AAHL scientist undertaking diagnostic testing during the 2007 equine influenza outbreak in Australia.

Diagnosis, Surveillance and Response

The Diagnosis, Surveillance and Response Group delivers CSIRO's national responsibilities in the area of emergency terrestrial animal and fish diseases, including diseases of wildlife and zoonotic diseases.

• 23 October 2009 | Updated 14 October 2011

• Purpose
• Provision of advice
• Training and education
• Science streams

CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) plays a vital role in maintaining the health of Australia's livestock, aquaculture species and wildlife and ensuring the competitiveness of Australian agriculture and trade.

AAHL is a national centre of excellence in disease diagnosis, research and policy advice in animal health. It is a major facility of CSIRO Livestock Industries.

Purpose

The purpose of the Diagnosis Surveillance and Response Group (DSR) is to deliver on AAHL's key national facility responsibilities to the Australian community:

• diagnosis of emergency animal diseases, which includes index case confirmation and national emergency response capability (including surge capacity) using accredited and validated tests

• identification and rapid characterisation of disease causing agents by both their genetic sequence and physical properties

• provision of technical advice and animal health science to the Australian government, the livestock industries and international agencies

• delivery of training and education in support of pre-border, border and post-border quarantine and biosecurity

• support to Australian and Southeast Asian surveillance activities to improve disease risk management strategies

• operation as a national, regional and international reference laboratory for animal and zoonotic diseases (those which can pass from animals to humans)

• provision of advice in the general area of biosecurity and counter-bioterrorism.

The DSR Group also manages AAHL's World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) designations as Reference Laboratories for a number of major animal diseases and OIE Collaborating Centres for New and Emerging Diseases and for Laboratory Capacity Building.

Provision of advice

AAHL provides Australian government and industry groups with advice on exotic and emerging disease issues.

This expertise is also used to assist countries in the region to deal with  animal  disease issues contributing to regional food security and biosecurity.

DSR staff are involved in several animal health development programs overseas, particularly in Southeast Asia.

This support not only reduces the disease risks to the countries themselves but also assists the preparedness of Australian biosecurity through better threat assessment and preparedness.

AAHL regularly participates in significant international and national networks including the Laboratories for Emergency Animal Disease Diagnosis and Response (LEADDR) initiative. 

LEADDR aims to develop as a national coordinated network of laboratories to assist each other with large-scale testing during an EAD outbreak in Australia's livestock industry.

DSR staff are also actively involved in the National Animal Health Laboratory Strategy (NAHLS), the National Animal Health Surveillance Strategy (NAHSS), the Sub-committee on Animal Health Laboratory Standards (SCAHLS) and AusVet Plan.

Training and education

More than 400 veterinarians from Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Timor-Leste have completed exotic disease training at AAHL. AAHL also has a strong student training program.

Science streams

The science streams within this Theme include:

Diagnostic Services

CSIRO's Diagnosis, Surveillance and Response Group provides a comprehensive diagnostic service for emergency animal diseases, routine quarantine testing, technical advice, education and training.

AAHL Regional Program

CSIRO Livestock Industries' Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) is supporting Southeast Asian countries in their efforts to control and eradicate infectious animal diseases.

Learn more about Dr Peter Daniels: Theme Leader - Diagnosis, Surveillance and Response.