Australian Quarantine Research Articles

Key lessons from the establishment of a nurse-led infection prevention and control program for COVID-19 in an Australian hotel quarantine and isolation service

BackgroundA key aspect of Australia's response to the COVID-19 pandemic was to control transmission through legislated quarantine and isolation of overseas returning travellers and potentially infectious community members. In New South Wales, Special Health Accommodation (SHA) was rapidly established as a comprehensive health service for individuals that were at risk of having COVID-19, were confirmed to have COVID-19 or for those with complex health needs that were deemed inappropriate for management in Police managed Quarantine Hotels. SHA services were later expanded to care for community members who were COVID-19 positive and unable to effectively isolate, or contacts of individuals who were unable to quarantine effectively in their homes. SHA's unique nurse-led Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) program offers key lessons that may impact future programs. MethodsA reflection on the experience of leading an Infection Prevention and Control program in SHA was undertaken. This was supported by a review of SHA admission, workforce and transmission data and data obtained from a cross-sectional questionnaire aimed to better understand the experiences of a novel population of health workers (HW) in a comprehensive health-led quarantine and isolation service. ResultsSHA program data demonstrates how its IPC program implementation prevented transmission of COVID-19 to SHA staff and patients. Responses from the questionnaire suggested staff felt safe and well-prepared through the IPC education they received. They also gained transferrable knowledge and skills, which they intend to use in future healthcare roles. ConclusionThe SHA nurse-led IPC program offered successful quarantine and isolation for COVID-19 in non-purpose-built facilities. A review of IPC strategies and key lessons from the establishment of the SHA IPC program are of critical importance to planning and management of current and future pandemics.

How effective were Australian Quarantine Stations in mitigating transmission aboard ships during the influenza pandemic of 1918-19?

The influenza pandemic of 1918-19 was the most devastating pandemic of the 20th century. It killed an estimated 50-100 million people worldwide. In late 1918, when the severity of the disease was apparent, the Australian Quarantine Service was established. Vessels returning from overseas and inter-state were intercepted, and people were examined for signs of illness and quarantined. Some of these vessels carried the infection throughout their voyage and cases were prevalent by the time the ship arrived at a Quarantine Station. We study four outbreaks that took place on board the Medic, Boonah, Devon, and Manuka in late 1918. These ships had returned from overseas and some of them were carrying troops that served in the First World War. By analysing these outbreaks under a stochastic Bayesian hierarchical modeling framework, we estimate the transmission rates among crew and passengers aboard these ships. Furthermore, we ask whether the removal of infectious, convalescent, and healthy individuals after arriving at a Quarantine Station in Australia was an effective public health response.

Five core areas to focus infection prevention and transmission risk breaches training based on quarantine staff orientation sessions: A qualitative study

Background & Aim: Breach awareness in relation to types, mitigation, and reporting should be a routine part of infection prevention training. Understanding breaches can reduce risk of disease transmission to staff and communities when contextualized to the infectious disease, environment, and situation. At a large-scale Australian COVID-19 quarantine facility, this study examined the core personal protective equipment and infection prevention breaches new quarantine workers identified during their site orientation to inform future breach training.
 Methods & Materials: Through the application of a qualitative approach, the project implemented a descriptive thematic analysis to identify the different types of breaches staff presented. An additional summative content analysis method was applied to determine if the breaches staff identified were breaching and if the risk level staff allocated to the breach was mapped to the risk of disease transmission. Data were collected from 30 orientation sessions and included 603 breach risk responses for analysis.
 Results: There were five core breach areas identified: donning and doffing of personal protective equipment, failure of personal protective equipment or lack of equipment, environmental factors, staff behaviors, and resident behaviors. The breach allocations by staff demonstrated knowledge deficits across health and non-health staff in disease transmission, particularly in the actual level of the risk for transmission.
 Conclusion: Breaches awareness in relation to types, mitigation and reporting should be a routine part of infection prevention training. The five areas of breaches present an adaptable foundation to base infection prevention breach training for any health facility. When contextualised to the communicable disease, environment and situation, understanding breaches can reduce the risk of disease transmission to staff and communities.

