SCAHLS represents the activities of the veterinary laboratory network of Australia and New Zealand and is a sub-committee of the Animal Health Committee, reporting to Primary Industries Standing Committee.
SCAHLS News
ANZSDP Update
The Australian and New Zealand Standard Diagnostic Procedure (ANZSDP) for Avian Influenza has recently been endorsed by the Animal Health Committee and is now available for download from the ANZSDP section of this website . Other ANZSDPs that are expected to be published in the near future include: Ovine Footrot, Antimicrobial Sensitivity Testing, Bovine Trichomoniasis and Epizootic Haemorrhagic Disease.
The primary objectives of the ANZSDPs are to facilitate the performance of test procedures and to ensure consistency between laboratories using methods selected for their optimal accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and robustness. ANZSDPs are written by leading Australian and New Zealand veterinary diagnosticians and are peer-reviewed by colleagues, they provide a valuable guide to animal health laboratory scientists on suitable current test methods for a range of infectious diseases. ANZSDPs are consistent with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines but may exceed those requirements where special procedures and interpretation are necessary for Australian and New Zealand circumstances.
The procedures are amenable to revision as required. Any tests that differ in principle from an established (standard) test must be successfully evaluated by SCAHLS before inclusion in an ANZSDP. Commercial suppliers and individual proponents seeking inclusion of a new test, or a new version of an existing test, in an existing ANZSDP will need to submit relevant data to SCAHLS for evaluation. Once a new test is approved by SCAHLS it will be published on this website. It is considered to carry the same weight as those written in the relevant ANZSDP (if available) and will be incorporated into the next version in due course.
Update on the LEADDR Network
The Laboratories for Emergency Animal Disease Diagnosis and Response (LEADDR) network has continued to coordinate a national laboratory network operating on a partnership approach to detect and support the management of incidents of selected EADs. The network continues to work towards harmonisation of its existing targeted diseases and has recently introduced network quality controls for ostreid herpes virus and white spot syndrome virus through its newly formed aquatic animal health working group. Since the release of the Ken Matthews Report in late 2011, considerable emphasis has also been placed on building testing capability for foot and mouth disease (FMD) within the network through additional funding support from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. This work was further progressed following a LEADDR planning workshop held in June 2012. The next phase of the project is to implement a quality assurance program for FMD testing in the network and to identify a mechanism that ensures that this capability is supported on an ongoing basis.
PDF File (593.6 KB)