Welcome once again to the November 2005 Edition of the Disease-Watch Newsletter.

Survey Results

  


What you, the subscribers, want from this newsletter.

Thank you to all who responded to the survey in the July Disease-Watch Newsletter. The results of the survey confirmed a desire by subscribers for more information on:

  • developments in both aquatic animal health research and legislation
  • upcoming aquatic animal health related events and conferences
  • outcomes from relevant conferences and meetings
  • information on disease/fishkill events
  • links to other useful websites

Now that we know what you, the subscribers, want from this forum, we will endeavour to include more of such information in future newsletters. Thank you once again for your input.
 

Conferences and Workshops

  

 

1. Wildlife Diseases Association International Conference (27 June to 1 July 2005; Cairns )

The Annual Wildlife Disease Association International Conference was convened in Cairns this year.

The main themes of the conference were:

  • ecology of introduced wildlife diseases
  • environmental drivers of emerging infectious diseases
  • management of wildlife diseases

There was a focus on zoonotic diseases globally, including:

  • West Nile virus
  • monkeypox
  • lyssavirus- emergence and management

More general sessions, included:

  • diseases of ungulates
  • endangered and captive animals
  • health of marine ecosystems
  • wildlife health in the tropics
  • marsupials
  • birds and reptiles
  • lagomorphs

Presentations on a variety of diseases of concern, included:

  • Hendra virus
  • rabbit haemorrhagic disease
  • Tasmanian devil faci al tumour disease

There were approximately 300 participants at the conference, including representation from the United States of America , Canada , United Kingdom , Japan , New Zealand , France , Singapore and Australia .

There were only a few presentations delivered on aquatic animal diseases. In his opening address, David Spratt from CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, referred to the impacts of pilchard herpes virus and epizootic haematopoietic necrosis on Australian fisheries and aquaculture, and discussed the threat that exotic disease such as crayfish plague and infectious salmon anaemia could have on Australian aquaculture.

A special presentation was also included on the pilchard mortality events of 1995 and 1998. The presentation suggested that pilchard herpesvirus was probably an exotic agent introduced to Australia , with three likely vectors of introduction proposed:

  • migratory birds
  • ballast water
  • bait feed

The presenter agreed that the source of the disease is inconclusive, and that more research is necessary to establish the enzootic status, or otherwise, of pilchard herpesvirus in Australia.

Also of interest was a study on the effect of domoic acid in sea lions as a consequence of exposure to toxic dinoflagellates in the marine environment. The effect domoic acid has on reproductive failure in sea lions was linked to similar reproductive failure in humans in the United States in the 1980s.

2. FRDC Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram Scientific Conference ( 26-28 July 2005; Cairns )

The second Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram Scientific Conference was convened in Cairns this year. It included a range of aquatic animal health topics and was open to all specialists in the field, not just participants in the subprogram.

The theme of the plenary lectures was aquatic animal immunology which is one of the priority areas in the subprogram's research and development plan.

Dr Chris Secombes, an eminent fish immunologist from the University of Aberdeen , was the keynote speaker at the conference. Dr Secombes delivered presentations on:

  • recent advances in elucidating the cytokine network of fish.
  • functional genomic approaches to study host-pathogen interactions
  • antibacterial peptides in fish

The conference provided an excellent opportunity for aquatic animal health specialists from all over Australia to exchange information on recent progress and achievements in research. As well as the recently completed subprogram projects, conference participants received updates on many significant non-subprogram funded research projects .

Some of the most important aquatic animal disease challenges facing Australia 's aquatic industries and ecosystems were discussed.

The conference heard from over 30 speakers on topics including:

  • new and improved techniques for detecting disease
  • the emergence of disease in new host species
  • the role of specific viruses in multiple virus disease syndromes
  • an update on pilchard herpesvirus research
  • the pathology of gourami iridovirus in Murray cod.

General sessions were held on:

  • bacteriology
  • mollusc health
  • crustacean health
  • finfish viruses
  • finfish parasites
  • pathophysiology of fish diseases
  • other aquatic animal health resources

For more information on the FRDC Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram, go to http://www.frdc.com.au/research/programs/aah/index.htm

  

Grab your copy now!

