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Thread: White spot disease up date

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    White spot disease up date

    Initial testing reveal positive results for white spot disease in Moreton Bay
    The latest round of surveillance has been completed in the Moreton Bay area for white spot disease, with some initial tests returning positive results for the virus that causes white spot disease.

    Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said the positive results were found in crab and prawn samples from the northern Moreton Bay region near the Redcliffe Peninsula.

    “This is the same area that positive results were found in 2017 and Biosecurity Queensland is processing the remaining samples collected from the Logan and Brisbane River area and will release the results once the testing has been completed,”Minister Furner said.

    “We have received results back from the southern Moreton Bay area and all samples collected were negative for white spot syndrome virus.”

    Acting Chief Biosecurity Officer, Malcolm Letts, said Biosecurity Queensland was now waiting on results from the Brisbane and Logan River areas.

    “It’s important that we complete testing from all sites before we make any decisions about our white spot disease strategy moving forward,” Mr Letts said.

    “These initial results have been discussed with key seafood industry groups and we will continue to work closely with them throughout this process."

    Movement restrictions will remain unchanged with uncooked prawns, yabbies and marine worms not to be moved out of the movement restriction area, which runs from Caloundra to the New South Wales Border and west to Ipswich.

    Biosecurity Queensland is also conducting surveillance for white spot disease along the east coast of Queensland with results expected in June.

    “It’s really important to remember that white spot disease only affects crustaceans and has no impact on human health, so make sure you go out and support your local seafood industry by asking for Queensland seafood next time you goshopping,” Mr Furner said.

    For more information visit www.daf.qld.gov.au/wsd or phone the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries on 13 25 23.


    White spot disease surveillance FAQs

    Do these results mean that white spot disease is here to stay?

    At this stage, we are not sure if the virus that causes white spot disease has established in the wild. We need to complete the testing of all samples to have a better understanding of thesituation.

    Have movement restrictions changed?

    No. Movement restrictions remain unchanged across Moreton Bay which means raw prawns, yabbies and marine worms cannot be moved out of the area, unless cooked first.

    Can white spot disease be eradicated?

    White spot disease is an extremely contagious viral disease that is present in many areas of the world. Once it has been established in a wild crustacean population it has not been known to be eradicated. At this stage,we don’t know if the virus that causes white spot disease has established in wild crustaceans in Moreton Bay. It is important that we complete the testing from all sites before making any decisions on the future of our white spot diseasestrategy.

    What will this mean for buying and selling seafood in Queensland?

    The trade of seafood in Queensland will continue in accordance with the requirements of the current movement restrictions for white spot disease carriers. That means raw prawns, yabbies and marine worms cannot be movedout of the movement restriction area, unless cooked first.

    What does this mean for the future of Queensland’s fishing industry?

    We need to wait for all results to come in to get the whole picture, and then consult with industry members. We need good science-based evidence before we make any decision on the future of the white spot diseasestrategy.

    Why are imported green prawns still allowed into the country?

    The Queensland Government doesn't control the importation of produce into the country - this is controlled by the Australian Government. A new import risk assessment will be conducted shortly by the Federal Government.This will look at the costs and impacts of disease incursions. During this process the Queensland Government will be advocating for the implementation of stronger measures to reduce future risks associated with imported seafood that may contain diseases ofconcern to Australia.

    When will the next round of surveillance be carried out?

    Biosecurity Queensland is expected the complete the Moreton Bay surveillance in April and the Queensland east coast surveillance from Caloundra to Cairns, by June 2018. The next round of surveillance is scheduled forSeptember 2018. This may change depending on the outcome from the current surveillance round.

    What does white spot disease surveillance actually mean?

    Surveillance means we are looking for white spot disease or signs of the disease. When conducting surveillance we collect prawn samples from different locations across a specific area and test them in our laboratory tosee if they have the virus that causes white spot disease.

    What is actually done when you test a prawn sample?

    Our technicians at Queensland’s Biosecurity Sciences Laboratory take part of the prawn and break it up in a small tube. The pulverised sample is used to obtain DNA through a processcalled DNA extraction. The DNA undergoes a diagnostic process (real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)) that makes billions of copies of the DNA, and using a fluorescence marker, highlights if DNA from the virus that causes white spot disease is present.This test is similar to tests used by forensic scientists when testing for human DNA at a crime scene.

    All positive tests are sent to the Australian Animal Health Laboratory in Geelong, for confirmation where the samples are tested again.


    What is proof of freedom surveillance?

    Proof of Freedom is a nationally coordinated and structured approach to surveillance through sampling, to determine national freedom from, in this case, white spot disease (WSD). The international standard requires twoyears of consecutive negative results for WSD, from the samples obtained during active surveillance to demonstrate freedom from disease.

