The Australian Chief Veterinary Officer, Mark Schipp and Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, Beth Cookson travelled to Indonesia in late May this year to offer Australia’s assistance to combat and contain the outbreaks there of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and lumpy skin disease (LSD). Indonesia has since made an emergency declaration, implemented […]
Varroa mite situation worsens
Registered beekeepers affected by the NSW Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) outbreak will be compensated by an $18 million compensation package developed by governments and industry. The National Management Group (NMG) for Emergency Plant Pests has endorsed a national response plan to eradicate Varroa Destructor from the state, the NSW Department […]
Abstracts: The pig as an amplifying host for new and emerging zoonotic viruses
Pig production is a rapidly growing segment of the global livestock sector, especially in Asia and Africa. Expansion and intensification of pig production has resulted in significant changes to traditional pig husbandry practices leading to an environment conducive to increased emergence and spread of infectious diseases. These include a number […]
Japanese encephalitis detection, deaths increase
Australia’s Chief Veterinary Officer has confirmed the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) has been detected in piggeries across several states, with two human deaths now reported. In early March Mark Schipp said JEV has been diagnosed at one piggery in Victoria’s north, one piggery and Queensland and six piggeries in NSW, […]
DFTD: still so many questions
Since the deadly facial tumour disease that has ravaged Tasmanian devil populations in the wild was first observed over 20 years ago, scientists have puzzled over the circumstances that caused it both to emerge, and to spread so rapidly. Two studies published recently provide some insight and perspective on the […]