Australia has placed an indefinite ban on the import of green, raw prawns from a number of Asian countries, including Vietnam.

According to the Vietnam News Agency, the ban was issued by the Australian government after the white spot viruse were detected in prawns sold at stores.

The white spot disease is harmless to humans, but kills other prawns.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce told ABC News that he feared these prawns would be used as bait, which could spread the disease further.

As part of the ban, prawn shipments to Australia will reportedly be destroyed or re-exported.

The ban does not cover cooked green prawns, as cooking kills the disease.

Last December, an outbreak of the disease was recorded in Queensland prawn farms.

The white spot disease is not native to Australia, and some local prawn farmers have pointed fingers at raw imports from Asia and the Americas.

In the last 5 years, Vietnam was the biggest seller of processed prawns to Australia.

– TiVi Tuan-san