First detection and complete genome sequence of a new potexvirus naturally infecting Adenium obesum

Here, we report the detection and complete genome sequence of a novel potexvirus, tentatively named “Adenium obesum virus X” (AobVX), isolated from Adenium obesum, that was sent for virus screening at Australian Government post-entry quarantine (PEQ) facilities after being imported into Australia from China. The AobVX genome is 6781 nucleotides in length excluding the poly(A) tail and is predicted to encode conserved potexvirus proteins and sequence motifs across five open reading frames. The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of this virus shares the highest amino acid sequence similarity with that of nerine potexvirus 1 (58.7% identity) and nerine virus X (58.58% identity). This is the first report of a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus in A. obesum related to members of the genus Potexvirus in the family Alphaflexiviridae.

"Their tenacity to just keep going": Nurses' experiences in medical hotel quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To explore how nurses and nursing knowledge contributed to the success of an Australian nurse-led medical hotel quarantine facility during the COVID-19 pandemic. The facility was established to accommodate returning travellers who were COVID-19 positive or at risk of becoming positive, to travellers requiring complex care and expanded to community members who could not quarantine at home. This descriptive qualitative study explored how nurses and nursing knowledge in the quarantine facility contributed to the low transmission incidence of COVID-19 infection. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted via ZOOM from February to May 2022 with all levels of nursing staff (nurse managers to assistants in nursing) who had worked in the facility for 3 months or more. The nurses were asked to describe their experiences, the challenges they faced and how they overcame them. The data were rich and were analysed using Braun and Clarke's six-step thematic analysis. Four broad themes were generated demonstrating how nurses played a pivotal role in the success of the facility. First: nursing knowledge was evident through the development of policies, which minimized risks to nurses and patients. Second: a community of learning was developed as nurses supported upskilling and capacity building of staff, particularly new graduates with the facility. Third: a supportive management structure promoted teamwork and a positive workplace culture. And finally: the nurses were encouraged to develop techniques that promoted self-care which enabled them to develop resilience. This was a nurse-led service that developed strategies to manage care delivery and overcame unanticipated difficulties in a unique clinical setting. The quality of the research design was ensured by using the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies (COREQ) checklist. No patient or public contribution.

The Psychological and Wellbeing Impacts of Quarantine on Frontline Workers during COVID-19 and Beyond.

The current study investigated the experiences, wellbeing impacts, and coping strategies of frontline workers who participated in "Hotels for Heroes", an Australian voluntary hotel quarantine program during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was open to those who were COVID-19 positive or exposed to COVID-19 as part of their profession. Frontline workers who had stayed in voluntary quarantine between April 2020 and March 2021 were invited to participate in a voluntary, anonymous, cross-sectional online survey including both quantitative and qualitative responses. Complete responses were collected from 106 participants, which included data on sociodemographic and occupational characteristics, experiences of the Hotels for Heroes program, and validated mental health measures. Mental health problems were prevalent amongst frontline workers (e.g., moderate anxiety symptoms, severe depression symptoms, and greater than usual impact of fatigue). For some, quarantine appeared to be helpful for anxiety and burnout, but quarantine also appeared to impact anxiety, depression, and PTSD negatively, and longer stays in quarantine were associated with significantly higher coronavirus anxiety and fatigue impacts. The most widely received support in quarantine was from designated program staff; however, this was reportedly accessed by less than half of the participants. The current study points to specific aspects of mental health care that can be applied to participants of similar voluntary quarantine programs in the future. It seems necessary to screen for psychological needs at various stages of quarantine, and to allocate appropriate care and improve its accessibility, as many participants did not utilise the routine support offered. Support should especially target disease-related anxiety, symptoms of depression and trauma, and the impacts of fatigue. Future research is needed to clarify specific phases of need throughout quarantine programs, and the barriers for participants receiving mental health supports in these contexts.

Understanding the Psychological Well-Being of International Arrivals in a Purpose-Designed Australian COVID-19 Quarantine Facility.

Equivocal evidence suggests that mandatory supervised quarantine can negatively affect psychological well-being in some settings. It was unclear if COVID-19 supervised quarantine was associated with psychological distress in Australia. The sociodemographic characteristics associated with distress and the lived experiences of quarantine are also poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the mental well-being of international arrivals undergoing supervised COVID quarantine in a purpose designed facility in the Northern Territory, Australia. We conducted a concurrent triangulation mixed-methods study comprising of an observational cross-sectional survey (n = 117) and individual qualitative interviews (n = 26). The results revealed that several factors were associated with distress, including significantly higher levels of depression for those who smoked, drank alcohol, had pre-existing mental health conditions and had no social networks in quarantine. Levels of psychological distress were also related to waiting time for re-entry (the time between applying to repatriate and returning to Australia) and flight origin. Qualitative data showed that despite quarantine being viewed as necessary, unclear communication and a perception of lack of control were affecting emotional well-being. This information is useful to inform the further development of models to identify those at most risk and support psychological well-being in quarantine settings.

