The disease is rarely fatal in wild animals, but is fatal
in farmed animals. Farmed prawns are especially susceptible due to the high
numbers of individuals kept in confined spaces. The disease spreads quickly
between animals kept in close contact. The high number of animals in a small
area leads to less oxygen in the water and higher levels of waste products,
which stress the prawns and make them more susceptible to disease. In farmed
prawns WSD kills within two to four days, with death rates of up to 80%. The
disease is highly infectious and can be transmitted by live or dead animals and
by contaminated water.
Australia was considered free of WSD until an outbreak in
December 2016 but it has had an almost constant presence in biosecurity policy,
the aquaculture industry and research since the 2000s, as detailed below.
The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) referred
to the on-the-ground agency that dealt with imports and testing of imported
products. Biosecurity Australia referred to a section within the Department of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (now Department of Agriculture and Water
Resources) that conducted Import Risk Analyses and issued policy advice and
changes for imported products. In 2012 both the AQIS
and Biosecurity Australia names were retired, with the term ‘biosecurity’
now used to refer to these functions of the Department of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry.
Each Australian state also has its own biosecurity agency.
| Date |
Details |
Source |
| 1992 |
First global record of White Spot
Disease (WSD) The disease is first seen in farmed prawns
in China between 1991 and 1992. |
I J East, P F Black, K A McColl, R A J
Hodgson and E-M Bernoth, ‘Survey
for the presence of White Spot Syndrome virus in Australian crustaceans’,
Australian Veterinary Journal, 82(4), April 2004, pp. 236–240. |
| 1994 |
WSD spreads to South East Asia The disease spreads via the transportation
of farmed prawns and appears in Thailand, Indonesia, Japan and the west coast
of India. |
A Khatibi Tabar, ‘A
review on White Spot Disease in penaeid shrimp farms with a brief study on
its occurrence in shrimp aquaculture zones’, presentation for the World
Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) workshop on national focal points for
aquatic animals, 2010, Dubai. |
| Prior to 1996 |
No restrictions on importing uncooked
prawns into Australia |
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service,
Draft
Import Risk Analysis report for prawns and prawn products, 25 August 2000,
p. 44. |
| November 1996 |
Import of uncooked prawns for bait
suspended Importing prawns for any use other than
human consumption (such as bait or animal feed) from any country is banned,
following concerns raised by the National
Task Force on Imported Fish and Fish Products. The Task Force recommends import
requirements for prawns are reviewed as a high priority. Import conditions for prawns for human consumption
are introduced in 2000 (see below). |
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service,
Draft
Import Risk Analysis report for prawns and prawn products, 25 August 2000,
p. 44; Biosecurity Australia, Generic
Import Risk Analysis Report for Prawns and Prawn Products: Final Report,
October 2009, p. 1. |
| May 1997 |
Biosecurity Australia’s Import Risk
Analysis on prawn and prawn products begins |
Biosecurity Australia, Generic
Import Risk Analysis Report for Prawns and Prawn Products: Final Report,
October 2009, p. 1. |
| 1998 |
Research shows WSD present in Asian
prawns imported into USA Imported prawns purchased at supermarkets
in the USA tested positive for WSD. The researchers suggest that infected
prawns imported from Asia introduced WSD to Texas in 1997. |
LM Numan, BT Poulos and DV Lightner, ‘The
detection of White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) and Yellow Head Virus (YHV) in
imported commodity shrimp’, Aquaculture, 160, 1998, pp. 19–30. |
| 1999 |
WSD spreads across Central and South
America The disease has been detected in Texas,
South Carolina, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama,
Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador. |
I J East and others, ‘Survey
for the presence of White Spot Syndrome virus in Australian crustaceans’,
Australian Veterinary Journal, 82(4), April 2004, pp. 236–240; S V
Durand, K F J Tang and D V Lightener, ‘Frozen commodity shrimp: Potential avenue for introduction of white
spot syndrome virus and yellow head virus’, Journal
of Aquatic Health, 12(2), Jan 2011, pp. 128–135. |
| 1999 |
First identification of imported prawn
with WSD in Australia A prawn famer recognised WSD symptoms on
prawns served to him at a restaurant in Queensland and alerted authorities.
