Disease-Watch - Welcome
Hi everyone. Welcome to Newsletter 5 of 12.
Welcome to Alistair Herfort
Welcome to Alistair Herfort who is taking over the role of administering the Disease Watch Web Site.Alistair has taken over from Iain East. Thanks Iain for all your hard and focussed work in this area.
Alistair has requested that a section be created on the Disease Watch Web Site where the public can gain access to current and past Newsletters. The back issues can be obtained by clicking the links below or visiting the homepage at www.disease-watch.com
If you have not yet obtained a copy of the kit, follow this link and fill out the request form. http://www.disease-watch.com/orderKit.htm And yes the Kit is FREE!If you have already have a copy of the kit, please take the time to visit the accompanying Web Site http://www.disease-watch.com for updates, links to other web sites and further information.
For those with questions or comments that may be helpful to others involved in the Australian Aquaculture Industry, there is an ON LINE FORUM http://www.disease-watch.com/forum.asp (or discussion bulletin board) on the web site.We encourage you to use this forum to have your say.
Recently, Karina Scott from AG-DAFF represented the Office of the Australian Chief Veterinary Officer at the Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health (AG) 3-day meeting at the headquarters of the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia Pacific (NACA) in Bangkok.Karina attended the meeting to discuss opportunities for collaboration between NACA and AG-DAFF with respect to aquatic animal health emergency preparedness and disease response. She presented a proposal to the AG for a five stage Initiative where the Australian experience in emergency preparedness can be used to improve regional capability. The Initiative includes measures such as the modification of AQUAVETPLAN to be a regional resource and the development of general biosecurity principles.
The meeting also discussed reviewing the aquatic animal health situation in the region, revision of the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease (QAAD) reporting operated by the OIE Regional Representation and NACA, and regional cooperation with respect to aquatic animal health management.
The AG has been established and operational under NACA since 2001. It is a core group of experts advising NACA on its aquatic animal health management programme. The 10-member high level Advisory Group, constituted by NACA, in cooperation with OIE and FAO, advises Asian governments on aquatic animal health management. During its annual meetings, the AG addresses key aquatic animal health issues in Asia, including regional disease reporting systems, emerging aquatic animal disease problems, implementation of the Asia Regional Technical Guidelines (TG) on Health Management and the Responsible Movement of live aquatic animals, and ways to further strengthen regional and international cooperation in Asian aquatic animal health management.
Recent additions to the resource section of the Disease-watch website include a new disease strategy manual on viral encephalopathy and retinopathy (VER) and the revised aquatic animal disease field guide “Aquatic Animal Diseases Significant to Australia: Identification Field Guide”, now available on CD.The VER disease strategy manual for the control and eradication of viral encephalopathy and retinopathy (VER) is an integral part of the Australian Aquatic Veterinary Emergency Plan, (AQUAVETPLAN).
The strategy sets out the disease control principles for use in an aquatic veterinary emergency incident caused by the suspicion or confirmation of VER in Australia.
Viral encephalopathy and retinopathy is listed by the World Organisation for Animal Health, or Office International des Epizooties (OIE) in the International Aquatic Animal Health Code.
The new Aquatic Animal Diseases Significant to Australia: Identification Field Guide comprehensively updates information on diseases listed in the first edition, reflecting our increased understanding and improved diagnostic capability.
The Field Guide provides fisheries and aquaculture managers, recreational fishers, border protection staff, environmentalists, students of aquatic animal health, and fisheries management with a quick reference guide to support decisions on aquatic animal health. The field guide draws heavily on pictorial images of disease, aiding the rapid identification of gross signs of disease and features a differential diagnostic key, directing the reader to other possible diseases as depicted by the gross signs observed. In addition, disease reporting contacts within each Australian State and Territory are listed, as well as diagnostic links for fish pathologists and veterinarians.
The semi open section of the Enterprise Manual has also been recently updated.
The Enterprise Manual guides the rapid development of emergency aquatic animal disease control strategies according to the four types of production systems affected:
open (catchment, estuarine, marine)
semi-open (cage cultures, shellfish)
semi-closed (introduced and native freshwater fish, hatcheries, raceways)
closed (aquaria)The manual is designed to enable decision makers to access sufficient information on industry practices and environments to be able to create applicable control strategies at short notice. The manual is also designed to inform industry personnel of the necessary steps and factors taken into account for decision-making under emergency conditions. The manual should also be regarded as a training resource and an emergency briefing resource for inexperienced officers who may be involved in working on an aquatic animal disease control program.
Don’t forget. The World Aquaculture 2005 conference to be held in Bali is fast approaching.The conference will be held in Bali on 9-13 May 2005.
Abstracts must be received by 1 November 2004.For more information on the conference, check the website at
http://www.was.org/Meetings/ConferenceInfo.asp?MeetingCode=WA2005