Myxozoan Diversity Infecting Ornamental Fishes Imported to Australia

The ornamental fish trade provides a pathway for the global translocation of aquatic parasites. Myxozoa is comprised of highly specialized metazoan parasites of aquatic hosts with a wide host range. Interest in the group has intensified along with the development of aquaculture due to emergent pathogenic myxozoan species in both freshwater and marine environments. However, little is known on myxozoan diversity in the ornamental fish trade. We examined 630 ornamental fish imported from Asia to Australia (representing 24 fish populations, including freshwater and wild caught marine fish species) for myxozoan parasites during 2015. Fish were sampled under Australian quarantine following veterinary certification that they showed no clinical signs of pests and diseases from the exporting country and visual inspection at Australian border control. Myxozoan parasites infected 8 of 12 freshwater populations and 8 of 12 marine fish populations. A total of 12 morphologically distinct Myxobolus spores were detected amongst all goldfish, Carassius auratus populations. Myxidium spores were detected in kissing gourami, Helostoma temminckii, and Ceratomyxa sp. spores were detected in cardinal fishes, Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus, Pterapogon kauderni, and Zoramia leptocantha. Kudoa sp. spores were detected in C. quinquelineatus, Sphaeramia nematoptera and Z. leptocantha. Results of this study show that Australian pre-export health requirements and visual inspections do not reliably detect myxozoan infections. Inspection prior to exportation and at border control should account for the highly cryptic nature of myxozoan parasites and consider alternative detection methods to complement inspections at border control.

Experiences of risk in Australian hotel quarantine: a qualitative study

BackgroundIn response to the threat of COVID-19 infection, Australia mandated a 14 day quarantine period in a designated facility for all travellers returning from overseas from late March 2020. These facilities were usually hotels, or hotel-like serviced apartments, and also included a repurposed former mining village in the Northern Territory. This paper aimed to investigate the experiences of risk of people quarantined in designated supervised facilities in Australia, which has not been systematically explored before.MethodsIn this qualitative study semi-structured interviews were conducted with 58 participants quarantined between March 2020 and January 2021. Participants were returned Australian citizens and residents who were required to undergo mandatory supervised quarantine for COVID-19. Interviews were conducted using video teleconferencing (via Zoom), transcribed and coded, then analysed thematically.ResultsWhile participants generally supported the concept of quarantine to protect the Australian public, they were critical of elements of it where they felt exposed to risk (COVID-related or not). They also described instances where infection control within the system seemed inadequate. For some, particularly those quarantined with small children, they reported that the facilities were inadequate or inappropriate for health and wellbeing. Using thematic analysis, three major themes were identified that related to problems in the existing system: perception of being subjected to high risk through lax standards of COVID protection in the quarantine process; risks to the community identified in quarantine; and risk in non-hotel managed quarantine facilities.ConclusionsThere are systemic issues with infection control in hotel quarantine, which can be further undermined by individual non-compliance. Risks to safety for those in quarantine can be reduced, both in terms of infection control within hotel quarantine and, in the case of the Northern Territory facility, timely in-person medical care as needed for non-COVID conditions. Systems of infection control need ongoing review to ensure that people entering quarantine are protected from known risks of infection at every stage. Medical services in quarantine facilities should be examined to ensure timely and appropriate non-COVID medical services are available.

Evolution of Plant Virus Diagnostics Used in Australian Post Entry Quarantine.

As part of a special edition for MDPI on plant virology in Australia, this review provides a brief high-level overview on the evolution of diagnostic techniques used in Australian government Post-Entry Quarantine (PEQ) facilities for testing imported plants for viruses. A comprehensive range of traditional and modern diagnostic approaches have historically been employed in PEQ facilities using bioassays, serological, and molecular techniques. Whilst these techniques have been effective, they are time consuming, resource intensive and expensive. The review highlights the importance of ensuring the best available science and diagnostic developments are constantly tested, evaluated, and implemented by regulators to ensure primary producers have rapid and safe access to new genetics to remain productive, sustainable and competitive.

Australian Quarantine Policy: From Centralization to Coordination with Mid-Pandemic COVID-19 Shifts.