Testing prawns from the same batch confirmed the presence of infectious WSD
and that the WSD was most likely from South-East Asia. |
Northern Territory Seafood Council, ‘White
spot syndrome virus’, Northern Territory Seafood Council News, 1(3),
January–February 2001, pp. 1, 4–5; Northern Territory Department of Primary
Industry and Fisheries, Summary report on the discovery of RNA signals
similar to White Spot Syndrome virus in imported green prawns, February
2001 |
| March 1999 |
Report on environmental impact of WSD
in Australia released The report concluded that ‘the disease is
unlikely to have any measurable impact on wild prawn populations should it
become established in Australia’ but that for prawn farms WSD would be ‘initially
devastating’. |
C Baldock, Environmental
impact of the establishment of exotic prawn pathogens in Australia, AusVet
Animal Health Services, commissioned by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection
Service, March 1999. |
| April 1999 |
Report on economic impact of WSD in
Australia released The report found that financial costs for
prawn farmers would be significant, due to higher production costs, but ‘losses
due to establishment of [WSD] would probably be small relative to the total
[farmed and wild caught prawn] industry’. |
Alliance Resource Economics, Economic
impact of establishment of exotic prawn disease, commissioned by the Australian
Quarantine and Inspection Service, April 1999. |
| August 2000 |
Prawn farms in Queensland surveyed for
WSD Following the WSD detection in 1999 the
Consultative Committee for Emergency Animal Diseases recommended a survey of
all operating prawn farms in Australia (all were in Queensland). No WSD was
found from any prawn farm and the industry was considered free of the
disease. |
Australian Animal Health Information
System, ‘White
spot syndrome in imported prawns’, Animal Health Surveillance
Quarterly, 5(3), 2000, p. 6; I J East and others, ‘Survey
for the presence of White Spot Syndrome virus in Australian crustaceans’,
Australian Veterinary Journal, 82(4), April 2004, pp. 236–240 |
| 25 August 2000 |
Draft Import Risk Analysis for prawns
and prawn products released |
Australian Quarantine and Inspection
Service, Animal
quarantine policy memorandum 2000/41: Import risk analysis: prawns and prawn
products: Draft import risk analysis paper, 25 August 2000. |
| 15 November 2000 |
WSD prawns fed to crabs in Darwin Northern Territory officials are informed
that approximately 3kg of imported Indonesian prawns have been fed to crabs
and fish at the Darwin Aquaculture Centre (DAC) over the past two months. The
prawns had been imported from Indonesia for human consumption only, but repackaged
in Australia as ‘River Prawns, product of Australia’ for use as bait. The packaging
did not state that the prawns were from Indonesia or for human consumption
only. The facilities had a policy of only using Australian products for
feeding to reduce the risk of disease. DAC staff alerted the NT Government when
they discovered the issue. All animals fed imported prawns were destroyed
within 24 hours and the premise disinfected. Subsequent testing by CSIRO confirmed that
the imported prawns were positive for WSD, as well as some of the crabs at
DAC. |
J Wakelin, ‘Bug
puts prawns at risk’, Northern Territory News, Friday 26 January
2001; M Palmer, ‘Debates:
Ministerial Statement: White Spot Syndrome Virus’, Legislative Assembly, Debates,
20 February 2001; Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry and
Fisheries, Summary report on the discovery of RNA signals similar to White
Spot Syndrome virus in imported green prawns, February 2001. |
| 20 November 2000 |
WSD found in crabs and prawns in Darwin
Harbour The NT Department of Primary Industries
and Fisheries tested crabs and prawns captured near the water outfall pipe
from the DAC. Five out of 12 crabs and two out of four prawns tested positive
for WSD. |
Northern Territory Department of Primary
Industry and Fisheries, Summary report on the discovery of RNA signals
similar to White Spot Syndrome virus in imported green prawns, February
2001. |
| 20 November 2000 |
Additional facility in NT found to use
