. This software is implemented in visual C# programming environment, due to its appropriateness and user-friendliness.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

Detecting diseases at early stage can help to overcome and treat them appropriately. Identifying the treatment accurately depends on the method that is used in diagnosing the diseases. A Diagnosis Expert System (DExS) can help a great deal in identifying those diseases and describing methods of treatment to be carried out taking into account the user capability in order to deal and interact with expert system easily and clearly. Present expert system uses inference rules and plays an important role that will provide certain methods of diagnosis for treatment.

Computer-based methods are increasingly used to improve the quality of medical services. Artificial Intelligence (Al) is the area of computer science focusing on, creating expert machines that can engage on behaviors that humans consider intelligent. The proposed system DExS is for dealing with the problem of a disease diagnosis as an’ expert system.

An expert system is a system that employs human knowledge captured in a computer to solve problems that ordinarily require human expertise. Expert system seeks and utilizes relevant information from their human users and from available knowledge bases in order to make recommendations. The data and knowledge of’ DExS are collected from different sources. The first primary source is the medical knowledge of expert doctors. The second source is from specialized databases, books and a few electronic websites.

On the other hand Avian Fever also called Bird flu or avian influenza is a viral infection that can also infect humans and other animals. Most forms of the virus are restricted to birds. Currently, the virus isn’t known to spread via human-to human contact. Still, some experts’ worry that H5N1 may pose a risk of becoming a pandemic threat to humans.

One may have H5N1 if you experience typical flu-like symptoms such as:

• Cough
• Diarrhea
• Fever (over 100.4°F)
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Malaise
• Runnynose
• Sore throat
  1. Statement of the Problem

1. It is well known that developing countries like Nigeria are facing a lot of shortage of medical expertise in medical science. Due to this, they are unable to provide good medical services to the teaming population. Patients also have to stay in long queues for medical attention.
2. Improper or wrong diagnosis has been known to be the bane of our hospitals. This has led to the, death of large number of people.
3. Health care facility should be accessible by all at all times. But some of the people that should access these facilities are far removed from these facilities. More so, in the few available facilities, qualified medical personnel are always key issues that need urgent redress.
4. In view of the foregoing, it would be of great necessity to provide a computerized system that will provide a complementary medical service, such as medical disease diagnosis in places where accessibility is a problem as well as health care facilities where qualified experts are lacking.

1.2 Objectives of the Study

1. The major objective of this work is to develop an expert system on diagnosis of communicable diseases. It also targets towards contributing to academic research work.
2. It is also to ascertain whether the diseases could be diagnosed based on signs and symptoms.
3. It will also examine a patient based on simple clinical signs, and to improve family and community health.
4. Also, because human disease diagnosis is a complicated process and requires high level of expertise. Any attempt of developing an expert system will eliminate the problems of wrong medical diagnosis.

1.3 Significance of the Study

1. It will help to retain the skill of an expert medical doctor in case of any eventuality.
2. It can support academic development.
3. It can be useful in many hospitals, both private and government, cases where the expert is not on seat.
4. It can also be used in the laboratory for quick research work.