Member and Industry News Surveillance strengthened across northern Australia The Australian, state and territory governments in collaboration with industry are partnering to deliver the Northern Australian Biosecurity Surveillance (NABS) project which will improve the quality and accessibility of significant disease investigation in livestock in northern Australia. People who conduct surveillance activities in the north, such as veterinarians and livestock producers, can experience vast challenges in conducting disease investigations. The NABS project, which began in January 2017 and runs until June 2019, will make this task easier by providing them with tools and resources to assist. Pastoral properties and veterinarians will be supplied with post-mortem (PM) sampling kits to be used to collect samples from livestock. The kits will also enable property staff to collect maggots from fly-blown wounds. To ensure their efficacy, producers will need to use the kits under direction from their veterinarian, and it is recommended they are kept in an easily accessible location. As part of the initiative, Biosecurity Queensland held two emergency animal disease workshops in mid 2017 for private veterinary practitioners in northern “A NABS Significant Disease Investigation Network was launched in early 2018 to assist private and government veterinarians to join forces on disease investigations in northern Australia.” 44 THE LINK AUT/WIN 18 Elizabeth Stedman Veterinary Officer – Darwin Region, Department of Primary Industry and Resources Northern Territory Queensland, about the disease investigation tools and resources. Biosecurity Queensland are also keeping PM kits in their regional offices to provide to producers and veterinarians when they visit properties and local sale yards. A NABS Significant Disease Investigation Network (SDI) was launched in early 2018 to assist private and government veterinarians to join forces on disease investigations in northern Australia. The SDI Network includes opportunities for vets and diagnosticians to share knowledge and approaches, conduct more complete case workups, collaborate on laboratory submissions and better share information about disease events across the north. This project is a joint initiative by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry and Resources, and Biosecurity Queensland. It is funded under the Australian Government’s Agricultural
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