Combining a historical institutionalism approach with institutional isomorphism and punctuated equilibrium, this article analyzes quarantine policy change across 120 years of Australian quarantine history. By anchoring its analysis within specific time periods (the years before the Spanish flu, seven decades of inaction, and multiple post‐1997 pandemic updates and responses), the authors highlight when and why policies did or did not change and how the constant push‐and‐pull between state and Commonwealth institutional ownership altered policy possibilities. The heart of the analysis showcases how Australia's successful COVID‐19 response is a unique output of prior quarantine policies, institutional evolution, and mid‐pandemic alterations of key national pandemic response plans.

Temperature dependence of biological processes: Implications for food quality, safety and security

Nutrition is well outside my area of expertise although my first degree was in Agriculture in which Animal Physiology and nutrition was an important part of the course. More recently at UTas we have had several research projects the aim of which was to discover microbial sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Thraustochytrids were the most promising organisms and an interesting outcome was that these grew in media with no added salt without affecting PUFA production. Several studies have optimised PUFA production by varying media composition, salinity and temperature. Optimum growth rates were at 25e30 oC and continued to a minimum of 5e10 oC, similar to many other marine organisms including bacteria. That is they fit into the thermal category of psychrotropic organisms which merge with mesophiles as temperatures increase. Temperature plays a major role in the rate at which biological populations develop and potentiates the effect of other factors such as oxygen availability, salinity, hydrostatic pressure and pH. In microbiology time scales range from milliseconds for enzyme catalysed reactions to doubling times of ~7 minutes for Clostridium perfringens, to days, weeks or months for psychrophilic bacteria growing optimally, to > 3.5 billion years to reach the current level of evolutionary adaptation. The temperature dependence of biological process rates requires knowledge of microbial ecology (rate of population increase) and physiology (biochemical reaction rates and physiological control in individual cells). The integration of these disciplines into ecophysiological studies supported by omics technologies is necessary to underpin advances in understanding how to inhibit or stimulate microbial growth. At UTas we have studied the ecophysiology of food borne bacteria including pathogens and spoilage organisms for 40 years. The original aim was to produce mathematical models to predict the rate of growth or decline of populations in foods, and this continues but in the last decade we have expanded into other ecosystems. The field of Predictive Microbiology has changed the paradigm of foodmicrobiology from one of testing and retrospective reporting of results to prospective reporting based on the temperature history of a process interpreted by a predictive model. A major outcome of this work was mandating the use of the Refrigeration Index by The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service in the revised Export Control Meat and Meat Products) Order, AQIS 2005(http://www.daffa.gov.au/aqis/export/meat/elmer-3). The models developed and validated to that time were empirical and the current state of the art can be found in Corkrey et.al 2014, the abstract of which is reproduced below: “Life on Earth is capable of growing from temperatureswell below freezing to above the boiling point of water, with some organisms preferring cooler and others hotter conditions. The growth rate of each organism ultimately depends on its intracellular chemical reactions. Here we show that a thermodynamic model based on a single, rate-limiting, enzyme-catalysed reaction accurately describes population growth rates in 230 diverse strains of unicellular and multicellular organisms. Collectively these represent all three domains of life, ranging from psychrophilic to hyperthermophilic, and including the highest temperature so far observed for growth (122 C). The results provide credible estimates of thermodynamic properties of proteins and obtain, purely from organism intrinsic growth rate data, relationships betweenparameterspreviously identifiedexperimentally, thusbridgingagap between biochemistry and whole organism biology. We find that growth rates of both unicellular and multicellular life forms can be described by the same temperature dependence model. The model results provide strong support for a single highly-conserved reaction present in the last universal common ancestor (LUCA). This is remarkable in that itmeans that the growth rate dependence on temperature of unicellular and multicellular life forms that evolved over geological time spans can be explainedby the samemodel”. Progress in integrating applications in food quality, safety and security will be reported in November.

Delivering drought tolerance to those who need it: from genetic resource to cultivar

