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 seventh meeting, held 2-4 December 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand. The report discusses emerging disease problems and regional response including to:

• Finfish diseases: Streptococcus agalactiae, Nocardia spp., Tenacibaculum maritimum, Edwardsiella spp. Vibrio spp. lympohcystis disease virus, red sea bream iridovrisu, grouper iridovirus, turbot reddish body iridovirus, infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus, parasitic infection with Cryptocaryon irritans and Benedenia spp.
• Crustacean diseases: Yellowhead virus, white spot syndrome virus, infectious myonecrosis virus, Penaeus vannamei nodavirus, muscle cramp syndrome, Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus, abdominal segment deformity disease, monodon slow groth syndome, Laem-Singh virus.
• Mollusc diseases: Bonamia exitiosa, Perkinsus olseni, abalone viral mortality, Marteilioides chungmuensis, Haplosporidiosis, Vibrio sp., fungal disease of abalone Haliphthorous milfordensis, trematode infection of oysters Gymnophalloides tokiensis, Cryptobia sp., swollen feeding siphon disease of Babylon snail Babylonia aerolata and acute viral necrobiotic disease of scallops.
• Amphibian diseases: Ranavirus.

Other issues discussed included:

• Outcomes of the OIE General Session and Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission meetings, 2009.
• 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.
• 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.