Overview

The Subcommittee on Animal Health Laboratory Standards, through leadership of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and an expert consultant, have completed the process of finalising a business plan. The plan looks towards a national laboratory-focused simulation exercise.

The exercise was completed in 2023. It helped identify ways to improve surge capacity of the Australian animal health laboratory network in response to an emergency animal disease outbreak.

Overview

This project helped develop a nationally consistent management approach towards the use of POC tests. These tests are specific for nationally notifiable diseases in terrestrial and aquatic animals in Australia.

Project Lead: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Project Contact: animalhealthlaboratories@aff.gov.au 

Project Status: Complete

Objective alignment:

Overview

This Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness project developed and characterised an IHC test for the diagnosis and investigation of LSDV infection.

Project Lead: Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness

Project Contact: animalhealthlaboratories@aff.gov.au 

Project Status: Completed

Project Date: Completed in June 2023

Objective alignment:

Overview

This project redeveloped the CSIRO Sample Tracking and Reporting System (STARS) network. This aimed to enhance biosecurity and laboratory management system interoperability at both national and jurisdictional levels.

The enhanced STARS network led to an improved national coordination of disease testing and surveillance to most of Australia’s government animal health laboratories (integration to some labs remains ongoing).

Overview

This project assessed the performance of existing molecular ‘Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals’ (DIVA) assays that are based on real-time, or quantitative, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

Project Lead: Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness; Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Project Contact: Animalhealthlaboratories@aff.gov.au 

Project Status: Complete

Overview

This project aims to establish standardised workflows for using HTS in infectious agent discovery. It will support relevant national diagnostic HTS operating guidelines and improve overall quality assurance. This allows for high confidence when interpreting HTS results.

Project Lead: Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness; Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Project Contact: Animalhealthlaboratories@aff.gov.au

Overview

This assessment will inform and update the themes and priorities for the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework report.

It aims to better align reporting expectations against other sustainability reporting standards, especially the Global Reporting Initiative Standards.

Project Lead: Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA)

Project Contact: info@mla.com.au 

Project Status: Active

Objective alignment:

Overview

This project aims to build on previous phases of the Australian Biosecurity Genomic Database (ABGD) development project. Phase 3 aims to:

• add additional viral subtypes
• expand the database to include state based notifiable diseases
• trial the inclusion of bacterial pathogens
• determine a long-term solution for database maintenance.

Project Lead: AgriBio (Victoria); Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Overview

This project aims to investigate pre-barcoded sample tubes to reduce the delays due to bottlenecks in sample processing during disease outbreaks. It includes researching technologies and suppliers of pre-barcoded sample collection tubes.

AgriBio will conduct several pilot trials of selected sample tubes from the field to the laboratory. A trial will then be conducted with the South Australian Animal Health Laboratory Service and the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness to test its potential for use as a national sample identification system.

Overview

This project will use a participatory foresight approach to explore potential challenges and opportunities for animal health in the future.

It aims to support industry and government decision-makers in envisioning preferable futures and determining how Australia may need to adapt as part of a future-ready approach.

Project Lead: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Project Contact: animalplan@aff.gov.au 

Project Status: Active