Dear Sam Mostyn

 

Acknowledgement of your Freedom of Information Request No: LEX 31951

 

I refer to your request, received by the Department of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry on 17 July 2024 for access to documents under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) made in the following terms:

‘I am requesting the documentation that the DAFF has to demonstrate that
the Rabies lyssavirus exists; transmits from one dog to another dog or
human; and causes the symptoms of the Rabies disease.

 

The conditions of my request include:

- The documentation must show, via photographic evidence or by other means
deemed valid, the Rabies lyssavirus isolated from all other materials.

- The isolated Rabies lyssavirus exposed to organic living organisms
(humans, dogs, or cell cultures) that was previously uninfected by the
Rabies lyssavirus.

- The infected organic living organisms express symptoms of the Rabies
disease.

 

If these conditions cannot be met, I am requesting any documentation that
the DAFF has that demonstrates the existence, transmissibility, and
pathogenicity of the Rabies lyssavirus exists.’

Your address

The FOI Act requires that you provide us with an address which we can send
notices to. You have advised your electronic address is
[1][FOI #11704 email]. We will send all notices
and correspondence to this address.

 

Please advise us as soon as possible if you wish for correspondence to be
sent to another address or if your address changes. If you do not advise
us of changes to your address, correspondence and notices will continue to
be sent to the address specified above.

 

Disclosure log

 

Please note that information released under the FOI Act may be published
in a disclosure log on the department's website. Section 11C of the FOI
Act requires this publication, however it is subject to certain
exceptions, including where publication of personal, business,
professional or commercial information would be unreasonable.

 

Exclusion of junior department employee details

 

The department is working towards ensuring that all employees have a
choice about whether they provide their full name and direct contact
details in response to public enquiries. Where such details are included
in the scope of a request, this may add to processing time and applicable
charges as it may be necessary to consider whether the details are exempt
under the FOI Act. On this basis, unless you tell us otherwise, we will
assume that these details are out of scope of your request, and they will
be redacted under section 22 of the FOI Act.

 

Further assistance

 

If you have any questions please email [2][email address].

 

Regards,

FOI Contact Officer | Legal Division

E: [3][email address]

___________________________________________

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

GPO BOX 858 CANBERRA ACT 2601

 

This email and any attachments may contain information subject to legal
professional privilege or information that is otherwise sensitive or
confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are
prohibited from using or disseminating this communication. If you have
received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately
and permanently delete this email.

 

------ IMPORTANT - This email and any attachments have been issued by the
Commonwealth of Australia (Commonwealth). The material transmitted is for
the use of the intended recipient only and may contain confidential,
legally privileged, copyright or personal information. You should not
copy, use or disclose it without authorisation from the Commonwealth. It
is your responsibility to check any attachments for viruses and defects
before opening or forwarding them. If you are not an intended recipient,
please contact the sender of this email at once by return email and then
delete both messages. Unintended recipients must not copy, use, disclose,
rely on or publish this email or attachments. The Commonwealth is not
liable for any loss or damage resulting from unauthorised use or
dissemination of, or any reliance on, this email or attachments. If you
have received this e-mail as part of a valid mailing list and no longer
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References

Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #11704 email]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[email address]

hide quoted sections

Dear Sam Mostyn

 

I refer to your request, received by the Department of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry on 17 July 2024 for access to documents under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) made in the following terms:

‘I am requesting the documentation that the DAFF has to demonstrate that
the Rabies lyssavirus exists; transmits from one dog to another dog or
human; and causes the symptoms of the Rabies disease.

 

The conditions of my request include:

- The documentation must show, via photographic evidence or by other means
deemed valid, the Rabies lyssavirus isolated from all other materials.

- The isolated Rabies lyssavirus exposed to organic living organisms
(humans, dogs, or cell cultures) that was previously uninfected by the
Rabies lyssavirus.

- The infected organic living organisms express symptoms of the Rabies
disease.

 

If these conditions cannot be met, I am requesting any documentation that
the DAFF has that demonstrates the existence, transmissibility, and
pathogenicity of the Rabies lyssavirus exists.’

