Determination of the susceptibility of remenant populations follow exposure to AVG. Despite the abalone virus remaining undetected among abalone populations for 8 months, in December 2009 active virus was identified among diseased abalone located at Cape Otway in Victoria. This presents a number of management and bio-security issues as the abalone industry is approaching the initial stages of recommencement of fishing. The Victorian abalone industry is the only organisation that is actively involved in monitoring of the spread of the AVG virus. It has been able to show an association between the spread of the AVG virus and human movement patterns.

It is unknown at this stage whether remnant abalone populations have an inherent resistance to the disease or if, as a matter of chance, they were fortunate not to be challenged by the virus when it spread along the coast.

The project will give indications to industry, fishery managers and other stakeholders about the potential for reinfection among remnant abalone populations. This will provide additional information to support further development of biosecurity strategies to avoid reinfection of remnant populations, development of strategic policies to avoid human movement of the disease to remnant populations as well as having a bearing on fishery management strategies to allow for the recommencement of fishing.