AN EXPERT PARASITE IDENTIFICATION (EPAION)ASTERISK SYSTEM WITH MULTIMEDIA SUPPORT

Until now computer-assisted parasite identification was based on datab ase applications requiring data specification on an individual basis, thus limiting the ability of the system to handle rule-based knowledge as humans are used to do. A new Expert PArasite IdentificatiON (EPAIO N: Greek term for expert) system was del eloped to serve as an interfa ce between the database and the user, where the database is a reposito ry for bionomic and morphological facts about the parasites for the ex pert system. The system was developed by using a logic-based computer language which allows the definition of rules and facts to assist the creation of queries to the database. The components of the system are the knowledge base, the multimedia data base, the inference mechanism, and the graphical user interface. The operational modules of the syst em are the Parasite Identifier and the system Utilities. This expert s ystem facilitates knowledge incorporation in a manner simulating the n atural mental process, thus allowing the checking of the accuracy of t he information that the user feeds to the computer and the creation of intelligent queries to the database. These characteristics accelerate focusing and optimize the parasite identification scheme regardless o f the user's profile of competency.