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Continue to Timeline of Events

19-12-2005	Unusual deaths at abalone farms, with 90% mortalities .
31-1-2006	No signs of Virus in wild abalone stocks outside farms in Portland and Port Fairy, which continue to pump out untreated effluent into environment .
9-2-2006	"Herpes like virus in abalone" declared an exotic disease in Government Gazette.
17-3-2006	Virus again appears on Port Fairy farm in one tank and rapid escalates.  Farms continue to pump out untreated effluent into environment. No Signs of Virus in the wild.
18-5-2007	Sick and dead abalone found in wild in Taylors Bay outside farm at Port Fairy.
5-7-2006	All infected Abalone Farms de-stocked and effluent flows turned off.
1-8-2006	Virus continues to spread, with diseased abalone found at Port Fairy, at Leura Bay, the Passage, Pea Soup (east) and Water Tower Bay (east) .
2-8-2006	Abalone divers request expansion of control area.
9-8-2006	DPI let control area expire with no further controls. Recreational Divers fishing in area that was the control area, catching abalone.
11-8-2006	Tasmania announces closure of Bass Strait abalone fishery.
6-9-2006	Virus found outside the Fishery Notice Control area. No further action taken by DPI.
4-2-2007	Severe outbreaks found to have swept through Merri  Marine Sanctuary.
13-2-2007	Abalone Industry Voluntarily closes area from Warrnambool Breakwater to 12 Apostles Marine.
8-3-2007	Fisheries Victoria suspend active monitoring of Virus.
16-3-2007	DPI rejects pleas for public awareness campaign to prevent disease spread.
1-4-2007	Industry’s requests to close area using a Fisheries Notice and raise public awareness are again refused.
15-6-2007	Reports by recreational divers of sick and dying abalone at Sandy Bay, near Childers Cove. Virus has affected almost 200km of coastline, and still spreading.
26-6-2007	Tasmania puts further restrictions on entry of fishing vessels.
13-9-2007	The Virus is detected at western end of "The Bay of Islands", near Peterborough, in South West Victoria.
10-11-2007	10th of Nov. 2007, dive surveys organised by VADA locate the Abalone Virus (AVG) on the eastern edge of the "The Bay of Islands", a meager 500 metre movement in two months! Heavy westerly swells, a closed crayfish season and difficilt public access give weight to the theories of how the Virus is moved.
10-11-2007	Ganglioneuritis confirmed from abalone samples taken from the western end of the Virus front. Reef code 1.05 (The Tits - 23rd. Aug. 2007) and at reefcode 1.02 (Whites Beach - 10th. Nov. 2007), border The Discovery Bay Marine National Park, where Virus incursion is almost certain.
15-11-2007	The Virus DNA profile has confirmed that the virus is a unique strain not previously seen by scientists. "The sequencing of the virus DNA profile shows we are dealing with a new strain of abalone virus that has never been previously sequenced anywhere in the world," Dr Appleford said. Still no PCR diagnostic tests!
29-11-2007	Industry with DPI support attempts to create an abalone "firebreak" but is plagued by poor weather conditions.
11-2-2008	Virus jumps the "Firebreak" area and appears at yet another land based access point, the iconic Great Ocean Road attraction - London Bridge!
3-3-2008	Very slow movement in the past month, the Virus has progressed a mere 500 metres since the last survey, this slow movement is attributed to heavy weather conditions that has prevented most inshore boating/fishing activities.
19-3-2008	Virus infection is very obvious in abalone agregations beneath the Pier at Port Campbell, also in the passage outside the harbour.
16-4-2008	The Virus has now completely jumped the "Twelve Apostles Marine National Park" to a popular recreational access point just east of the Park. Surveys of the Marine Park reveal no Virus infections. The 20 plus kl. jump is attributed to human movement - the Virus is now active on two fronts! view map
16-7-2008	The Gables. Exactly 3 months since the last thorough inspection and the front has advanced only a few kilometres (3.5) eastward, but as anticipated, it has mushroomed more rapidly through the higher abalone densities within the "Twelve Apostles Marine Park" and has now linked with the active area around Port Campbell.