FAQs related to Pests and Diseases
Didymo can be distinguished from other species of algae on the basis of:
- Colour - didymo is beige/brown/white but not green.
- Touch - Although it looks slimy, it doesn't feel slimy, but rather spongy and scratchy like cotton wool.
- Odour - Live didymo has no distinctive odour.
- Strength - didymo is very securely attached to river stones and does not fall apart when rubbed between your fingers.
However, didymo can easily be confused with other broth stalked algae, so microscopic analysis is required to confirm identification. Please phone Biosecurity New Zealand on 0800 80 99 66 if you think you have found didymo.
Foot and Mouth Disease is regarded as one of the most highly infectious livestock diseases. It spreads very rapidly from one animal to another, especially in cool, damp climates and/or when animals are penned or housed in cold weather. Seven strains of the virus are recognised.
It is generally accepted that maximum aerosol spread is 10 km over land (up to 60 km suspected) and up to 250 km over water. Concentrations of pigs can generate virus aerosols (plumes) over considerable distance if environmental conditions are suitable- high humidity, cool ambient temperature. Airborne transmission from cattle and sheep can not be shown experimentally to occur over distances in excess of approximately 3 km. Although occasionally dramatic, plumes are FMD strain specific and may not be important in disease spread. Infected animals and animal products are by far the important source of new infections.
Foot and Mouth Disease is transmitted from one animal to another in saliva, mucus, milk or faeces. It can also be spread by aerosols in the wind (excreted from the lungs of infected animals by breathing). Wool, hair, grass or straw, footwear, clothing, livestock equipment or vehicle tyres may act as mechanisms of infection.
FMD has a wide host including cattle, swine, sheep, goats, deer, elk, antelope, bison, and water buffalo. Llamas and alpacas have a high natural resistance to infection and appear not transmit FMD to other camelids under field conditions. Elephants are also susceptible. Horses are resistant.
Experimentally other species including mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, embryonating chicken eggs and chickens themselves may be infected but these are not implicated in the spread of FMD. Foot and Mouth Disease is not a human health risk.
Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) is an acute, highly contagious viral infection of cloven hoofed domestic animals and wildlife, easily transmitted by direct and indirect contact as well as aerosol. It is found in most parts of the world, at present the World Animal Health Organisation lists 55 countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and South America that have the disease.
No, there is no Foot and Mouth Disease risk for people from eating meat.
No. Vaccination is used in some countries where FMD is present to control the disease.
Although death from Foot and Mouth Disease is unusual in adult animals, it causes serious production losses and can kill young animals. The clinical signs are fever, followed by the appearance of vesicles (fluid-filled blisters) between the toes and on the heels, on mammary glands and especially on the lips, tongue and palate. These vesicles often combine to form large, swollen blisters that erupt to leave raw, painful ulcers that take up to 10 days to heal. Foot lesions leave animals lame and unable to walk to feed or water. Mouth lesions are highly painful and cause animals to stop eating. Adults usually begin eating again after a few days, but young animals may weaken and die, especially if the virus has caused lesions on heart muscles, or be left with foot deformities or damage to the mammary glands.
Foot and Mouth Disease can be destroyed by heat, low humidity, or certain disinfectants, but it may exist for a varying time in a suitable medium such as the frozen or chilled carcass of an infected animal and on contaminated objects.
MAF has a full emergency plan ready for immediate action which has clear lines of accountability between the agencies and organisations involved in managing FMD.
Firstly there is an investigation:
Within 15 minutes of an alert to a possible FMD outbreak, a vet is dispatched by the Exotic Disease Response Centre. This vet must report back to the outbreak response manager at the Centre within six hours. During this time the entire exotic disease response system is placed on alert.
If the vet can't rule out FMD, an exotic disease investigator will be sent to collect samples. These samples will then go to the New Zealand Animal Health Reference Laboratory for immediate diagnosis and samples will be sent on the Pirbright Animal Health Laboratory in the UK for final virus 'typing' to determine the exact strain of FMD. Once this is identified a vaccine specific for that strain will be ordered. A Restricted Place Notice will be placed on the farm/s under investigation prohibiting the movement of all livestock, vehicles on and off the farm, and other high risk items.
Then comes the Response phase:
Within the first 24 hours of a definite confirmation of FMD, the following actions must happen:
- whole of government crisis management mechanism is activated
- immediate national livestock standstill
- slaughter of susceptible stock on known infected farms
- restricted place notices are prepared to quarantine infected premises
- road blocks put in place
- movement control of risk products within and out of the restricted place and controlled area
- intensive tracing and investigation of all livestock movements on and off infected properties
- decontamination of premises, vehicles and other high-risk items in contact with infected animals
- markets notified and suspension of trade
- briefing of officials and key stakeholders
- markets notified and suspension of trade
- briefing of officials and key stakeholders, at both national and local level.