    Why do we need to test across the state if white spot disease has only been found in South East Queensland?

    Testing for white spot disease has been conducted across the state to check if the disease has been introduced in any other locations and to ensure the disease has not spread from South East Queensland. The results fromthe most recent round of surveillance along the east coast of Queensland indicate that it has not spread, at this stage, from the initial entry point in South East Queensland.

    What are the major risks people should be aware of?

    Using imported prawns as bait may introduce serious disease into our natural waterways, which is why it is important to only use Australian wild-caught bait from a quality bait supplier or catch your own.

    Not disposing of raw seafood properly could also introduce disease, so putting seafood scraps in the bin and not into waterways is also vital to keeping Queensland disease-free.

    Moving raw prawns, yabbies and marine worms out of the restricted area could spread the disease into other waterways in Queensland that is why movement restrictions are in place.


    Is white spot harmful if you eat seafood that has the disease?

    No, the virus that causes this disease is not harmful to humans, it only affect crustaceans. We encourage everyone to continue buying and eating Queensland’s amazing seafood and supporting theseindustries.

    Reporting white spot disease

    Prawns with white spot disease may have a loose shell with numerous white spots (0.5–2.0 mm in diameter) on the inside surface of the shell and a pink to red discolouration.
    Suspected cases of white spot disease must be reported to Biosecurity Queensland immediately through the online white spot disease reporting form or by calling 13 25 23. Take note of the location and time and if possible, freeze a sample of the suspect animals for later testing.

    Further information

    Further information on white spot is available on the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries website.

    Subscribe to the Department of Agriculture andFisheries aquatic pest and disease alerts for regular updates on the white spot disease response.

    I’m pretty sure the dinosaurs died out when they stopped gathering food and started having meetings to discuss gathering food

    A bookshop is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking

  2. #2
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    I’m pretty sure the dinosaurs died out when they stopped gathering food and started having meetings to discuss gathering food

    A bookshop is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking

  3. #3
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    Good news for the trawlermen. A mate who sells product off the trawlers at Shorncliffe told me every time a bad news story about white spot comes up, sales drop up to 50%.


    Deleted because you could access my E-mail. Cut And paste could be the go.

    13 July 2018
    Surveillance results show no further spread of white spot disease


    The latest round of surveillance results for white spot disease have now been finalised with the results showing no further spread, which is welcome news for the Queensland seafood industry.

    More than 60 sites across the state were tested for the virus that causes white spot disease and the findings have shown there is no indication the virus is spreading.

    In April, testing revealed nine sites in Moreton Bay near Deception Bay and Redcliffe returned positive results for the virus.

    Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, Mark Furner, said those detections were in the same area that positive results were found in 2017.

    “Given that no new detections of the virus have been found in the Moreton Bay area means we’ve done a great job of containing the virus and not letting it spread,” Mr Furner said.

    “Furthermore, all samples collected along the east coast of Queensland, outside the white spot disease movement restriction area, have returned negative results for the virus, which is great news.

    “To continue to contain the virus in the Moreton Bay area, it is important for movement restrictions to remain in place for prawns, yabbies and marine worms from Caloundra to the New South Wales border and west to Ipswich,” the Ministersaid.

    Acting Chief Biosecurity Officer, Malcolm Letts, said it is still unclear whether white spot disease will be considered established in Moreton Bay, however for the time being nothing will change.

    “All states and territories in Australia are currently undergoing proof of freedom surveillance for the virus that causes white spot disease, therefore no decision will be made until all the results have been finalised,” Mr Letts said.

    “Commercial fishers and prawn farmers will need to remain vigilant if operating in the movement restriction area.”

    Map of the surveillance results
    Prawn and crab samples were collected from 54 sites in the Moreton Bay area to test for the virus that causes white spot disease. Nine sites returned positive results in the northern part near Deception Bay and RedcliffePeninsula. The surveillance results and a map of the surveillance area are available on the DAF website.

    Along the east coast of Queensland samples were collected from 10 sites from Caloundra through to Cairns, the surveillance results and
    a map of the surveillance sites are also available on the DAF website.

    If viewing the maps from a desktop computer, click on each surveillance site (green or red dot) and more information such as sample numbers and species will appear in a panel on the left hand side of the screen.

    If viewing the maps from a mobile phone, click on each surveillance site (green or red dot) then click on the sample name, which will appear at the bottom of the screen, to view further surveillance information.

    Industry support projects
    To further support those who are impacted by trade restrictions, due to white spot disease, Biosecurity Queensland have a number of projects in motion, such as research into treatment options for raw prawns through gammairradiation.

