National Arbovirus Monitoring Program
Animal Health Australia (AHA) coordinates the National Arbovirus Monitoring Program (NAMP) to monitor the distribution of three economically important arboviruses (insect-borne viruses) and their vectors:
- bluetongue virus (BTV) that causes bluetongue disease in sheep and other ruminant animals
- Akabane virus that causes congenital abnormalities in ruminant animals
- bovine ephemeral virus that causes bovine ephemeral fever (BEF, or three-day sickness) in cattle and water buffalo.
NAMP is jointly funded by its primary beneficiaries, including the cattle, sheep and goat industries, livestock exporters, and the state, territory and Australian governments.
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Objectives of NAMP
Market access
To facilitate the export of live cattle, sheep, and goats and their genetics to countries with concerns about bluetongue, Akabane and BEF viruses by providing scientific information for the development of export protocols and compliance with export certification requirements.
Bluetongue early warning
To detect incursions of exotic strains of bluetongue virus and Culicoides species (midges that transmit bluetongue virus) into Australia by surveillance of the northern bluetongue virus endemic area.
Risk management
To detect changes in the seasonal distribution in Australia of endemic bluetongue, Akabane and BEF viruses and their vectors, in support of livestock exporters and producers.
How NAMP operates
Throughout Australia, NAMP data are gathered in two ways:
- serological monitoring of cattle in sentinel herd network
- strategic serological surveys of commercial cattle herds.
Insect traps positioned near the monitored herds indicate whether Culicoides vectors are present during the testing period.
This data is collected with the help of participating cattle producers (NAMP co-operators) who hang insect traps on their properties and send collected insects to government officers for identification and who provide home-bred cattle for blood sampling. To find out more about becoming a NAMP co-operator, please read the NAMP Co-Operator brochure.
Limits of bluetongue virus transmission
Clinical bluetongue disease has not been observed in commercial flocks or herds of any susceptible species in Australia.
AHA’s interactive bluetongue zone map is:
- produced from bluetongue virus monitoring data
- based on World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines
- used to define areas in which no viral activity has been detected for at least the past 2 years.
The map is updated in response to new monitoring information and is subject to change without notice. Users are advised to refer to this website whenever making decisions or recommendations related to bluetongue zoning or subscribe to receive automated notification via email of changes to the bluetongue zone map.
NAMP reporting
- Access the current and archived NAMP annual reports for annual monitoring data that describes the limits of vector and virus distribution and the free areas for bluetongue, Akabane and BEF viruses.
- Read the second and fourth issues of Animal Health Surveillance Quarterly (AHSQ) for interim NAMP reports.
- Australian Government Arbovirus and Malaria Surveillance website for comprehensive arbovirus and malaria surveillance intelligence gathered from across Australia to assist health authorities.