They should contact the MAF emergency hotline immediately on 0800 80 99 66 any time of day or night.
A FMD outbreak represents a significant threat to New Zealand's economy and way of life, with the following likely consequences.
- virtually all exports of meat, animal by products, and dairy products would halt and most would not resume until at least three months after the slaughter of the last infected animal
- our international reputation for premium beef and lamb could be severely damaged
- there would be a cumulative reduction in our GDP of around $6 billion dollars in the first year, rising up to $10 billions dollars by the second year
- unemployment would rise by 1 percent - a loss of approximately 15,000-20,000 jobs.
Countries recognized as FMD free without vaccination have no international trade restrictions whereas those that utilise vaccine to control FMD experience significant embargoes.
There are seven strains of the FMD virus. Vaccines tend to protect against only one strain. To adopt vaccination as an effective preventive measure would require use of either multi-valent vaccines (i.e. containing more than one virus strain) or multiple vaccines.
Preventive vaccination would interfere with clinical expression of disease if FMD were introduced, while still allowing virus to circulate. So, the sensitivity of surveillance measures would decrease. Further, the presence of antibody positive animals in the population would interfere with serological surveillance to demonstrate disease freedom, because there are still no widely available tests to distinguish between antibodies from natural infection and those from vaccination.
Emergency suppressive vaccination (vaccinating animals in an outbreak, then slaughtering all vaccinated animals) may assist eradication procedures. NZ is creating their own FMD Vaccine Bank for emergency use in the event of an outbreak. Resumption of status as "FMD free without vaccination" occurs three months after the last case and the slaughter of all vaccinated animals.
New Zealand has never had a case of Foot and Mouth Disease. However, it is vulnerable because of the high number of visitors from Asia and the UK to the country, and from New Zealanders returning from trips overseas.
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand Clearance figures indicate that 42 per cent of all passengers found with undeclared risk goods are New Zealanders returning from overseas.
New Zealand is also vulnerable to people sending risk goods back to New Zealand through the mail, or ordering food or plant material from overseas, and people ordering over the Internet.
There are many potential ways, but the international spread of FMD virus is most commonly via the movement of live ruminants and pigs, followed by the movement of meat and meat products.
The two diseases are quite different. Foot and Mouth Disease in livestock is cased by a different virus (Picornavirus) and is not a threat to human health. Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, is caused by a different virus (Coxsackie virus A16). It affects the inside of the mouth and the palms of the hands, fingers and soles of feet mostly of young children and especially among groups in day care centres, but it may be seen in adults.
FMD is not a public health concern. In exceptionally rare cases, FMD has been isolated from humans with itching vesicles in Europe, Africa and South America.
Gum leaf skeletoniser goes through four different life stages, each looking very different from the other:
Moth
- Eggs are about 1 mm in diameter and are laid in groups of 100 to 200 in parallel rows on young leaves. The eggs are yellow-green at first and turn brown as they develop.
- Caterpillars are hairy and coloured pale yellow with black and grey markings. Older caterpillars have a distinctive 'hat' on their heads.
- Cocoons are usually formed under bark or in leaf litter and are rarely seen.
- Moths are dull grey with silver-grey forewings and a wingspan of 20-30mm.
Two gum leaf skeletoniser life cycles are completed each year, one in summer and one in winter. For more information on the biology of this insect, see the Uraba lugens Factsheet 
(175 KB).
Caterpillar
Gum leaf skeletoniser caterpillars damage gum trees as they feed on their leaves. The moth's name derives from the young caterpillar's feeding habits. When young caterpillars feed they 'skeletonise' gum leaves by eating the softer parts of leaves, avoiding the veins. Older larvae are capable of eating whole leaves thus increasing damage. This damage can slow tree growth or, in severe cases, even kill younger trees.
Despite its reputation as a eucalypt specialist, gumleaf skeletoniser can also live successfully on other related Australian trees. For more details on its likely impact, see the Factsheet (181 KB).
Gum leaf skeletoniser is found in sub-tropical, Mediterranean, and temperate climates in Australia indicating that it could also be capable of surviving throughout New Zealand, with the exception of alpine areas.
The gum leaf skeletoniser caterpillar is covered with protective spines that sting and may cause irritation. The stiff spines are hollow and contain venom, which can be injected into the human skin upon contact. This often results in local pain (sometimes severe) and welts (swollen patches on the skin) that tend to become itchy. The reaction to gum leaf skeletoniser may last for many days. Note that the spines of dead caterpillars or on shed skin retain their ability to sting.