Drought limits crop yields, and with climate change, the severity of water stress is projected to increase in many production environments. Therefore, it has never been more important to deliver the findings of drought research to farmers. The maintenance in situ, collection and characterisation of key genetic variability for stress tolerance, its introgression into agronomically adapted materials, and the subsequent deployment of improved cultivars is a continuum. This paper focuses on one segment of the pathway—the process from genetic characterisation to cultivar delivery—and possible efficiencies are discussed with emphasis on wheat, one of the world’s most important food crops. The first efficiency is to limit the initial exploitation of genetic resources to close relatives, as much of this variation remains uncharacterised, rather than attempting gene transfers from unrelated species, which is time-consuming and has a low probability of success. Synthetic wheat, developed by crossing modern tetraploid wheat to Aegilops tauschii, the donor of the D-genome, has provided new genetic diversity for stress tolerance and yield advantages under drought in excess of 30% have been reported. Synthetic wheat can also be made using Triticum dicoccum, often referred to as emmer wheat, thus introducing new variation for all three wheat genomes. The second efficiency is better coordinated, field-based phenotyping. The Australian Managed Environment Facility and similar national facilities established in India and China provide a basis for accurate field-based phenotyping and the weighting of physiological traits related to water-use efficiency on a national scale. The calculation of a water balance, careful management of site heterogeneity and judicious use of rain shelters maximise trait expression and improve the relevance of results. The third efficiency is to maximise locally the benefits of global public-good research. The global wheat improvement programs of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) have a mandate to ‘tame’ genetic diversity and distribute these improved materials globally in nurseries targeted to specific environmental conditions such as drought. Nevertheless, the exploitation of these materials is rarely managed well at the national level. The CIMMYT Australia ICARDA Germplasm Evaluation (CAIGE) program is a nationally coordinated germplasm introduction and evaluation program. Key CGIAR nurseries are received and grown by Australian quarantine, increased at one or two locations, tested for disease resistance and subsequently grown nationally in yield trials. The data are stored on the CAIGE website and, along with all supporting data generated by the international centres, are publicly available.

Development of a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay for the detection of dwarf gourami iridovirus (DGIV) and other megalocytiviruses and comparison with the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) reference PCR protocol

Viruses in the genus Megalocytivirus (Family Iridoviridae) have emerged as a source of significant disease and mortality in fish worldwide. Although regarded as exotic in Australia, the importation of ornamental fish provides a transmission pathway for the introduction of a megalocytivirus, dwarf gourami iridovirus (DGIV), which is a strain of infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV). There are no effective cell lines for isolation of ISKNV-like viruses, particularly those from ornamental fish. Consequently a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay was developed for the detection and quantification of known megalocytiviruses from fish tissues. A plasmid containing a target DGIV sequence was developed for use as a positive control and also for quantification of the virus in qPCR, and is suitable for inter-laboratory standardisation of the assay. The limit of detection for the qPCR assay was 100 copies and the assay did not cross-react with ranaviruses or other aquatic viral pathogens tested. The method of DNA extraction (magnetic bead or spin column based) had no effect on the sensitivity of the qPCR assay. Analytical sensitivity was comparable to a nested PCR assay which employed the same internal primers; however, compared to the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) reference PCR protocol, sensitivity was approximately 3–4 logs greater. The OIE reference PCR protocol detected only 8% of the samples identified to be positive by qPCR. This rapid, sensitive and specific test with the accompanying plasmid as a reference standard will be of benefit to the national quarantine system as it can be used to screen fish prior to importation as well as while fish are in a quarantine approved premises, as a way of limiting the inadvertent release of DGIV and related megalocytiviruses from Australian quarantine. The assay also detects red sea bream iridovirus (RSIV).

The Trade and Welfare Impacts of Australian Quarantine Policies: The Case of Pigmeat

AbstractWe analyse the trade and welfare impact of quarantine measures imposed by Australia on imports of pigmeat. In particular, we account for changes to Australia’s pigmeat quarantine policy over time including those changes related to the recent resolution of a WTO dispute between Australia and the European Union. Using a random utility model, and applying it to corner solutions in import decisions, tariff equivalents (by major trading partner) are estimated for the different pigmeat quarantine regimes implemented by Australia during the period 1988–2009. The welfare impact on consumers, producers and foreign exporters is computed using a partial equilibrium model calibrated on the econometric estimates. The quarantine regimes had a strong effect on trade and welfare with a tariff equivalent above 113 per cent of average real‐world prices over the period analysed.

Remote microscopy: a success story in Australian and New Zealand plant biosecurity

AbstractRapid and accurate identification of organisms is crucial to many research and applied outcomes. Diagnostics is a critical first step in determining the significance of suspected biosecurity threats posed by emergency plant pests and other invasive pests and pathogens. Traditionally, the biological specimens needing identification are physically mailed to a dispersed community of taxonomic experts for determination. While effective, this is an expensive, labour‐intensive and slow process, often taking days to receive a confirmed identification. Remote microscopy creates virtual, real‐time networks of experts using web‐based cameras mounted on microscopes that allow interactive access to real‐time images of scientific specimens from anywhere in the world via the Internet. Trials conducted by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Biosecurity New Zealand to test the efficacy of remote microscopy in plant quarantine settings showed that in Australia a diagnosis to a level at which realistic biosecurity decisions could be made occurred on 77% of occasions, while in New Zealand high impact exotic pest status was determined during 92% of the diagnostic events, and regulatory status was determined during 96% of events. These positive results are leading towards the expansion of remote microscopy throughout Australia, New Zealand and into South‐East Asia, as well as widening its role as part of online diagnostic frameworks.

