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 sixth meeting, held 12-14 December 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand. The report discusses emerging disease problems and regional response to:

• Finfish diseases: Edwardsiella tarda, big belly caused by a new Vibrio sp., Streptococcus dysgalactiae, S. agalactiae and S. iniae, Francisella sp., visceral toxicosis, loss of mucus and septicaemia syndrome, Tenacibaculum maritimum, Nocardia seriolae.
• Crustacean diseases: Yellowhead virus, whitespot syndrome virus, taura syndrome virus, infectious myonecrosis virus, muscle cramp syndrome, Penaeus vannamei nodavirus, infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis virus, monodon slow growth syndrome, milky lobster disease and Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus.
• Amphibian diseases: Batrachochtrium dendrobatidis and infection with ranavirus.

Other issues discussed included:

• Outcomes of the OIE General Session and Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission meetings, 2007.
• Disease reporting, including changes to the OIE list of notifiable diseases and establishment of a global online reporting system (WAHIS) by OIE.
• Review of the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Reporting System and finalisation of criteria for listing diseases.
• Progress in implementation of the the Regional Technical Guidelines on Health management for the Responsible Movement of Live Aquatic Animals.
• Identification and designation of regional aquatic animal health resources, including experts, centres and reference laboratories.
• Regional and international cooperation.