The Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health meets annually to discuss regional disease issues including emerging disease threats. This is the report of the first meeting, held 10-12 November 2003 in Bangkok, Thailand. The report discusses emerging disease problems and regional response to:

• Finfish diseases: Spring viraemia of carp, koi herpes virus and koi mass mortalities, grouper iridoviral disease and epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS).
• Crustacean diseases: Taura syndrome, white spot syndrome virus, infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis virus, slow growth syndrome in Penaeus monodon, Mourilyan virus, peripheral neuropathy and retinopathy, white tail disease in Macrobrachium rosenbergii.
• Mollusc diseases: Abalone mortalities.

Other issues discussed include:

• A review of Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Reports.
• Update on the OIE Aquatic Animal Health Code and OIE Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals.
• Outcomes from the 2003 meetings of the OIE Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission.
• Development of regional emergency preparedness contingency plans.
• Establishment of an emergency fund to facilitate rapid respose to disease incidents in the region.
• Progress in implementation of the the Regional Technical Guidelines on Health management for the Responsible Movement of Live Aquatic Animals and development of national strategies for aquatic animal health.
• Development of 'disease cards' as extension tools.
• Harmonisation of diagnostic procedures and approaches to risk assessment in the region.
• A risk assessment of the introduction of Penaeus vannamei to the region.
• Regional and international cooperation in aquatic animal health.