 

Relevant information regarding your request

We believe that the information you’re requesting is already in the public
domain. Following is a short summary of key events in the history of
rabies virus isolation, imaging and transmission.

 

o The first rabies transmission studies were conducted in the early
1880s by Louis Pasteur and Émile Roux. Their work on this issue was
primarily documented through presentations and publications to the
French Academy of Sciences in the late 19th century. One of the key
publications is titled "Method for Preventing Rabies after Bite,"
which was presented to the French Academy of Sciences in 1885.
o The rabies virus was first isolated by the Italian bacteriologist
Adelchi Negri. His paper titled "Contributo allo studio dell'eziologia
della rabbia" (Contribution to the Study of the Etiology of Rabies)
was published in the journal Bollettino della Società
medico-chirurgica di Pavia in 1903.
o The first imaging of the rabies virus by electron microscopy was
detailed by Clark and Murphy in the Journal of Virology in 1962 in
their paper "Rabies Virus: The Fine Structure as Revealed by Electron
Microscopy."
o Since this early work, the rabies virus has been isolated many times
by different research groups around the world, multiple transmission
studies have been carried out in various species of animal and many
high quality electron microscopy images of the rabies virus are
readily available via a simple web search.

 

If you are interested in more comprehensive information about the rabies
virus, there is a lot of information available from the World Health
Organisation (WHO) ([1]Rabies (who.int)) and World Organisation for Animal
Health (WOAH) ([2]Rabies - WOAH - World Organisation for Animal Health).
In particular, WOAH provides detailed technical information about this
virus, including a reference list pointing to relevant original research
here: [3]Rabies (woah.org)

 

Regarding the department’s work specifically, the department doesn’t
generally revisit early research proving the existence of the rabies
virus; this concept is generally well accepted in the scientific
community. The department’s focus is on issues pertinent to effective and
efficient rabies risk management. In January 2023 the department published
a “Review of rabies virus risk in imported dogs, cats and canine semen
from approved countries.” This includes a comprehensive reference list of
research relevant to the issue. The publication is available here:
[4]Review of rabies virus risk in imported dogs, cats and canine semen
from approved countries final report (agriculture.gov.au)

 

If it would be useful, the relevant technical area responsible for rabies
risk management in imported companion animals would be happy to discuss
your request with you directly. If this is something of interest to you,
please let us know and we can provide your contact details to the relevant
area to discuss your queries further.

 

Request to withdraw FOI request

 

Given the above additional information, we would appreciate if you could
confirm if you are happy for your request with the department to be
withdrawn. We would appreciate your response by COB Monday 29 July 2024.

 

Regards,

FOI Contact Officer | Legal Division

E: [5][email address]

___________________________________________

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

GPO BOX 858 CANBERRA ACT 2601

 

This email and any attachments may contain information subject to legal
professional privilege or information that is otherwise sensitive or
confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are
prohibited from using or disseminating this communication. If you have
received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately
and permanently delete this email.

 

 

 

From: Foi <[email address]>
Sent: Thursday, July 18, 2024 11:51 AM
To: 'Sam Mostyn' <[FOI #11704 email]>
Cc: Foi <[email address]>
Subject: Acknowledgment of your Freedom of Information Request - LEX 31951
[SEC=OFFICIAL]

 

Dear Sam Mostyn

 

Acknowledgement of your Freedom of Information Request No: LEX 31951

 

I refer to your request, received by the Department of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry on 17 July 2024 for access to documents under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) made in the following terms:

‘I am requesting the documentation that the DAFF has to demonstrate that
the Rabies lyssavirus exists; transmits from one dog to another dog or
human; and causes the symptoms of the Rabies disease.

 

The conditions of my request include:

- The documentation must show, via photographic evidence or by other means
deemed valid, the Rabies lyssavirus isolated from all other materials.

- The isolated Rabies lyssavirus exposed to organic living organisms
(humans, dogs, or cell cultures) that was previously uninfected by the
Rabies lyssavirus.

- The infected organic living organisms express symptoms of the Rabies
disease.

 

If these conditions cannot be met, I am requesting any documentation that
the DAFF has that demonstrates the existence, transmissibility, and
pathogenicity of the Rabies lyssavirus exists.’

