OIE Reference Laboratory Reports
Activities in 2011
Name of disease (or topic) for
which you are a designated OIE
Reference Laboratory:
Address of laboratory/
Infection with abalone herpes-like virus
AAHL Fish Diseases Laboratory
Australian Animal Health Laboratory
CSIRO Livestock Industries
Private Bag 24
Geelong VIC 3220
AUSTRALIA
Tel.:
+61 3 5227 5000
Fax:
+61 3 5227 5555
e-mail address:
website:
Name (including Title and
Position) of Head of Laboratory
(Responsible Official):
Mark.crane@csiro.au
www.csiro.au
Prof. Martyn Jeggo
Director
CSIRO Australian Animal Health
Laboratory
Name (including Title and
Position) of OIE Reference
Expert:
Name (including Title and
Position) of writer of this report
(if different from above):
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
Dr Mark Crane
Research Team Leader
AAHL Fish Diseases Laboratory
As above
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Infection with abalone herpes-like virus
Part I: Summary of general activities related to the disease
1.
Test(s) in use/or available for the specified disease/topic at your laboratory
While tests used for diagnosis include histopathology and in situ hybridisation, the most frequently requested test
for abalone herpes-like virus is, by far, qPCR. Currently, there are 3 qPCR tests (ORF49, ORF66 and ORF77)
available. Our laboratory uses all three tests mainly to gather data on their relative applicability (sensitivity and
specificity) for validation purposes in the future. In addition, conventional PCR has also been used when nucleic
acid sequence is required (see table below).
2.
Test
For
Specificity
Total
qPCR (ORF49)
Nucleic acid
Abalone herpesvirus
1251
qPCR (ORF66)
Nucleic acid
Abalone herpesvirus
1287
qPCR (ORF77)
Nucleic acid
Abalone herpesvirus
1287
Conventional PCR (AbHV16/17)
Nucleic acid
Abalone herpesvirus
17
Production and distribution of diagnostic reagents
Type of reagent
Amount supplied nationally
(including for own use)
Amount supplied to
other countries
Non-infectious plasmid construct for use
as a positive control for ORF49 qPCR
test
1 ml ORF49 plasmid (sufficient quantity
for distribution to laboratories
indefinitely)
0 ml
Histological sections (positive control for
ISH)
100 blocks
5 blocks
Histological sections (negative controls
for ISH)
100 blocks
0 blocks
Total nucleic acid extract from infected
abalone for use as positive control for
ORF49, ORF66 and ORF77 qPCR tests
5 × 200 µl aliquots of concentrated
(1000×) parent stock
200µl working stock
0 ml
Part II: Activities specifically related to the mandate
of OIE Reference Laboratories
3.
International harmonisation and standardisation of methods for diagnostic testing or the
production and testing of vaccines
a)
Establishment and maintenance of a network with other OIE Reference Laboratories
designated for the same pathogen or disease and organisation of regular inter-laboratory
proficiency testing to ensure comparability of results
 Communication with Prof. Pen Heng Chang (National Taiwan University, School of Veterinary
Medicine, CHINESE TAIPEI) is maintained, including exchange of material, as needed.
 Inter-laboratory proficiency testing has not been implemented, to date.
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Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
Infection with abalone herpes-like virus
b)
Organisation of inter-laboratory proficiency testing with laboratories other than OIE
Reference Laboratories for the same pathogens and diseases to ensure equivalence of
results
 Organisation of, or participation in, international ring trials (scope, global/regional, number of
participants, outcomes), or interlaboratory test evaluations, has not been undertaken to date.
4.
5.
Preparation and supply of international reference standards for diagnostic tests or vaccines

Extracted nucleic acid from abalone infected with abalone herpesvirus for use as positive control material in
molecular tests

Paraffin-embedded tissues from abalone infected with abalone herpesvirus for use as positive controls for
histological examination and in situ hybridisation tests.