 


If you have not yet obtained a copy of the Awareness CD ROM 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 already have a copy of the kit, please take the time to visit the accompanying Web Site www.disease-watch.com for updates, links to other web sites and further information.

Belly-up Forum re-stored

 


The old Belly-up email forum has been reborn as a much more versatile web based “Fusetalk” forum. Belly-up is a web-based discussion forum for the benefit of aquatic animal health specialists in Australia .

Just as before, members can send messages they wish to post on Belly-up (including attachments).

This is a closed forum where membership is restricted to professionals in the aquatic animal health field. Aquatic animal health specialists wishing to subscribe to the belly-up discussion forum should contact aah@daff.gov.au
Discussion Board


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. Here you can leave messages for others, make comments or suggestions on various topics or ask questions that other members may be able to answer for you. This is your SPACE and we encourage you to use it on a regular basis.

We'd love to get some feedback on the kit so visit the FORUM. We'd love to hear from you.

New Publications


1. Release of AQUAPLAN 2005-2010

Australia 's new National Strategic Plan for Aquatic Animal Health, AQUAPLAN 2005-2010, was released on 28 July 2005 by the Australian Government Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, Senator Ian Macdonald.

AQUAPLAN 2005-2010 is a broad, comprehensive strategy to build and enhance capacity for the management of aquatic animal health in Australia . The plan has been jointly developed by governments and private industry sectors under the management of the Aquatic Animal Health Committee (AAHC). Wherever possible, it links into existing terrestrial animal health management arrangements of state and territory governments and industries, to avoid duplication and use resources sensibly.

There are seven main strategies within AQUPLAN 2005-2010:

  • Enhanced integration and scope of aquatic animal health surveillance in Australia
  • Harmonisation of approaches to aquatic animal health in Australia
  • Enhancement of aquatic animal emergency disease preparedness and response framework
  • Education and training in the aquatic animal health sector
  • Welfare standards for aquaculture
  • Appropriate use of therapeutics for aquatic animal health management
  • Aquatic animal health management as part of ecologically sustainable development

Government and private sectors have identified priority projects under these seven strategies to achieve the plan's objectives.

Strategy 1 of AQUAPLAN 2005-2010 outlines objectives and projects for the enhanced integration and scope of aquatic animal health surveillance in Australia . This strategy's objectives are to:

  • identify the requirements for, and implement, cost-effective surveillance systems tailored to specific industry sectors needs (initially focusing on the salmon, tuna, prawn, pearl oyster and edible oyster sectors)
  • have surveillance information and analyses readily accessible at a national level
  • improve the investigation and reporting of major (wild) fish kills
  • create a consistent system of aquatic animal disease diagnosis, surveillance and reporting across Australia

Specific projects to achieve these objectives have either commenced or are planned for the coming years.

A six-monthly AQUAPLAN newsletter is being produced to provide stakeholders with information on the implementation of AQUAPLAN projects and details on how industry members can be involved. To be added to the mailing list, or to obtain a copy of AQUAPLAN 2005-2010 (free of charge), please contact aah@daff.gov.au

AQUAPLAN 2005-2010 and the AQUAPLAN newsletters can also be downloaded from www.daff.gov.au/aquaplan

2.  AQUAVETPLAN CD

An updated AQUAVETPLAN CD-ROM has recently been released by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. AQUAVETPLAN is the Australian Aquatic Animal Diseases Veterinary Emergency Plan. It is a series of technical response plans that describe the proposed Australian approach to an occurrence of an emergency aquatic animal disease. The documents provide guidance based on sound analysis, linking policy, strategies, implementation, coordination and emergency management plans. The CD-ROM includes all of the previously available manuals as well as recently endorsed disease strategy manuals on whirling disease, viral encephalopathy and retinopathy, white spot disease, viral haemorrhagic septicaemia and crayfish plague. Copies of the CD-Rom can be obtained free of charge by contacting aah@daff.gov.au