Your address

The FOI Act requires that you provide us with an address which we can send
notices to. You have advised your electronic address is
[6][FOI #11704 email]. We will send all notices
and correspondence to this address.

 

Please advise us as soon as possible if you wish for correspondence to be
sent to another address or if your address changes. If you do not advise
us of changes to your address, correspondence and notices will continue to
be sent to the address specified above.

 

Disclosure log

 

Please note that information released under the FOI Act may be published
in a disclosure log on the department's website. Section 11C of the FOI
Act requires this publication, however it is subject to certain
exceptions, including where publication of personal, business,
professional or commercial information would be unreasonable.

 

Exclusion of junior department employee details

 

The department is working towards ensuring that all employees have a
choice about whether they provide their full name and direct contact
details in response to public enquiries. Where such details are included
in the scope of a request, this may add to processing time and applicable
charges as it may be necessary to consider whether the details are exempt
under the FOI Act. On this basis, unless you tell us otherwise, we will
assume that these details are out of scope of your request, and they will
be redacted under section 22 of the FOI Act.

 

Further assistance

 

If you have any questions please email [7][email address].

 

Regards,

FOI Contact Officer | Legal Division

E: [8][email address]

___________________________________________

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

GPO BOX 858 CANBERRA ACT 2601

 

This email and any attachments may contain information subject to legal
professional privilege or information that is otherwise sensitive or
confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are
prohibited from using or disseminating this communication. If you have
received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately
and permanently delete this email.

 

------ IMPORTANT - This email and any attachments have been issued by the
Commonwealth of Australia (Commonwealth). The material transmitted is for
the use of the intended recipient only and may contain confidential,
legally privileged, copyright or personal information. You should not
copy, use or disclose it without authorisation from the Commonwealth. It
is your responsibility to check any attachments for viruses and defects
before opening or forwarding them. If you are not an intended recipient,
please contact the sender of this email at once by return email and then
delete both messages. Unintended recipients must not copy, use, disclose,
rely on or publish this email or attachments. The Commonwealth is not
liable for any loss or damage resulting from unauthorised use or
dissemination of, or any reliance on, this email or attachments. If you
have received this e-mail as part of a valid mailing list and no longer
want to receive a message such as this one, advise the sender by return
e-mail accordingly. This notice should not be deleted or altered ------

References

Visible links
1. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheet...
2. https://www.woah.org/en/disease/rabies/
3. https://www.woah.org/fileadmin/Home/eng/...
4. https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/def...
5. mailto:[email address]
6. mailto:[FOI #11704 email]
7. mailto:[email address]
8. mailto:[email address]

hide quoted sections

Dear Sam Mostyn

Thank you for your below correspondence. We note that correspondence provided on 24 July 2024 was to seek clarification on your request and provide you with further information. As such, we have not treated your email of 29 July 2024 as a request for internal review rather a response to the clarification email on the scope of your FOI we sent on 24 July 2024.

Please note that your Freedom of Information (FOI) request is still ongoing, and a decision is due to be notified to you by 16 August 2024.

Regards,
FOI Contact Officer | Legal Division
E: [email address]
__________________________________________¬_
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
GPO BOX 858 CANBERRA ACT 2601

This email and any attachments may contain information subject to legal professional privilege or information that is otherwise sensitive or confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are prohibited from using or disseminating this communication. If you have received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately and permanently delete this email.

-----Original Message-----
From: Sam Mostyn <[FOI #11704 email]>
Sent: Monday, July 29, 2024 1:24 AM
To: Foi <[email address]>
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Evidence for Existence, Transmissibility, and Pathogenicity of Rabies lyssavirus in Dogs or Humans

Dear Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry,

Thank you for the response.

However, unfortunately the request was not fulfilled.

I requested documentation that demonstrates, via photographic evidence or other means deemed valid, the isolation of the Rabies lyssavirus (isolation = the separation of one thing from all other things).