imported prawns A survey by the NT Department of Primary
Industries and Fisheries surveyed aquaculture facilities in the territory and
found that the Agriculture School of the Northern Territory at the Northern
Territory University was using the same imported prawns as the DAC. The School had a closed system and all
waste water was kept on site; there was no risk of WSD spreading to the
environment. All crabs and prawns fed imported prawns were destroyed and the
facility disinfected. Subsequent testing by CSIRO confirmed that
captive prawns at the School were positive for WSD. |
Northern Territory Department of Primary
Industry and Fisheries, Summary report on the discovery of RNA signals
similar to White Spot Syndrome virus in imported green prawns, February
2001. |
| November-December 2000 |
NT Government alerts other governments and
industries The NT Government alerts the Consultative
Committee on Emergency Animal Disease (CCEAD) that prawns imported for human
consumption are being repackaged and sold as bait in Australia. The CCEAD
advises states and territories of the situation. Representatives of the seafood industry
and recreational fishing industry are also alerted, as are prawn farmers in
NT. |
Northern Territory Department of Primary
Industry and Fisheries, Summary report on the discovery of RNA signals
similar to White Spot Syndrome virus in imported green prawns, February
2001. |
| 6 December 2000 |
National survey on presence of WSD in
Australia recommended The CCEAD recommends a national survey be
carried out in Australia to determine if WSD is present in any wild or farmed
prawns and crabs. |
M Palmer, ‘Debates:
Ministerial Statement: White Spot Syndrome Virus’, Legislative Assembly, Debates,
20 February 2001. |
| 14 December 2000 |
Conditions for importing uncooked
prawns for human consumption introduced AQIS (Australian Quarantine and Inspection
Service) introduces conditions following recommendations from the Draft
Import Risk Analysis report for prawns and prawn products, released in
August 2000. Imported prawns have to be certified as
free of visible infection of disease, or from a region officially free of WSD
and yellowhead disease. Importing prawns not for human consumption
is still prohibited. |
Biosecurity Australia, Animal
biosecurity policy memorandum 2000/057: Interim conditions on importation of
green (uncooked) prawns, 14 December 2000. |
| 18-20 December 2000 |
WSD no longer found in Darwin Harbour Additional testing by NT Department of
Primary Industries and Fisheries find crabs near DAC outfall pipe free of
WSD. Crabs tested from around Darwin Harbour also free of WSD. Department
considers the WSD infection in the Harbour ‘non-sustaining’. The Department
starts a monitoring and surveillance programme. |
Northern Territory Department of Primary
Industry and Fisheries, Summary report on the discovery of RNA signals
similar to White Spot Syndrome virus in imported green prawns, February
2001. |
| 25 January 2001 |
NT Government calls for six month ban
on prawn imports Following the incident in Darwin Harbour
NT Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries Mick Palmer calls for a six
month ban on all prawn imports. |
N Johnson, ‘Prawns threatened by
virus’, PM, ABC, 25 January 2001. |
| 25 January 2001 |
AQIS announces prawn imports ‘extremely
low risk’ AQIS spokesperson Carson Creagh states that
importing uncooked prawns is ‘extremely low risk’ and that in test results
there has been no evidence of WSD. |
N Johnson, ‘Prawns threatened by
virus’, PM, ABC, 25 January 2001. |
| February 2001 |
Darwin Harbour declared free of White
Spot Disease Repeated testing by NT Department of
Primary Industry and Fisheries of captive and wild prawns and crabs are all
negative for WSD. Darwin Harbour is declared free of White Spot Disease. |
Northern Territory Department of Primary
Industry and Fisheries, Summary report on the discovery of RNA signals
similar to White Spot Syndrome virus in imported green prawns, February
2001. |
| February 2001 |
Repackaged shipment traced The NT and Queensland Governments trace
the repackaged Indonesian prawns carrying WSD to an importer in Perth. Two
