Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome (POMS)
Six Tasmanian commercial growing regions have been recently afflicted with a strain of Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome (POMS), which is known to kill an oyster stock in hours following detection. Health officials and industry growers have conducted tests on 700 oyster samples for the region and are doing their best to contain the disease and not spread it further.
"Once the general distribution of the disease is known then our surveillance can focus on confirming apparently unaffected areas free of the disease," explained Tasmania's Chief Veterinary Officer Rod Andrewartha to ABC.net. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-15/wild-oysters-found-to-be-affected-by-deadly-poms-virus/7169342
As the title implies, POMS targets Pacific oysters, with the first reported outbreak being traced back to 2008 in France. The condition is caused by the OsHV-1 micro variant virus, and is most prevalent between the months of November to April in the Georges River estuary, according to the Department of Primary Industries.
Scientists believe that outbreaks of POMS have to do with temperature, with the likelihood of the condition rising the higher the temperature in the environment; outbreaks of POMS tend not to occur when the water temperature is below 16 ºC.