The Pasteur; Negri; and Clark and Murphy references do not separate viral particles from all other materials. This condition was included in the request because the transmissibility and pathogenicity of a particle cannot be proven without the prior isolation of the particle. For example, throwing a tool box at a protruding nail does not prove that the hammer can hit the nail into the wall, instead, the hammer must be removed from the tool box (isolation) before striking the protruding nail to determine whether or not the hammer can hit the nail into the wall.

Furthermore, regarding transmissibility, Pasteur blended brain tissue and/or spinal cords from one animal before injecting the blended biological matter into the brain tissue of another animal. I am merely revealing this method because unnatural interaction negates the researchers ability to determine whether it is the independent variable, or the experimental design, that is the cause of the symptoms of disease.

May I request an internal review of this matter to determine the existence, transmissibility, and pathogenicity of Rabies lyssavirus in Dogs or Humans in accordance with the conditions set forth in the initial correspondence: Request No: LEX 31951.

May I request that the FOI Officer avoids statements such as, "this concept is generally well accepted in the scientific community", as I am not seeking the opinions of a group, but rather, I am seeking the scientific documentation that is the foundation for the DAFF's "rabies risk management".

Yours sincerely,

Sam Mostyn

-----Original Message-----

Dear Sam Mostyn

I refer to your request, received by the Department of Agriculture,

Fisheries and Forestry on 17 July 2024 for access to documents under the

Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) made in the following terms:

'I am requesting the documentation that the DAFF has to demonstrate that

the Rabies lyssavirus exists; transmits from one dog to another dog or

human; and causes the symptoms of the Rabies disease.

The conditions of my request include:

- The documentation must show, via photographic evidence or by other means

deemed valid, the Rabies lyssavirus isolated from all other materials.

- The isolated Rabies lyssavirus exposed to organic living organisms

(humans, dogs, or cell cultures) that was previously uninfected by the

Rabies lyssavirus.

- The infected organic living organisms express symptoms of the Rabies

disease.

If these conditions cannot be met, I am requesting any documentation that

the DAFF has that demonstrates the existence, transmissibility, and

pathogenicity of the Rabies lyssavirus exists.'

Relevant information regarding your request

We believe that the information you're requesting is already in the public

domain. Following is a short summary of key events in the history of

rabies virus isolation, imaging and transmission.

o The first rabies transmission studies were conducted in the early

1880s by Louis Pasteur and Émile Roux. Their work on this issue was

primarily documented through presentations and publications to the

French Academy of Sciences in the late 19th century. One of the key

publications is titled "Method for Preventing Rabies after Bite,"

which was presented to the French Academy of Sciences in 1885.

o The rabies virus was first isolated by the Italian bacteriologist

Adelchi Negri. His paper titled "Contributo allo studio dell'eziologia

della rabbia" (Contribution to the Study of the Etiology of Rabies)

was published in the journal Bollettino della Società

medico-chirurgica di Pavia in 1903.

o The first imaging of the rabies virus by electron microscopy was

detailed by Clark and Murphy in the Journal of Virology in 1962 in

their paper "Rabies Virus: The Fine Structure as Revealed by Electron

Microscopy."

o Since this early work, the rabies virus has been isolated many times

by different research groups around the world, multiple transmission

studies have been carried out in various species of animal and many

high quality electron microscopy images of the rabies virus are

readily available via a simple web search.

If you are interested in more comprehensive information about the rabies

virus, there is a lot of information available from the World Health

Organisation (WHO) ([1]Rabies (who.int)) and World Organisation for Animal

Health (WOAH) ([2]Rabies - WOAH - World Organisation for Animal Health).

In particular, WOAH provides detailed technical information about this

virus, including a reference list pointing to relevant original research

here: [3]Rabies (woah.org)

Regarding the department's work specifically, the department doesn't

generally revisit early research proving the existence of the rabies

virus; this concept is generally well accepted in the scientific

community. The department's focus is on issues pertinent to effective and

efficient rabies risk management. In January 2023 the department published

a "Review of rabies virus risk in imported dogs, cats and canine semen

from approved countries." This includes a comprehensive reference list of

research relevant to the issue. The publication is available here:

[4]Review of rabies virus risk in imported dogs, cats and canine semen

from approved countries final report (agriculture.gov.au)

If it would be useful, the relevant technical area responsible for rabies

risk management in imported companion animals would be happy to discuss

your request with you directly. If this is something of interest to you,

please let us know and we can provide your contact details to the relevant

area to discuss your queries further.