shipments, totalling 10 tonnes, were imported into Australia in September and
November 1999. The final destination and end use of the imported
prawns outside the Northern Territory is unknown. |
Northern Territory Department of Primary
Industry and Fisheries, Summary report on the discovery of RNA signals
similar to White Spot Syndrome virus in imported green prawns, February
2001. |
| 7 February 2001 |
Conditions for importing uncooked
prawns for human consumption changed Following the incident in Darwin, AQIS now
requires all imported uncooked prawns to be held in quarantine until they are
tested negative for WSD. Shipments that test positive are re-exported or
destroyed. |
Biosecurity Australia, Animal
biosecurity policy memorandum 2001/06: Uncooked (green prawns): tighter
import conditions, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry,
7 February 2001. |
| 20 February 2001 |
National survey for WSD underway David Banks, General Manager of Animal
Biosecurity, states that Biosecurity Australia is conducting a survey across
Australia and offshore waters to determine if WSD is present. |
Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and
Transport Legislation Committee, Official
committee Hansard, 20 February 2001, p. 226. |
| 28 March 2001 |
Unconfirmed report of WSD in Victoria Senator Woodley asks Environment Minister
Senator Hill if he has heard about reports of WSD in Gippsland Lakes,
Victoria. The Senator responded that he was ‘unaware of this claimed
outbreak.’ There is no further reference to WSD in Victoria. Senator Hill states
that ‘there is no scientific evidence to suggest that the use of green prawns
as bait has led to the introduction of disease’. |
R Hill, ‘Answer
to Questions without notice: Prawns: White Spot Virus’, [Questioner: J
Woodley], Senate, Debates, 28 March 2001. |
| 28 March 2001 |
NSW Government lists WSD as a declared
disease It becomes an offence under NSW law to
sell prawns suspected of being infected with WSD or place infected prawns in state
waterways. |
E Obeid, ‘Questions
without notice: White Spot Syndrome Virus,’ [Questioner: A Kelly], NSW
Legislative Council, Debates, 28 March 2001. |
| April 2001 |
Australian Prawn Farmers Association (APFA)
supports ban on prawn imports The APFA supports the ban, following the
WSD incident in Darwin. APFA claims that New South Wales, Queensland and the
Northern Territory also support the ban. |
M Breen, ‘APFA
supports import moratorium in Australia’, The Global Aquaculture Advocate,
April 2001. |
| April 2001 |
Whole raw prawns from New Caledonia
permitted for import AQIS determines that raw prawns from New
Caledonia pose the same quarantine risk as raw prawns from Australia.
Unpeeled raw prawns from New Caledonia can be imported. Unpeeled raw prawns
from no other country are permitted. |
Australian Quarantine and Inspection
Service, ‘Public
quarantine alert pqa0116: Interim measures for importation of green
(uncooked) prawns’, ICON, 21 April 2001. |
| 12 April 2001 |
NSW Minister says WSD in Sydney Harbour NSW Minister for Fisheries, Eddie Obeid, announces
that a prawn sampled from Sydney Harbour has tested positive for WSD. He
stated that ‘I have an analysis from the CSIRO here in front of me, stating
that a certain sample from Port Jackson was positive, and it was a repeat
test. And that was signed by Dr Peter Walker from CSIRO Livestock Industries,
and that's good enough for me.’ |
K Meade and C Pryor, ‘Virus
threat to bananas and prawns’, The Australian, 25 April 2001; ABC
Rural News, ‘White
spot stoush threatens prawning’, Australian Broadcasting Corporation,
21 May 2001. |
| 22 April 2001 |
Seven tonnes of imported prawns held by
AQIS More than seven tonnes of prawns imported
from Indonesia are held at the Brisbane and Cairns ports due to testing
positive for WSD. |
P Morely, ‘Prawn
virus scare’, The Sunday Mail, 22 April 2001. |
| 18 May 2001 |
Federal Minister refute Obeid’s WSD
claim Federal Minister for Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry, Warren Truss, states that follow up tests by CSIRO
have found that the tests result Minister Obeid announced ‘have come up “all clear”’.
Minister Truss states that the CSIRO sample was a false positive of a
preliminary test and that ‘there is no evidence of [WSD] in Sydney Harbour’. |
W Truss (Minister for Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry), CSIRO
tests find no white spot virus in Sydney Harbour prawns – Minister Obeid
should apologise for false claims, media release, 18 May 2001; W
Truss (Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry), NSW
Minister misleads public about seafood white spot disease, media
release, 22 May 2001. |
| 28 May 2001 |
More detailed uncooked prawn import
conditions announced These conditions clarify the import
conditions introduced previously in late 2001 and early 2001. The conditions
include requirements on import permits, certification, size limitations,
inspections, testing, declarations and record keeping. |
Biosecurity Australia, Animal
biosecurity policy memorandum 2001/11: Importation of uncooked prawns and
prawn products: Advice on quarantine measures, 28 May 2001. |
| 29 May 2001 |
Preliminary national WSD survey results Biosecurity Australia confirms that the
presence of WSD in both Sydney Harbour and Gippsland Lakes have not been
confirmed by further testing. |
Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and
Transport Legislation Committee, Answers to Questions on Notice, Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry Portfolio, Budget Estimates 2000–2001, Question
10. |
| 2002 |
WSD spreads to the Middle East and Iran |
A Khatibi Tabar, ‘A
review on White Spot Disease in penaeid shrimp farms with a brief study on
its occurrence in shrimp aquaculture zones’, presentation for the World
Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) workshop on national focal points for
aquatic animals, 2010, Dubai. |
| 2002 |
Post-mortem on governments’ response to
Darwin incident is released This Council of Australian Governments (COAG)
report is confidential and not publically available. |
COAG, Final report on the Post Mortem
Exercises on the Emergency Management Response to Evidence of White Spot
Virus in Australia, 2002 [not made public]. |
| 9 May 2002 |
National survey confirms Australia free
of WSD The national survey, triggered by the
Darwin incident, finds Australia free of WSD. The survey tested over 3,000
prawns and crabs from 64 different wild, farmed and research locations around
Australia. The only confirmed detections of WSD came
from imported uncooked prawns. Several samples tested positive in the
first round of testing (via PCR) but were negative with more sensitive tests,
showing that testing for WSD requires multiple tests to accurately determine
its presence |
W Truss (Minister for Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry), Nationwide
survey confirms Australia free of prawn disease, media release, 9 May
2002; I J East and others, ‘Survey
for the presence of White Spot Syndrome virus in Australian crustaceans’,
Australian Veterinary Journal, 82(4), April 2004, pp. 236–240 |
| 25 June 2002 |
AQIS introduces ‘highly processed’
prawn category This is for products that are peeled
except for the tail, breaded/battered, have a large body mass and sold in
packages under 3kg. Highly processed prawns do not require
inspection or testing before being released from Quarantine. |
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Forestry, Animal
biosecurity policy memorandum 2002/33: Quarantine review: highly processed
prawn products and Attachment
A, 25 June 2002. |
| November 2003 |
Western Australian survey finds no
evidence of WSD Over 1,760 prawns from 29 wild and
research locations were sampled, with no prawns testing positive for WSD. Prawns
in Western Australia were labelled free of WSD. |
J B Jones, Determination
of the disease status of Western Australian commercial prawn stocks,
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Project No. 98/212, November
2003. |
| January-February 2004 |
WSD detected in imported prawns in
Queensland A batch of prawns imported into Queensland
from South East Asia was sampled for infectious WSD. All laboratory prawns
injected with material from the imported prawns became ill with or died of
WSD within five days. The study concludes that WSD is present in
imported frozen prawns from South East Asia, and that the disease is capable
of infecting Australian prawns. |
K A McColl, J Slater, G Jeyasekaran, A D
Hyatt and M StJ Crane, ‘Detection of White Spot Syndrome virus and Yellowhead
virus in prawns imported into Australia’, Australian Veterinary Journal, 82(1
and 2), January and February 2004, pp. 69–74. |
| June 2005 |
Australian aquatic veterinary emergency
