Rapid sample preparation and low-resource molecular detection of hepatopancreatic parvoviruses (HPV) by recombinase polymerase amplification lateral flow detection assay in shrimps (Fenneropenaeus merguiensis).

Background: Viral diseases are a major problem in shrimp aquaculture facilities as these diseases reduce growth rates, which inevitably lead to production and profit losses. Hepatopancreatic parvoviruses (HPV) are common diseases in shrimp that appear to be associated with high or low levels of replication in specific genetic lineages. Selective breeding may result in resistance to HPV and improved body traits such as body weight, meat yield and shrimp colour, facilitating shrimp farming.

HEMATOLOGY, PLASMA BIOCHEMISTRY, AND URINALYSIS OF FREE-RANGING GREY-HEADED FLYING FOXES ( PTEROPUS POLIOCEPHALUS) IN AUSTRALIA.

The grey-headed flying fox ( Pteropus poliocephalus) is a species endemic to coastal eastern Australia. This study presents a comprehensive set of biochemistry, hematology, and urinalysis biomarkers from which reference values were derived. Blood samples collected from free-ranging P.

Mechanical properties of silk of the Australian golden orb weavers and .

Silks from orb-weaving spiders are exceptionally tough, producing a model polymer for biomimetic fibre development. The mechanical properties of naturally spun silk threads from two species of Australian orb-weavers, and , were examined here in relation to overall thread diameter, the size and number of fibres within threads, and spider size. , the larger of the two species, had significantly tougher silk with higher strain capacity than its smaller congener, producing threads with average toughness of 150 MJ m, despite thread diameter, mean fibre diameter and number of fibres per thread not differing significantly between the two species.

Routes of Hendra Virus Excretion in Naturally-Infected Flying-Foxes: Implications for Viral Transmission and Spillover Risk.

Pteropid bats or flying-foxes (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) are the natural host of Hendra virus (HeV) which sporadically causes fatal disease in horses and humans in eastern Australia. While there is strong evidence that urine is an important infectious medium that likely drives bat to bat transmission and bat to horse transmission, there is uncertainty about the relative importance of alternative routes of excretion such as nasal and oral secretions, and faeces. Identifying the potential routes of HeV excretion in flying-foxes is important to effectively mitigate equine exposure risk at the bat-horse interface, and in determining transmission rates in host-pathogen models.