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1 December 1998 |
Ref 98/279 |
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An international scientific effort has delivered greater protection for Australia's growing duck industry, and Vietnam's 40 million farmed ducks.
The project, funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), has led to a suite of fast and effective diagnostic tests for the deadly virus of ducks, geese, and swans, duck virus enteritis.
Involving the University of Queensland, CSIRO Animal Health, and the National Veterinary Company/Veterinary Research Centre (NAVETCO) in Vietnam, the project also enabled a cheap and effective vaccine to be evaluated in the field.
Dr Bob Dalgliesh of ACIAR says the disease, also known as duck plague, occurs widely in South East Asia, home to a quarter of the world's farmed duck population. It may cause up to 90% mortalities in affected flocks, he says.
"While the disease does not occur in Australia, the local duck industry and wild ducks face the risk of the virus being introduced into the country by migratory birds," says Dr Dalgliesh.
CSIRO's Mr Chris Morrissy says in the past diagnosis of the disease may have taken two weeks or more.
"As a result of the project, we now have a suite of sensitive tests which can deliver a result within one day. Early diagnosis of the disease will be crucial for its control and eradication, if we ever faced an outbreak in Australia. The tests will also allow outbreaks of the disease to be better controlled by the Vietnamese duck industry," Mr Morrissy says.
Dr Jeff Fairbrother of the Australian Chicken Meat Federation,
says the duck industry in Australia is significant, although
relatively small in comparison with the chicken meat industry.
"Duck production in 1997-98 was around 3.8 million, worth
an estimated $20 million. The development of a rapid test for
the identification of duck virus enteritis by the Australian
Animal Health Laboratory is a significant and valuable contribution
to duck health in Australia," Dr Fairbrother says.
An important aspect of the project involved the transfer of new technology and procedures from CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) to NAVETCO, in Ho Chi Minh City.
Six scientists from NAVETCO recently undertook training at AAHL, in Geelong. Mr Morrissy also provided further training at NAVETCO's facilities in Vietnam.
Dr Leigh Nind of the University of Queensland worked at NAVETCO for almost two years as an ACIAR Project Scientist commissioned by the Australian Overseas Services Bureau. The University's Professor Peter Spradbrow and Dr Zuhara Bensink also worked at the Vietnamese research centre on the vaccine development aspect of the project.
The Vietnamese Government is expected to present NAVETCO with an award for its success in producing veterinary vaccines for the country, partly as a result of the duck virus enteritis project.
ACIAR have granted a one year extension of the project to allow field evaluation of the vaccine as developed through the project.
More information:
For information about development of new diagnostic tests by CSIRO Animal Health, contact Mr Chris Morrissy or Emma Homes on 03 5227 5123.
For information about ACIAR's support for the project, contact Dr Bob Dalgliesh on 02 6217 0500.
For information on the role of the University of Queensland
in developing a vaccine for the disease, contact Professor Peter
Spradbrow on 073 365 5735.
(Australia's largest scientific research organisation)
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