In case of reaction to gum leaf skeletoniser caterpillars, the following first aid is advisable:
- Apply ice packs to the exposed area.
- In case of eye contact, wash area thoroughly and seek medical attention.
- If ingestion of caterpillar occurs, seek medical attention immediately.
- If symptoms develop beyond the immediate area of the sting (e.g. widespread rash, shortness of breath or collapse) call an ambulance straight away.
Biosecurity NZ has prepared fact sheets providing more specific public health information:
- Information for schools, kindergartens and childcare facilities (203 KB)
- Information for medical practitioners and other health professionals (105 KB)
For further information, see Derraik JGB. 2006. Erucism in New Zealand: exposure to gum leaf skeletoniser (Uraba lugens) caterpillars in the differential diagnosis of contact dermatitis in the Auckland region. New Zealand Medical Journal 119 (1241) 
Frequently Asked Questions: PDF (354 KB)
For more information please see Hydrilla page.
All garden waste from within the vegetation control zone must be disposed of at either of these two facilities:
- Living Earth Refuse Transfer Facilities, 2 Rosebank Road, Avondale.
- Waitakere City Council Refuse Transfer Station, 20 Concourse Road, Henderson.
Remember that violating the vegetation control zone is an offence under the Biosecurity Act carrying a penalty of up to 3 months imprisonment or a fine of up to $50,000. For a corporation the penalty is a fine of up to $100,000.
Don’t take plants or garden waste - including trees, branches, shrubs, and flowers - outside the vegetation control zone. If you need to dispose of garden waste, you must take it to one of the two approved garden waste dumps:
- Living Earth Refuse Transfer Facilities, 2 Rosebank Road, Avondale.
- Waitakere City Council Refuse Transfer Station, 20 Concourse Road, Henderson.
and remember to be sure to cover infested vegetation when transporting it.
Residents wanting more information on the vegetation control zone should contact the painted apple moth information line.
- Phone: 0800 96 96 96
- Email: info@paintedapplemoth.govt.nz
MAF has established a vegetation control zone under the Biosecurity Act to limit the spread of the painted apple moth. The pest can be easily spread by moving plants they are living in so the vegetation control zone establishes a containment area that vegetation cannot be moved out of.
The vegetation control zone extends beyond areas where painted apple moths have been found and beyond the area covered by aerial operations.
A map of the vegetation control zone is now available:
Please contact the painted apple moth information line for more information.
- Phone: 0800 96 96 96
- Email: info@paintedapplemoth.govt.nz
Violating the vegetation control zone is an offence under the Biosecurity Act carrying a penalty of up to 3 months imprisonment or a fine of up to $50,000. For a corporation the penalty is a fine of up to $100,000.
Wiping out a pest like the painted apple moth takes time. It took three years to wipe out the white spotted tussock moth after it was discovered in Auckland in 1996. MAF has taken a less aggressive approach to the painted apple moth because it spreads more slowly and it was worth trying alternatives to aerial spraying first. Even so, MAF has successfully contained the painted apple moth to western Auckland and is on track to wipe it out.
MAF has an extensive monitoring programme to keep track of the painted apple moth.
- Every week MAF conducts a ground survey of known infestations.
- MAF frequently monitors traps set in and around the painted apple moth zone. The traps use live female moths as bait to catch male moths so that their breeding cycles can be monitored. The number of traps ranges from 100 in winter to 1,000 in spring and summer (when male moths are more active).
- Every 7-8 weeks MAF conducts a detailed ground survey of thousands of western Auckland properties over a wide area in and around the painted apple moth zone. Surveyors search for egg masses, pupae, and caterpillar lifestages of the painted apple moth. Infestations are sprayed from the ground when found and plants which the pest is likely to feed on are often removed.
If you find a painted apple moth, contact the painted apple moth information line immediately:
- Phone: 0800 96 96 96
- Email: info@paintedapplemoth.govt.nz
Residents have an important role in the fight to wipe out the painted apple moth. There are three things that residents can do:
- Keep an eye out for painted apple moths in your garden, in parks, and on your dog after walking through parks.
- Notify MAF immediately of any painted apple moths you find
- Phone: 0800 96 96 96
- Email: info@paintedapplemoth.govt.nz
- Don't move garden waste out of the vegetation control zone to help prevent the pest from spreading
MAF has established a vegetation control zone under the Biosecurity Act to limit the spread of the painted apple moth. The pest can be easily spread by moving plants they are living in so the vegetation control zone establishes a containment area that vegetation cannot be moved out of.
The vegetation control zone extends beyond areas where painted apple moths have been found and beyond the area covered by aerial operations.
A map of the vegetation control zone is now available: