White spot disease (WSD) is caused by white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), a very virulent virus that can cause devastating epizootics (up to 100% mortality within 3-10 days) on prawn farms with many affected prawns displaying characteristic white spots on the carapace. Australia was free of WSD until November 2016 when it was detected in black tiger prawns farmed on the Logan River in SE Queensland. A non-random distribution of the virus on the farms suggested the virus was being concentrated in intake canals on particles or planktonic vectors however the identity of the vectors remains unknown.

This investment will conduct field and wild sampling for the prevalence of WSSV in potential vectors and undertake a review of current biosecurity arrangements in prawn farms. The knowledge gained will inform biosecurity planning for the prawn farming industry on the Logan River and identify best practice for WSSV exclusion to increase the chances of successfully farming prawns in the presence of the virus and reduce the risk of WSSV in wild crustacean fisheries.