The report, written by abalone expert from Aquatic Health Solutions, Dr Paul Hardy-Smith, said it was ``highly unlikely'' the virus sprang from an exotic source or from feed in an aquaculture farm - but that the most likely source of the herpes-like virus was a live wild abalone brought onto one of the farms, at which the outbreak was first reported in December 2005.
The report said the disease had never before been seen in an Australian abalone farm, but it may have existed unmonitored in the wild. Western Abalone Divers Association executive officer Harry Peeters said the document provided a summary of the events but did not offer hope of an answer.
``It goes through the circumstances leading up to the outbreak escaping into the wild, but it does not offer any pointers on how we can eliminate the virus or slow its spread in the wild,'' he said.
Source: The Standard