There is a disturbing pattern of diseases in commercial molluscs nationally. They have required a succession of government/industry responses, with no clear solutions:QX disease, Sydney rock oysters, NSW and QLD; NSW; Pacific oyster mortality syndrome, NSW; Abalone viral ganglioneuritis, VIC; Oyster oedema disease, pearl oysters, WA; Winter mortality, Sydney rock oyster, NSW.

Economic impacts have been substantial or devastating. Wild fisheries and aquaculture have been impacted. In NSW, the primary impact of QX disease led to replacement of Sydney rock oysters by triploid Pacific oysters to reestablish the industry in some estuaries, but this is now threatened by POMS.

In every case the new disease has spread. It has not been possible to devise an intervention strategy that would halt disease spread or ensure the recovery of the industry. Investigating the behaviour of POMS during its predicted recrudescence this summer provides an opportunity to identify factors which may be used to reduce the impact of the infection.

This project seeks to investigate the effect of host, environmental and husbandry factors on POMS prevalence and mortality rate in Pacific oysters during summer 2011-autumn 2012 with the objective of discovering aspects of epidemiology which can be manipulated by oyster growers.

FRDC strategic R&D theme 1 - biosecurity and aquatic animal health, and Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram priority - Nature of disease and host-pathogen interaction - immunology of aquatic invertebrates.