plan (aquavet plan) for WSD released |
Department of Agriculture, Australian
aquatic veterinary emergency plan (aquavet plan): White Spot Disease,
June 2005. |
| 23 November 2006 |
Revised draft Import Risk Analysis for
prawns and prawn products released |
Biosecurity Australia, Biosecurity
Australia policy memorandum 2006/35: Revised draft import risk analysis
report for prawns and prawn products, 23 November 2006. |
| 28 November 2006 |
Imported prawns in Queensland test
positive for WSD The Queensland Department of Primary
Industries and Fisheries tested 11 samples of imported raw prawns purchased
from supermarkets. All samples tested positive for WSD. These
results were confirmed by further testing at the Australian Animal Health
Laboratory. |
J Jarrat, ‘Matters
of public interest: Prawn industry’, Queensland Parliament Record of
Proceedings, 28 November 2006, p. 602. |
| 20 June 2007 |
Recreational fishers using imported
prawns as bait has increased Two studies commissioned by AQIS have
found that the number of recreational fishers buying imported prawns for
human consumption to use as bait has increased since 2002. |
Biosecurity Australia, Biosecurity
Australia policy memorandum 2007/13: Import risk analysis of prawns and prawn
products - Status report, 20 June 2007; Biosecurity Australia, Summary
of key findings of the National Survey of Bait and Berley use by Recreational
Fishers: Follow-up Survey Focusing on Prawns/Shrimp, 20 June 2007. |
| 24 July 2007 |
Import conditions for prawns for human
consumption changed In a development not directly related to
WSD, Biosecurity Australia announces that raw prawns must now be tested for three
other diseases (Infectious Hypodermal and Haematopoietic Necrosis Virus,
IHHNV) as well as WSD, or be from a country that can demonstrate it is free
from these diseases. Raw prawns with the last shell segment and
tail can be imported from any country and must be tested for WSD and other
diseases. ‘Highly processed’ products now include wet
and dry marinated prawns, marinated prawns on skewers and prawn dumplings/spring
roll/balls/etc. All products are visually inspected for
signs of disease, including WSD. |
Biosecurity Australia, Biosecurity
Australia policy memorandum 2007/16: Importation of prawns and prawn products
- revised interim quarantine measures, 24 July 2007. |
| March 2008 |
IHHNV disease found in Queensland prawn
farms Infectious Hypodermal and Hematopoietic Necrosis
Virus (IHHNV, see above) is found in two prawn farms in Queensland. The
disease also causes mass deaths in farmed prawns, although the virus is not
related to WSD. The head of the Importers Association suggests that ‘the
disease has been here for quite some time’ |
J
Waters, ‘Prawn
ban faces criticism’, PM, ABC Radio, 20 March 2008; Biosecurity
Australia, Biosecurity
Australia advice 2008/30: Importation of prawns and prawn products: amended
interim quarantine measures, 12 September 2008. |
| 18 September 2008 |
IHHNV removed from imported prawn tests AQIS removes the condition that imported
prawns must be tested for IHHNV following the Aquatic Consultative Committee
on Emergency Animal Diseases’ decision that the disease cannot be eradicated
from Australia. |
Biosecurity Australia, Biosecurity
Australia advice 2008/30: Importation of prawns and prawn products: amended
interim quarantine measures, 12 September 2008. |
| October 2009 |
Final Import Risk Analysis (IRA) for
prawns and prawn products released |
Biosecurity Australia, Biosecurity
Australia advice 2009/25: Release of final import risk
analysis report for prawns and prawn products, 7
October 2009. |
| April 2010 |
Import conditions for prawns changed Recommendations from the IRA are
incorporated. These conditions only differ slightly from those introduced in
2007. Unpeeled raw prawns are permitted from New
Caledonia only, which Australia recognises as free of WSD. |
Biosecurity Australia, Biosecurity Australia advice 2010/11: quarantine policy determination
for prawns and prawn products, 22 April 2010. |
| 3 September 2010 |
Consignment of infected prawns mistakenly
released from Quarantine 20 tonnes of prawn products imported from
Malaysia were mistakenly released from Quarantine despite testing positive
for WSD. The products included farmed peeled raw prawns and wild caught
peeled prawns and prawn cutlets. Four out of 13 samples tested positive. It
is unclear which prawns carried WSD as all products were tested as one batch. |
K Dunn, An
examination of the likelihood of imported raw peeled prawns that tested
positive for White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) and were mistakenly released