Non-infectious plasmid construct as positive control for ORF49 qPCR test.
Research and development of new procedures for diagnosis and control
Currently, two research projects are being undertaken:
Project Title
FRDC Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram: Characterisation of abalone herpes-like virus infections in abalone
Objectives
1) Validate the developed in situ hybridisation diagnostic test including roll out to other States
2) Develop a quantitative assay (qPCR) for determining infectious dose for this virus
3) Determine the sensitivity of the virus to physico-chemical conditions including its stability in water/on fomites
and its sensitivity to inactivation agents
4) Determine the role of mucus in viral transmission
5) Determine whether a latent stage exists in AVG
6) Determine the susceptibility of remnant populations of abalone previously exposed to AVG and known
unexposed wild populations in South Australia
Project Title
FRDC Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram: Investigations into the genetic basis of resistance to infection of
abalone by the abalone herpes-like virus
Objective
Determine whether there is genetic variation in susceptibility to abalone viral ganglioneuritis in abalone family
lines.
6.
Collection, analysis and dissemination of epizootiological data relevant to international disease
control
None this year
7.
Maintenance of a system of quality assurance, biosafety and biosecurity relevant to the
pathogen and the disease concerned
AAHL is an accredited Veterinary Testing Laboratory in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025.
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
3
Infection with abalone herpes-like virus
8.
Provision of consultant expertise to OIE or to OIE Member Countries
 Provided OIE with peer review of VHS Chapter for the Aquatic Manual
 Provided OIE with a revised draft chapter on Infection with abalone herpes-like virus for the Aquatic Manual
 Provided Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry with advice on the draft
chapters for the 2012 Aquatic Manual
 Provided advice to Japan on diagnostic test procedures for abalone herpesvirus.
9.
Provision of scientific and technical training to personnel from other OIE Member Countries
In November 2011, Drs Ikunari Kiryu and Jun Kurita from JAPAN visited our laboratory specifically for training
in diagnostic techniques for infections with abalone herpes-like virus. Over a 2-day period, Drs Kiryu and Kurita
visited both AAHL and DPI Victoria (our collaborators) laboratories and training was provided in histopathology,
in situ hybridisation, qPCR and conventional PCR.
10. Provision of diagnostic testing facilities to other OIE Member Countries
None in 2011
11. Organisation of international scientific meetings on behalf of OIE or other international bodies
None in 2011
12. Participation in international scientific collaborative studies
None in 2011
13. Publication and dissemination of information relevant to the work of OIE (including list of
scientific publications, internet publishing activities, presentations at international conferences)

Presentations at international conferences and meetings
Corbeil S, Williams LM, McColl KA and Crane MStJ. 2011. Biotechnology and the diagnosis and surveillance of
aquatic animal pathogens. OIE Global Conference on Aquatic Animal Health Programmes: Their Benefits for
Global Food Security, Panama City, Panama, 28-30 June 2011.
Corbeil S, McColl KA, Williams LM, Mohammad I, Bergfeld J, Hyatt AD, Mackay E, Crameri SG, Fegan M and
Crane MStJ. Early detection of herpesvirus infection in Australian abalone and susceptibility of the virus to
chemical treatments. First FRDC Australasian Scientific Conference on Aquatic Animal Health, Cairns, 5-8 July
2011.
Cowley JA, Corbeil S, Chen H, Bulach D, Wong F, Moody NJ, Ellard K, Fegan M, Savin K, Warner S and Crane
MStJ. Sequence variations amongst abalone herpes-like virus (AbHV) strains provide insights into its origins in
Victoria and Tasmania. First FRDC Australasian Scientific Conference on Aquatic Animal Health, Cairns, 5-8 July
2011.
Mohammad I, Warner S, Kvalheim N, Crane MStJ, Corbeil S, Williams LM and Fegan M. Development of an in
situ hybridisation assay for the detection and identification of the abalone herpes-like virus. First FRDC
Australasian Scientific Conference on Aquatic Animal Health, Cairns, 5-8 July 2011.

Scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals
Corbeil S, Williams LM, Bergfeld J, Crane MStJ. 2012. Abalone herpes virus stability in sea water and
susceptibility to chemical disinfectants, Aquaculture 326: 20-26.
_______________
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Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011