Wind‐assisted migration potential of the island sugarcane planthopperEumetopina flavipes(Hemiptera: Delphacidae): implications for managing incursions across an Australian quarantine frontline

Summary1. The identification of dispersal mechanisms which facilitate particular biological invasions is paramount for the successful management of invasive species. If the dispersal mechanism promotes high propagule pressure, the probability of successful establishment and spread is enhanced.2. Invasive species may enter mainland Australia from Papua New Guinea via the Torres Strait islands, and their dispersal through the region may be assisted by wind. The island sugarcane planthopperEumetopina flavipesis of particular concern to Australian quarantine authorities. Long‐distance, wind‐assisted immigration from Papua New Guinea may be responsible for the continued presence ofE. flavipesin the Torres Strait islands and on the tip of mainland Australia. Simulation was used to predictE. flavipeswind‐assisted migration potential from Papua New Guinea into the Torres Strait islands and mainland Australia. Field studies were used to test the predictions.3. Wind‐assisted immigration from Papua New Guinea was predicted to occur widely throughout the Torres Strait islands and the tip of mainland Australia, especially in the presence of tropical depressions and cyclones. Simulation showed potential for a definite, seasonal immigration which reflected variation in the onset, length and cessation of the summer monsoon.4. In general, simulation predictions did not explainE. flavipesobserved infestations. The discrepancy suggests that post‐colonization processes such as the temporal and spatial availability of host may be equally or more important than possible wind‐assisted immigration in determining population establishment, persistence and viability.5. Despite the potential for wide‐spread, annual immigration throughout the Torres Strait islands and the tip of mainland Australia,E. flavipescontrol may be possible by managing the cultivation of host plants on an ongoing annual basis to avoid recolonization, especially prior to or during critical immigration periods.6. Synthesis and applications. Wind may promote significant incursions ofE. flavipesfrom Papua New Guinea into northern Australia. Management strategies should consider the relative importance of both pre‐ and post‐invasion processes in determining establishment success, so that response measures can be implemented at the appropriate stage of invasion. In this way, successful control may be enhanced, serving to reduce the overall cost of invasion.

Governmentality, blurred boundaries, and pleasure in the docusoap Border Security

The Seven Network's Border Security: Australia's Front Line has been the highest rating TV program in its season for each of the last five years in Australia. The program examines the daily work of the Australian customs, immigration, and quarantine services using the threaded structure common to the ‘docusoap’ format, as, in each episode, the nation is defended from threats posed by ‘drug runners, illegal immigrants, potential terrorists, harmful pests and disease’. Located at airports, coastal waters and mailing centres the action in each episode revolves around the detection and apprehension of individuals whose actions are constructed as threats to the well-being of the nation. This article argues that the series operates in a liminal space between documentary and public relations to present in a positive light the work of border protection agencies and engage the travelling citizen in the work of border protection and risk management. In doing so the program serves as an agent of governmentality.

A new genus and species of Scirtothrips genus-group (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) from Kenya, intercepted by Australian quarantine

A new genus and species of Scirtothrips genus-group (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) from Kenya, intercepted by Australian quarantine

Monitoring of pesticides and veterinary drugs in Australian cattle: verification of the residue control system

The Australian National Residue Survey in partnership with the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service and industry routinely monitors beef to ensure that regulatory requirements for residues are being met. In the 10-year period from 1997 to 2006 a total of 128,902 samples were subjected to residue testing covering veterinary drugs and veterinary and agricultural pesticides in a random monitoring program. Residues of agricultural and veterinary chemicals exceeded the Australian standard in 13 and 7 samples, respectively. Greater than 99% of samples did not contain detectable residues above the Australian standard while greater than 90% of samples did not contain any residues of compounds included in the survey. The results of the surveys provide verification that the Australian residue control system is appropriate and that the requirements of countries importing Australian meat products can be satisfied. The surveys have also demonstrated that industry based programs and state based regulatory controls over sites contaminated with organochlorine residues are effective in managing residues of these chemicals in cattle.