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CASE STUDY
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Returning to our farm “ Happy Abs ”
Back on the farm , now you have collected some diagnostic samples , it is time to look at the farm data available . This includes the farm map , recent spreadsheets with details of individual tank mortalities and production , water quality data , records of stock movements onto and off the farm , information about the on‐farm processing plant , any treatments provided etc .
You turn your attention to tracing movements onto and off the farm ( source and spread ). A long list is compiled of all the possible sources of infection for the clinical syndrome seen .
The first clinical signs were seen in M32 broodstock on 12 / 6 . You discover that 10 broodstock were brought onto the farm from an interstate farm “ All About Abs ” which is a farm connected through the parent company . These abalone arrived on 9 / 6 and were placed into tank M32 . You also note that cleaning equipment is shared between tanks M32 and M33 ( and others ). The farm pumps water at a rate of 1100 litres per second but there is no known disease in the wild within 500 kilometres of this farm .
Given the infection appeared to originate in the tank of the recently introduced broodstock , a high priority for investigation will be the traceback enquiries to the interstate farm “ All About Abs ”.
Photo . West Coast Oysters Coffin Bay ( Photo courtesy of Oysters SA )
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