into Australia by the Biosecurity Services Group (BSG) entering high risk
pathways and of then causing WSSV to establish in Australia,
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, 30 November 2010. |
| 30 November 2010 |
Mistaken release of WSD infected prawns
considered low risk The Interim Inspector General of
Biosecurity determines that the likelihood of the released 20 tonnes of
prawns causing an infection in Australia is ‘extremely low’, and the
likelihood of the released prawns causing WSD to become established in
Australia is ‘negligible’. A total of 3.5 tonnes of the shipment was
recalled and exported out of Australia. |
K Dunn, An
examination of the likelihood of imported raw peeled prawns that tested
positive for White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) and were mistakenly released
into Australia by the Biosecurity Services Group (BSG) entering high risk
pathways and of then causing WSSV to establish in Australia,
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, 30 November 2010; |
| 30 November 2010 |
Mistaken release due to ‘human error’,
additional release identified The Interim Inspector General of
Biosecurity reviewed the release of the 20 tonnes of prawns and determined
that the incident was down to human error. As part of the review another shipment of
8.5 tonnes of prawns that was positive for WSD was found to have been
released in July 2010. |
K Dunn, An
examination of what caused a consignment of imported raw peeled prawns that
tested positive for White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) to be mistakenly
released into Australia by the Biosecurity Services Group (BSG), Department
of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, 30 November 2010. |
| 2012 |
WSD spreads to east Africa WSD is detected in Mozambique in 2011 and
then in Madagascar in 2012. The disease is now considered widespread in the western
Indian Ocean. |
M Le Groumellec, ‘Expert opinion: White
Spot Disease in Africa: second occurrence in the Mozambique Channel’, World
Organisation for Animal Health Africa, May 2012 |
| September 2013 |
Second version of Australian aquatic
veterinary emergency plan (aquavet plan) for WSD released |
Department of Agriculture, Australian
aquatic veterinary emergency plan (aquavet plan): White Spot Disease, September
2013. |
| 24 November 2016 |
Prawns begin to die on a prawn farm in
Logan River A prawn farmer notifies Biosecurity
Queensland of a small die-off of prawns on his farm. He takes samples to be
genetically tested. |
BK Diggles, Field
observations and assessment of the response to an outbreak of White Spot
Disease (WSD) in Black Tiger Prawns (Penaeus monodon) farmed on the
Logan River in November 2016, report prepared for the Fisheries
Research and Development Corporation, 21 February 2017. |
| 25 November 2016 |
Biosecurity Queensland samples sick
prawns According to the report commissioned by
the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, the same prawn farmer is
advised by Biosecurity Queensland to ‘do whatever was required to get the
best results’ from sick prawn pond. Farmer begins flushing the pond with
fresh water from Logan River, discharging pond water back into the river. |
BK Diggles, Field
observations and assessment of the response to an outbreak of White Spot
Disease (WSD) in Black Tiger Prawns (Penaeus monodon) farmed on the
Logan River in November 2016, report prepared for the Fisheries Research
and Development Corporation, 21 February 2017. |
| 28 November 2016 |
Prawn deaths continue and water sampled The prawn famer takes water from ponds
with sick and dying prawns to test for toxic algae. Tests are negative for
toxic algae. |
BK Diggles, Field
observations and assessment of the response to an outbreak of White Spot
Disease (WSD) in Black Tiger Prawns (Penaeus monodon) farmed on the Logan
River in November 2016, report prepared for the Fisheries Research
and Development Corporation, 21 February 2017. |
| 29 November 2016 |
Drain harvesting begins, pond flushing
stops Biosecurity Queensland advises farmers
that they can drain the sick prawn ponds and harvest unaffected prawns. These
undersized prawns could be sold as bait. Biosecurity Queensland also advises
farmers to isolate sick prawn ponds and stop pond flushing. |
BK Diggles, Field
observations and assessment of the response to an outbreak of White Spot
Disease (WSD) in Black Tiger Prawns (Penaeus monodon) farmed on the
Logan River in November 2016, report prepared for the Fisheries
Research and Development Corporation, 21 February 2017. |
| 30 November 2016 |
WSD detected at Logan River prawn farm Genetic testing of sampled prawns from the
