Dear Gary,

Thank you for your official information request as below.

Your request will be considered and an answer provided in accordance with the requirements of the Official Information Act 1982.

If you have any questions regarding this request, please email [email address].

Ngā mihi,

Francesca Ancillotti | Ministerial Support Officer
Ministerials & Business Support | Office of the Director-General
Ministry for Primary Industries - Manatū Ahu Matua
Telephone: (04) 830 1726 | Web: Ministerials Kotahi Page or www.mpi.govt.nz

-----Original Message-----
From: Gary Stephenson [mailto:[FOI #5426 email]]
Sent: Wednesday, 22 February 2017 2:06 p.m.
To: Ministerials <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Natural versus vaccinated immunity

Dear Ministry for Primary Industries,

Otago Regional Council director environmental monitoring and operations Scott MacLean said the New Zealand Rabbit Co-ordination Group (RCG), of which the ORC was a member, had submitted an application for the Korean strain of the calicivirus known as RHDV-1 K5 to be approved. ''We're hoping to get the go-ahead for an autumn bait drop, but if not there would be another window of opportunity in early spring when the rabbits were more likely to eat the infected carrots as there wasn't much fresh grass around and the temperature was optimal for the virus to work,'' Mr MacLean said. He said the new strain would reduce rabbit numbers but warned it ''won't be the silver bullet we're all looking for''. ''It certainly won't wipe them out, but it should boost the effects of the existing calicivirus. ''We're sitting around 73% immunity to the current virus so we're hoping the new strain would boost the 27% who aren't susceptible to up to 40%.''

My question is this:
If RHDV1a-K5 will overcome “natural” immunity, surely it will, therefore overcome “vaccinated” immunity?

Yours faithfully,

Gary Stephenson

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #5426 email]

Is [MPI request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to Ministry for Primary Industries? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This email message and any attachment(s) is intended solely for the addressee(s)
named above. The information it contains is confidential and may be legally
privileged. Unauthorised use of the message, or the information it contains,
may be unlawful. If you have received this message by mistake please call the
sender immediately on 64 4 8940100 or notify us by return email and erase the
original message and attachments. Thank you.

The Ministry for Primary Industries accepts no responsibility for changes
made to this email or to any attachments after transmission from the office.

hide quoted sections

Dear Gary Stephenson,

 

On behalf of Geoff Gwyn Director Readiness and Response Services please
find a response to your official information requests attached.

 

Regards,

 

Alastair

Alastair Gilby | Adviser – Official Information Act
Office of the Director-General | Ministerials and Business Support
Ministry for Primary Industries - Manatû Ahu Matua | Pastoral House 25
The Terrace | PO Box 2526 | Wellington 6140
New Zealand
Web: [1]www.mpi.govt.nz

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

This email message and any attachment(s) is intended solely for the
addressee(s)
named above. The information it contains may be classified and may be
legally
privileged. Unauthorised use of the message, or the information it
contains,
may be unlawful. If you have received this message by mistake please call
the
sender immediately on 64 4 8940100 or notify us by return email and erase
the
original message and attachments. Thank you.

The Ministry for Primary Industries accepts no responsibility for changes
made to this email or to any attachments after transmission from the
office.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. http://www.mpi.govt.nz/

hide quoted sections