|
Research & Surveillance
Disease Homepage | Background & Impact | Management Action | Biosecurity Protocols | National Abalone Health
Research
The priority based research projects have been the preparation of biosecurity protocols and the development of a pre-clinical Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Test for the virus. The biosecurity protocols have been completed.
In November 2007, scientists from the DPI Attwood facility announced that they had successfully sequenced the DNA of the abalone virus and discovered that it is a unique strain that has not been previously identified. The sequencing of the virus is a crucial step towards developing the PCR test. The PCR test will provide greater confidence in the diagnosis of Viral Abalone Ganglioneuritis and enable it to now be detected in abalone that are not showing visible symptoms. It will also allow DPI scientists to distinguish between abalone that have been exposed to the disease but are immune and abalone that have not been exposed. The scientists are currently working on validating the test and expect it to be completed in the near future.
The Fisheries Research Development Corporation (FRDC) has supported a proposal from the Western Abalone Divers Association that aims to assess abalone stocks impacted by AVG. The project aims to determine how abalone populations on affected reefs should be managed and guide future harvesting in these areas. The research is jointly funded by contributions from Fisheries Victoria, FRDC and the Victorian abalone industry. The $150,000 investigation will involve surveying an area that has been closed for three years to commercial and recreational fishing to enable stock rebuilding. Greater knowledge of how abalone populations recover in the absence of fishing will benefit the abalone industry and fishery managers by allowing more informed decisions about future management of stocks.
Further research is being undertaken to assess the distribution of the disease, mode of infection and taxonomy.
Reports
Reports completed by experts are below. To view either of the two reports you will require Adobe Acrobat Viewer. A free copy can be downloaded from Adobe Acrobat (external link).
Surveillance
DPI is continuing surveillance and monitoring of wild abalone populations, and inspection of abalone aquaculture farms.
|