Logan River prawn farm is positive for the presence of White Spot Disease. Biosecurity Queensland advises farmer to
destroy all prawn stock and decontaminate sampled pond as soon as possible. |
M Schipp, ‘Immediate notification’, Exceptional
Epidemiological Events – Australia 2016, World Animal Health Information
Database (WAHIS), 1 December 2016; BK Diggles, Field
observations and assessment of the response to an outbreak of White Spot
Disease (WSD) in Black Tiger Prawns (Penaeus monodon) farmed on the
Logan River in November 2016, report prepared for the Fisheries
Research and Development Corporation, 21 February 2017. |
| 1 December 2016 |
WSD confirmed by Australian Animal
Health Laboratory The national authority on animal diseases
also tests the sampled prawns from Logan River and confirms the presence of
WSD. Biosecurity Queensland applies movement
controls to prawns, equipment and other high risk material from the farm and
halts discharge of pond water into Logan River. |
M Schipp, ‘Immediate notification’, Exceptional
Epidemiological Events – Australia 2016, World Animal Health Information
Database (WAHIS), 1 December 2016; Biosecurity Queensland, ‘White
Spot Disease detected in southern Queensland’, Biosecurity Queensland
website, 2 December 2016. |
| 5 December 2016 |
Second prawn farm in Logan River
affected Signs of WSD are seen on a second prawn
farm, close to the location of the first detection. Prawns on both this and the first affected
farm are being destroyed and the farms decontaminated. Biosecurity Queensland applies movement
controls to prawns, equipment and other high risk material from the farm and
halts discharge of pond water into Logan River. |
M Schipp, ‘Follow-up Report No. 1’, Exceptional
Epidemiological Events – Australia 2016, World Animal Health Information
Database (WAHIS), 8 December 2016; Biosecurity Queensland, ‘White
spot disease - Industry update – Current situation’, Biosecurity
Queensland website, 8 December 2016. |
| 8 December 2016 |
WSD detected in prawns sampled from
Logan River Wild prawns sampled from Logan River near
the affected prawn farms test positive for WSD at the Australian Animal
Health Laboratory. Biosecurity Queensland applies movement
controls to the entire Logan River area, including movement of prawns, crabs
and marine worms. |
M Schipp, ‘Follow-up Report No. 1’, Exceptional
Epidemiological Events – Australia 2016, World Animal Health Information
Database (WAHIS), 8 December 2016; Biosecurity Queensland, ‘White
spot disease - Industry update – Restrictions imposed in Logan River to
contain prawn disease’, Biosecurity Queensland website, 9 December 2016. |
| 8 December 2016 |
Third prawn farm in Logan River
affected WSD affected prawns are observed on a
third prawn farm in Logan River. All prawns on this farm are destroyed and
decontamination of prawn ponds begins. |
M Schipp, ‘Follow-up Report No. 2’, Exceptional
Epidemiological Events – Australia 2016, World Animal Health Information
Database (WAHIS), 15 December 2016. |
| 12 December 2016 |
Fourth prawn farm in Logan River
affected WSD affected prawns are observed on a fourth
prawn farm in Logan River. All prawns on this farm are destroyed and
decontamination of prawn ponds begins. |
M Schipp, ‘Follow-up Report No. 2’, Exceptional
Epidemiological Events – Australia 2016, World Animal Health Information
Database (WAHIS), 15 December 2016. |
| 13 December 2016 |
Disease control measures put in place
by Biosecurity Queensland Broader movement controls are introduced,
restricting the movement of prawns, crabs and marine worms around the riverbanks,
boat ramps, car parks and inlets of Logan River as well as the river itself.
Use of beam trawlers, crab catching pots, cast nets and other items are
prohibited from use in the area. |
Biosecurity Queensland, ‘White
spot disease - Industry update – Current disease control activities’,
Biosecurity Queensland website, 13 December 2016. |
| 29 December 2016 |
Fifth prawn farm in Logan River
affected Genetic testing of prawns at a fifth farm
in Logan River is positive for WSD. All prawns in the affected pond are
destroyed and the pond is decontaminated. |
M Schipp, ‘Follow-up Report No. 4’, Exceptional
Epidemiological Events – Australia 2016, World Animal Health Information
Database (WAHIS), 29 December 2016. |
Thanks to the Australian Parliamentary
Library, Legislative Council of the Northern Territory Table Office and the
Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries Berrimah Farm
Library for their assistance in locating sources.
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