DiseaseWatchUK

Platform Updates

Stay up to date with the latest features, improvements, and bug fixes to the DiseaseWatch UK platform.

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October 18, 2026
WebGL Epidemiological Heatmaps & Mobile App Ecosystem
Release v0.8.0
Feature
  • WebGL Outbreak Heatmap Layer: Engineered high-performance GPU-accelerated density contour mapping using MapLibre GL JS, visualising pathogen transmission corridors and spatial contagion clusters across the United Kingdom.
  • Smart 3-Way Map View Selector: Seamlessly integrated Auto, Heatmap, and Pins view modes directly into the Filter Map drawer and header controls, with persistent session memory.
  • Adaptive Hybrid Mode (Auto): Dynamic zoom-level transition engine that displays macro-level contagion contours when viewing regions (zoom < 8.5) and fluidly switches into granular clinical case markers at local community zoom (zoom ≥ 8.5).
  • Epidemiological Weighting Engine: Incorporates time-decay curves (Active: 1.0, Caution: 0.55, Archived: 0.2) and verified veterinary professional multipliers (1.5x) to eliminate historical bias in outbreak density calculations.
  • Biosecurity Density Scale: Integrated visual density gradient legend with real-time active case indicators directly in the filter drawer.
  • DiseaseWatch Mobile App (iOS & Android): Advanced the native mobile app development in React Native / Expo, achieving full architectural parity including MapLibre GL WebGL heatmap layers, push biosecurity notifications, and offline-first preferences.
October 14, 2026
Admin Panel & Telemetry Performance Upgrade
Release v0.7.1
Improvement
  • Contact Message Email Dispatch: Administrators can now reply directly to user support inquiries with automatic MailerSend email notifications and full message history synced to the user's profile.
  • High-Performance Outcode Telemetry: Introduced PostgreSQL database aggregation RPCs for alert statistics, eliminating multi-megabyte client-side downloads and providing instant postcode subscriber distribution insights.
  • Server-Side Audit Log Discovery: Replaced client-side memory limits in the Audit Trail with server-side ILIKE querying, range pagination, and multi-field filtering across tables, actions, and actors.
  • Sponsor Management Permission Alignment: Streamlined role-based permissions allowing designated sponsor managers to manage clinic listings and view owner details without requiring global user administrative privileges.
October 14, 2026
Security, Privacy & Verification Hardening
Release v0.7.0
Security
  • Hardened Veterinary Verification: Veterinary accounts now undergo administrator RCVS credential validation before unlocking verified badges and high-priority reporting privileges.
  • Three-Tier Report Badges: Clarified map trust badges into Verified Veterinary Reports (RCVS-verified), Community Signals (Confirmed), and Community Signals (Unconfirmed).
  • Persistent Geo-Fuzzing Protection: Locked randomized spatial coordinates across report revisions, eliminating multi-sample averaging and triangulation vectors.
  • GDPR Audit Pseudonymization: Enhanced account deletion routines to thoroughly scrub personal profile diffs and pseudonymize system audit logs (actor_id = NULL) under ICO guidelines.
  • Content Security Policy (CSP) & Transport Hardening: Enforced strict CSP directives, Web Worker blob sandboxing, and no-referrer protection for third-party sponsor assets.
  • Per-Ad Postcode Allocation Rules: Enforced a limit of up to 5 outcodes per individual sponsorship ad campaign (allowing organizations to launch additional ad campaigns for broader coverage), paired with server-side pricing validation and UK telephone formatting.
  • Next.js 16.4 Engine Upgrade: Upgraded the application core to Next.js 16.4.0 with Turbopack, eliminating legacy sub-dependency vulnerabilities.
October 8, 2026
Community Partners & UI Refinements
Release v0.6.3
Improvement
  • Added support for tracking and reporting Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria) cases.
  • Introduced 'Community Partner' sponsorships allowing trusted organizations to be featured without a commercial SPONSORED tag.
  • Added a subtle 'Become a sponsor' footer link when local clinics are present.
  • Added 'Not Applicable' options for Patient Status and Vaccination Status in disease reports.
  • Expanded Diagnosis Status options to include 'Professional Observation' and general 'Observation'.
  • Updated phrasing from 'Trusted Professional' to 'Verified Vet' for clarity.
October 6, 2026
Usability & Support Improvements
Release v0.6.2
Improvement
  • Fixed an issue preventing Clinic Administrators from correctly registering their practice.
  • Added direct support email contact information to the help page.
  • Simplified map filter colors to provide a cleaner, more unified viewing experience.
October 6, 2026
Security & Stability Update
Release v0.6.1
Security
  • Implemented a comprehensive account deletion process to give users full control over their data.
  • Hardened payment processing and webhook systems to prevent billing discrepancies.
  • Enhanced the Admin Dashboard with accurate real-time metrics and improved access controls.
  • Fixed various background issues involving notification delivery and data persistence.
October 2, 2026
Clinic Sponsorship System
Release v0.6.0
Feature
  • Introduced a new self-serve Sponsor Pricing page for vet clinics to claim their local postcode.
  • Added a new 'Sponsorship Applications' tracker to the user profile page to monitor approval status.
  • Implemented a default fallback ad for postcodes without active sponsors, customizable via the Admin panel.
  • Added secure authentication gates for submitting sponsorship applications to prevent spam.
September 26, 2026
Light & Dark Mode Theming
Release v0.5.0
Feature
  • Implemented a comprehensive Light and Dark mode theme system across the entire application.
  • Added manual theme toggling to the navigation header and mobile menus.
  • Fixed an issue where mobile browsers (like Brave) would incorrectly force an inverted dark mode.
  • Resolved contrast issues on Authentication and Settings pages for improved accessibility.
September 25, 2026
Alerts & Notifications Upgrade
Release v0.4.2
Feature
  • Customizable email templates are now used for all Postcode Alerts.
  • Postcode alerts are now dispatched instantly and automatically when a verified user submits a new disease report.
  • Enforced a 5 postcode alert limit per user to ensure system stability and avoid spam.
  • Fixed a backend bug where serverless functions would terminate before alert emails finished sending.
September 25, 2026
Map & System Enhancements
Release v0.4.1
Improvement
  • Updated the Map Disease Icons to use readable letter codes (P, L, D, fP, F) instead of complex SVGs.
  • Added a new map visibility threshold configuration for temporal disease tracking.
  • Resolved a critical database ENUM mapping bug that affected frontend keys.
  • Fixed an audit log trigger issue for database tables that do not have standard ID columns.
  • Configuration settings for the AdvisoryManager are now securely saved as JSONB objects.
September 22, 2026
Geocoding & Usability Improvements
Release v0.4.0
Improvement
  • Significantly increased the reverse geocoding radius to 25km to better support rural area reporting.
  • Map clicks now intelligently display the localized Postcode Outcode instead of confusing raw GPS coordinates.
  • Added the global navigation header and footer to all authentication pages for consistency.
  • Updated the Map Key to correctly display active cases with the new Red styling.
End of recent updates.