Board vacancies – three non-executive director positions

With the support of Directors Australia, we are seeking three experienced non-executive directors who meets at least one of the following criteria:

• Biosecurity expertise
• Agricultural industry experience, especially extensive or intensive livestock industries
• Strategic people management

In addition to one of the above, experience in technology and data management, providing an understanding of the strategic opportunities regarding technology and data and how they might benefit AHA and its stakeholders would be desirable.

For a detailed position description please contact Vanessa Jolly MAICD CAHRI via email vanessa.jolly@directorsaustralia.com or to submit your expression of interest via this link where more information about the roles is available.

Applications close at 9am on Monday 29 July 2024.

September Member Engagement Week – register today!

Registration is now open for the upcoming Member Engagement Week on 23-26 September in Canberra at Hotel Realm.

Highlights of the week include:

• Monday 23 September:  Industry Forum commencing at 1:00pm
• Monday 23 September: Government Forum commencing at 3:30pm
• Monday 23 September: Member networking event commencing at 5:00pm
• Tuesday 24 September: EADRA Workshop and start of Member’s Forum
• Wednesday 25 September: Continuation of Member’s Forum and start of Consultative Committee Emergency Animal Disease (CCEAD) training (approved nominations only, via separate invite from the AHA Training Support team)
• Wednesday 25 September: Continuation of CCEAD training

If you would like to suggest agenda topics for the Member’s Forum please send an email to Jackie Poyser, A/g General Manager – Customer, Strategy and Operations at jpoyser@animalhealthaustralia.com.au by Tuesday 13 August.

You can see the full timings for the week as well as register your attendance at this link

We look forward to seeing many of you in September!

Australian government announces further funding in HPAI
preparedness

The Australian Government is investing nearly $7 million as it continues to lead the response to the threat posed by a potential incursion of H5 High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI).

AHA has been granted $1.95 million of this, to support the national response capability for avian influenza in poultry, including investigating the potential of commercial avian influenza vaccines for use in Australia.

Read more Millions invested in national avian influenza preparation | Ministers (agriculture.gov.au)

AHA Explainer: Review process for an AUSVETPLAN manual

If you’ve ever been involved in the development or review of an Australian Veterinary Emergency Plan (AUSVETPLAN) manual, you’ll know that it can be a significant time commitment but a very rewarding experience. For those that would like to know more about AUSVETPLAN, we’ve answered some key questions on the process of how they are reviewed.

Read more (link) AHA Explainer: Review process for an AUSVETPLAN manual – Animal Health Australia

Avian influenza and dairy cattle transmission in the USA

On 25 March 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b had been identified in U.S. dairy cattle for the first time. This is the same clade that has been infecting a wide range of bird species and several mammalian species overseas. 

As of 17 July 2024, there have been 158 confirmed dairy cattle H5N1 cases in 13 states. Infected farms have indicated abnormal lactation and reduced feed consumption with thickened or clotted milk as a common finding.  

The exact mechanism of spread is currently unknown, though animal movement, and movement of contaminated fomites and people have been identified as potential transmission pathways. 

The USDA, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and state veterinary and public health officials are continuing their investigation into HPAI in dairy cows. 

Australia has an AUSVETPLAN response strategy for avian influenza – which includes a strategy for responding to high pathogenicity avian influenza – which is being used in the current HPAI responses in Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT. 

Animal Health Australia is working with government and industry members to develop updated guidance in the case of an incursion of the H5N1 2.3.4.4.b clade. The guiding principles and frameworks described in AUSVETPLAN outline the mechanisms by which an event similar to that being experienced overseas would be managed in Australia. 

Read more about the situation in the USA hpai-dairy-national-epi-brief.pdf (usda.gov)

New screw-worm fly video to enhance surveillance

AHA manages the Screw-Worm Fly Surveillance and Preparedness Program.

Screw-worm fly (SWF) is an insect pest of warm-blooded animals including people, livestock and wildlife. SWF is not present in Australia, but does occur in neighbouring countries to the north.

Keeping Australia free from SWF relies on early detection and the surveillance team have created a new surveillance video to help our members enhance surveillance activities

Human and animal health worlds combine to discuss zooneses

AHA team members Dr Bronwyn Hendry and Emily Sears recently connected with human and animal health colleagues at the University of Sydney on July 5 and 6 (to coincide with World Zoonoses Day) at the Australasian Society for Infectious Disease 2024 Zoonoses Conference, Crossroads to Contagion. Discussions covered a range of significant zoonotic diseases and prompted consideration of the greatest threats to one health in our region including climate change and antimicrobial resistance.

A key takeaway was around how we better navigate a complex and changing landscape, and the value in data and intelligence across the one health sphere from a trend analysis perspective to support being ahead of the curve.  

Exercise Audiatur takes shape

Exercise Audiatur is a scenario-based training program that seeks to improve the delivery and performance of the Liaison-Livestock Industryfunction during a cost-shared, EAD response in Victoria. The exercise will be run over two days on Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 October 2024, held in the AgVIC trainings rooms in Attwood, Victoria. The word ‘Audiatur’ is Latin for “may the other side also be heard”, highlighting the collaborative purpose of the exercise and its objectives.

Read more Exercise Audiatur – Animal Health Australia

Around the traps

• The status of veterinary mRNA vaccines in Australia | Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (apvma.gov.au)
• Australia’s current avian influenza outbreak ‘unprecedented’ (cosmosmagazine.com)
• New package of drought support measures to help our rural communities – Premier of Tasmania
• NSW cattle at risk: Trichomoniasis infections increasing | The Land | NSW