    The research will determine the minimal effective dose of gamma irradiation needed to render white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) non-infectious in prawns. A reduction in treatment dose, if successful, would provide a viable option for industry to continuetrade of uncooked prawns sourced from the movement restriction area.

    We will also continue to work with marine worm harvesters to determine whether there are possible avenues to help reduce trade restrictions currently placed on them.

    Earlier this year, the Queensland Government launched the 2018 Queensland Seafood campaign featuring footy legend Sam Thaiday to show our support for the industry and to encourage people to ask for Queensland seafood when they go shopping.

    The campaign was a great success with the launch being picked up by all the major television news stations just before Easter. Overall, the
    advert reached 834,416 people across Queensland and promotional material (posters, sticker packs, counter cards) was displayed in 110 seafood retail outlets in South East Queensland, urging customers to ‘Ask forQueensland Seafood’ over the Easter season.

    Later this year we will launch another campaign to further bolster this message and ensure Queenslanders continue to buy local seafood and support their local seafood industry.

    White spot disease surveillance FAQs

    Do these results mean that white spot disease is here to stay?

    All states and territories in Australia are currently undergoing proof of freedom surveillance for the virus that causes white spot disease. No decision will be made about whether the disease will be considered established in Moreton Bay or not until allthose results have been finalised.

    Have movement restrictions changed?

    No. Movement restrictions remain unchanged across Moreton Bay which means raw prawns, yabbies and marine worms cannot be moved out of the area, unless cooked first.

    Can white spot disease be eradicated?

    White spot disease is an extremely contagious viral disease that is present in many areas of the world. Once it has been established in a wild crustacean population it has not been known to be eradicated. At this stage, we don’t know if the virusthat causes white spot disease has established in wild crustaceans in Moreton Bay. It is important that we complete testing in all states and territories before making any decisions on the future of our white spot disease strategy.

    What will this mean for buying and selling seafood in Queensland?

    The trade of seafood in Queensland will continue in accordance with the requirements of the current movement restrictions for white spot disease carriers. That means raw prawns, yabbies and marine worms cannot be movedout of the movement restriction area, unless cooked first.

    Why are imported green prawns still allowed in the country?
    The Queensland Government doesn't control the importation of produce into the country - this is controlled by the Australian Government. A new import risk assessment for raw prawns is being conducted by the Federal Government. The Queensland Governmenthas provided input into the process through a formal written submission advocating for the implementation of stronger measures to reduce future risks associated with imported seafood that may contain diseases of concern to Australia.

    When will the next round of surveillance be carried out?

    The next round of surveillance in the white spot disease movement restriction area and along the east coast of Queensland is scheduled to commence in August 2018 and June 2019 respectively. Surveillance sampling is expected to run for approximately threemonths.

    What does white spot disease surveillance actually mean?

    Surveillance means we are looking for white spot disease or signs of the disease. When conducting surveillance we collect prawn samples from different locations across a specific area and test them in our laboratory tosee if they have the virus that causes white spot disease.

    What is actually done when you test a prawn sample?

    Our technicians at Queensland’s Biosecurity Sciences Laboratory take part of the prawn and break it up in a small tube. The pulverised sample is used to obtain DNA through a processcalled DNA extraction. The DNA undergoes a diagnostic process (real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)) that makes billions of copies of the DNA, and using a fluorescence marker, highlights if DNA from the virus that causes white spot disease is present.This test is similar to tests used by forensic scientists when testing for human DNA at a crime scene.

    All positive tests are sent to the Australian Animal Health Laboratory in Geelong, for confirmation where the samples are tested again.


    What is proof of freedom surveillance?

    Proof of freedom is a nationally coordinated and structured approach to surveillance through sampling, to determine national freedom from, in this case, white spot disease (WSD). The international standard requires twoyears of consecutive negative results for WSD, from the samples obtained during active surveillance to demonstrate freedom from disease.

    Reporting white spot disease

    Prawns with white spot disease may have a loose shell with numerous white spots (0.5–2.0 mm in diameter) on the inside surface of the shell and a pink to red discolouration.
    Suspected cases of white spot disease must be reported to Biosecurity Queensland immediately through the online white spot disease reporting form or by calling 13 25 23. Take note of the location and time and if possible, freeze a sample of the suspect animals for later testing.
    I’m pretty sure the dinosaurs died out when they stopped gathering food and started having meetings to discuss gathering food

    A bookshop is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking

  4. #4
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    I’m pretty sure the dinosaurs died out when they stopped gathering food and started having meetings to discuss gathering food

    A bookshop is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking

  5. #5
    DAMINK Guest
    Its real!

    I spotted a few whites in Springvale today!

  6. #6
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    I’m pretty sure the dinosaurs died out when they stopped gathering food and started having meetings to discuss gathering food

    A bookshop is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking

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