The BioSIRT log (BLog) August 2009

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Collaboration

A Locust Workshop was held in Canberra on 8 July.  BioSIRT Administrators met with locusts experts from the Australian Plague Locust Commission (APLC), and rangers from the NSW Livestock Health and Pest Authorities (LHPA). The purpose of the workshop was to gather information for the specification of a BioSIRT template for the management of a response to the Australian Plague Locust. The workshop was a success and a draft template is expected to be completed by the end of September.

The NBC (National Biosecurity Committee) Information Needs Working Group held a teleconference on 1 July. They developed a comprehensive principles document to underpin a national biosecurity information management framework which was endorsed by the NBC on 30 July 2009.

The BioSIRT Projects Workshop was held in Canberra on 21 July.  Tom Aldred (Executive Manager, Partnerships - Biosecurity Services Group) and Carol Cribb (A/g General Manager, Partnerships - Biosecurity Services Group) made an appearance.  BioSIRTs priority structure, projects, events and activities for the year ahead were discussed.  The National Coordination Team (NCT) are optimistic about the future of BioSIRT and will tackle upcoming challenges with zest!

Consistency

The revised Classical Swine Fever (CSF) template was released for review on 21 July.

CSF is a highly contagious viral disease of pigs affecting both domesticated and feral pigs.  It does not affect humans.  CSF is designated as a List A disease by the Office International des Epizooties (OIE); an outbreak would have major effects on trade of pigs and pork products.

CSF spreads rapidly in faeces, urine and other bodily secretions and can also be transmitted on contaminated pens, pig crates, trucks & clothing, and via uncooked garbage.  The incubation period is 6-11 days.

Piglets are most seriously affected; death can occur within 1-3 weeks.  Less virulent isolates result in poor reproductive performance or failure to thrive.

Symptoms include fever, constipation followed by diarrhoea, gummy eyes, coughing, blotchy discolouration of the skin, abortion, stillbirths and weak litters, and weakness of hindquarters.  Clinically indistinguishable from African Swine Fever; rapid laboratory diagnosis can be made within 2-3 hours.

CSF has been eradicated from Australia previously.  However if an outbreak was to occur today it would require huge resources and may prove impossible to eradicate due to Australia's large feral pig population. 

Swine Influenza Response in NSW

Swine influenza was diagnosed in a NSW piggery in late July. A Local Control Centre (LCC) was established in Dubbo, with NSW LHPA and NSW DII staff.  A Swine Influenza template was set up in BioSIRT to record the operational activities.  The response evolved its own activities, including a telephone survey and the requirement for inspections of delayed-slaughter finishers.  These activities were configured into BioSIRT to allow LCC staff to enter their records directly.  This also eliminated the use of a paper-based system for communications.  As new AOIs (properties at risk) were added to the response, they were displayed on a map by status type.

The Team Leaders for the Standards Committee Working Groups (SWGs) met on 9 July in Canberra.  They discussed the specification for the development of a Generic Disease template that could be used for Animal, Plant and Aquatic/Marine Diseases.

The generic template for Diseases will be reviewed at the next face to face meeting of the NBSC (National BIOSIRT Standards Committee) scheduled for 15 October 2009 in Adelaide.  Timelines for the remaining generic templates and specific SWGs were discussed and are aiming to be achieved as detailed in the table below.

The Application

Ian Miller from Spatial Vision will be presenting a 1 Day Reports/Mapping Workshop for database experts on 24 September 2009 in Melbourne.  The NCT will be arranging a follow up workshop for representatives from all jurisdictions to attend.

Version 2.0 is currently being tested and due for release in September.

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Training

The next scheduled National Administrator Training will be held at the NSW DPI offices in Cronulla, Sydney on 15-17 September 2009.

BioSIRT's current position on...

Administrator Training...

Administrator training is divided into two sections, - General and Advanced. All Administrator training is provided by the BioSIRT National Coordination Team (NCT).

Training is hosted by a jurisdiction that provides the appropriate facilities.  The trainee's jurisdiction provides traveland accommodation.  The NCT provides the Training Server and router connections by wireless and a limited number of wired connections.  Currently, all training is provided by the National Senior Administrator.

General Administrator Training

Training covers all aspects of the Template Build Process, including Primary Analysis, Template Build and Implementation.  Training runs over three full days - Day one covers standard User Training, Days two and three cover Administrator template delivery.  Sessions are held approximately quarterly.  On completion of the General Administrator Training students are then considered to be Level 1 Administrators.

Advanced Administrator Training

Training covers the implementation of mapping as applied to templates, reports as applied to templates and administration of Administrator access to BioSIRT. Training runs for one full day.  Sessions are held approximately annually.  To be eligible to undergo advanced Administrator training, the trainee has had to have completed general Administrator training, worked on a Standards Committee Working Group (SWG) and had an emergency template approved by Standards Committee, qualifying them as Level 2 Administrator.  Trainees completing the Advanced Administrator Training are then considered to be Level 3 Administrators.

ABIN Communiqué

An ABIN (Australian Biosecurity Intelligence Network) Communiqué that included an update from the ABIN CEO was released on 20 July.  ABIN was established with Commonwealth investment in 2008 to address one of Australia's strategic infrastructure priorities - the need for a Networked Biosecurity Framework.  ABIN aims to create virtual web-delivered services enabling effective communication and data sharing, act as a resource for training and scientific knowledge, and develop analytical tools to support biosecurity, through ABIN's assortment of Proof of Concept Projects, Test Site activities, and partnerships with other NCRIS initiatives and IT providers.  The ABIN Board has identified potential "gaps" in the sectors and categories of data input and is calling for proposals from the human and plant biosecurity sectors.  Initial proposals are required by 1 September 2009.  For further information visit www.abin.org.au