Request to withdraw FOI request

Given the above additional information, we would appreciate if you could

confirm if you are happy for your request with the department to be

withdrawn. We would appreciate your response by COB Monday 29 July 2024.

Regards,

FOI Contact Officer | Legal Division

E: [5][email address]

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

GPO BOX 858 CANBERRA ACT 2601

This email and any attachments may contain information subject to legal

professional privilege or information that is otherwise sensitive or

confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are

prohibited from using or disseminating this communication. If you have

received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately

and permanently delete this email.

------ IMPORTANT - This email and any attachments have been issued by the

Commonwealth of Australia (Commonwealth). The material transmitted is for

the use of the intended recipient only and may contain confidential,

legally privileged, copyright or personal information. You should not

copy, use or disclose it without authorisation from the Commonwealth. It

is your responsibility to check any attachments for viruses and defects

before opening or forwarding them. If you are not an intended recipient,

please contact the sender of this email at once by return email and then

delete both messages. Unintended recipients must not copy, use, disclose,

rely on or publish this email or attachments. The Commonwealth is not

liable for any loss or damage resulting from unauthorised use or

dissemination of, or any reliance on, this email or attachments. If you

have received this e-mail as part of a valid mailing list and no longer

want to receive a message such as this one, advise the sender by return

e-mail accordingly. This notice should not be deleted or altered ------

References

Visible links

1. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheet...

2. https://www.woah.org/en/disease/rabies/

3. https://www.woah.org/fileadmin/Home/eng/...

4. https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/def...

5. mailto:[email address]

6. mailto:[FOI #11704 email]

7. mailto:[email address]

8. mailto:[email address]

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

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[FOI #11704 email]

This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:

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------ IMPORTANT - This email and any attachments have been issued by the Commonwealth of Australia (Commonwealth). The material transmitted is for the use of the intended recipient only and may contain confidential, legally privileged, copyright or personal information. You should not copy, use or disclose it without authorisation from the Commonwealth. It is your responsibility to check any attachments for viruses and defects before opening or forwarding them. If you are not an intended recipient, please contact the sender of this email at once by return email and then delete both messages. Unintended recipients must not copy, use, disclose, rely on or publish this email or attachments. The Commonwealth is not liable for any loss or damage resulting from unauthorised use or dissemination of, or any reliance on, this email or attachments. If you have received this e-mail as part of a valid mailing list and no longer want to receive a message such as this one, advise the sender by return e-mail accordingly. This notice should not be deleted or altered ------

hide quoted sections

Dear Sam Mostyn

 

Please find attached correspondence from the Department of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry in relation to your FOI request (LEX 31951).

 

Regards,

 

FOI Contact Officer | Legal Division

E: [1][email address]

___________________________________________

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

GPO BOX 858 CANBERRA ACT 2601

 

This email and any attachments may contain information subject to legal
professional privilege or information that is otherwise sensitive or
confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are
prohibited from using or disseminating this communication. If you have
received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately
and permanently delete this email.

 

------ IMPORTANT - This email and any attachments have been issued by the
Commonwealth of Australia (Commonwealth). The material transmitted is for
the use of the intended recipient only and may contain confidential,
legally privileged, copyright or personal information. You should not
copy, use or disclose it without authorisation from the Commonwealth. It
is your responsibility to check any attachments for viruses and defects
before opening or forwarding them. If you are not an intended recipient,
please contact the sender of this email at once by return email and then
delete both messages. Unintended recipients must not copy, use, disclose,
rely on or publish this email or attachments. The Commonwealth is not
liable for any loss or damage resulting from unauthorised use or
dissemination of, or any reliance on, this email or attachments. If you
have received this e-mail as part of a valid mailing list and no longer
want to receive a message such as this one, advise the sender by return
e-mail accordingly. This notice should not be deleted or altered ------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]

hide quoted sections