CTD > Introduction > How To Use This Web Site

How To Use This Web Site

Using your browser's features for efficient navigation

These pages were designed and tested with Netscape Navigator 3.0, and makes excellent use of its frame navigation abilities. For example: if an error is made in completing a diagnosis, and you wish to change your query entry, pressing the back button of your browser will take you back to the diagnosis form with the last information entered present. Then all that is needed to do is alter or clear the infromation by utilizing the appropriate buttons.

Basic navigation

For information on how the Diseases are organized, please refer to "How The Diseases Are Organized" for further assistance.

Disease information can be accessed either through the scientific or common name of the disease organism. Alternatively, groups of species can be accessed through a group name such as "Sap Rots".

Lists of diseases found on particular hosts, or diseases exhibiting particular signs or symptoms, can also be accessed.

Diagnosis

A diagnosis can be carried out by selecting a host species, signs and symptoms on a form available through the "Problem Diagnosis" link on the opening page then selecting the "Submit Query" button at the bottom of the form. The results of the diagnosis are presented in the following format.

Diseases are ranked based on the number of signs or symptoms which exclude them as possible diagnoses. The number of exclusions on the table of results is itself a link , which, when selected, shows a summary of the signs and symptoms that support or deny the species being a possible diagnosis. It is therefore possible not only to determine the most probable diagnosis, but also to determine why a particular disease is not a possible diagnosis.

Note that there are diseases not included in this system. Confirmation that the particular disease suggested by the system is the actual cause of a problem will require expert diagnosis, and is the responsibility of the system user.

A version of the diagnostic system is available on CD-ROM. For further information contact Alan Thomson.