Do koala bears have chlamydia

Australia 's iconic koala has a problem that keeps boomeranging back.

One of the primary causes of this decline is chlamydia , a bacterial infection that can cause blindness and infertility in koalas. In an effort to save the species, Australian scientists have begun vaccinating wild koalas against chlamydia in an ambitious field trial in New South Wales. It has been all over the news recently. Several huge media outlets have covered the koala chlamydia outbreak, but we decided to chime in as the leading STD testing company in the US. Koalas are marsupials native to Australia, inhabiting eucalyptus forests along the eastern and southeastern coasts. They are known for their unique appearance, with gray fur and large round ears.

Do koala bears have chlamydia

Among humans, chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world, according to the Pan American Health Organization. If left untreated, it can lead to serious complications, such as infertility or ectopic pregnancies — that's when a fertilized egg grows outside of the uterus. But uncomplicated cases of the infection are usually cured within days or weeks by taking antibiotics. Again: That's in humans. But we are not the only ones susceptible to chlamydia. Koalas, arguably among Australia's most famous animals, can contract the disease when they are exposed to the feces of sheep or cattle that have chlamydia. Then the sexually transmitted disease is passed on from mother to child, or during mating. Once the marsupials have chlamydia, they usually fare far worse than humans. It's not just the risk of death that's concerning. For a shrinking population — the Australian Koala Foundation estimated in that there were fewer than 58, koalas left in the wild — infertility is just as dramatic a problem.

The single-shot vaccine has previously been used to inoculate a few hundred koalas that were brought to wildlife rescue centers.

Federal government websites often end in. The site is secure. A significant threat to koala populations is infection from Chlamydia , which results in disease and death. A major contributor to high mortality is the development of reproductive cysts, resulting in female infertility and euthanasia. However, the diagnosis of reproductive disease is limited to ultrasound with no further investigations.

The koala has been listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature IUCN since and it is estimated that there are only , left in the wild today. Lead researcher Dr Faye Wedrowicz told BuzzFeed News that her team decided to look at koalas in the region because they are promising to the future of the species in Australia. And no, the strain of chlamydia that infects koalas is not the same that infects humans but it is sexually transmitted in the same way. Genetic evidence from the chlamydia bacteria suggests that koalas were infected by the disease through transmission from livestock specifically sheep. Although one paper on the topic states the "mechanism of transmission between livestock and koalas currently eludes us". The interspecies chlamydia transmission was likely related to faecal contamination of a koala's food source and probably not what we're all currently thinking. Koalas appear to differ in their response to chlamydia infection, with some not affected by the disease and others dying of it. Professor Katherine Belov of Sydney University and one of a team of Australian and international researchers to have recently sequenced the koala genome, told BuzzFeed News that this is all down to their genetics. And others get very sick and end up dying and we know it's differences in their immune responses," she said.

Do koala bears have chlamydia

Scientists may have discovered how antibiotics can better help Australian marsupials infected with the sexually transmitted disease. Australia 's iconic koala has a problem that keeps boomeranging back. Chlamydia, a type of sexually transmitted disease also found in humans, has hit wild koalas hard, with some wild populations seeing a percent infection rate. The infectious bacteria usually aren't fatal, but they can severely impact a koala's health. That's a concern, as the International Union for Conservation of Nature considers the fuzzy mammal vulnerable to extinction , mostly due to habitat loss. Young koalas in the pouch also get it from eating their mom's pap, a "very nutrient-dense fecal matter" that joeys eat after breastfeeding but before they start on eucalyptus leaves, she says. The pap may allow the koala's gut microbes to digest otherwise toxic tannins in eucalyptus, the species' main food source. For over two decades , scientists have brought wild koalas into wildlife hospitals to treat their chlamydia with antibiotics.

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Jackson M. Mindy Weisberger is an editor at Scholastic and a former Live Science channel editor and senior writer. Research into koala chlamydia began more than 20 years ago when scientists first identified the bacteria as a potential threat to koala populations. Rubio A. These are our 18 favorite animal pictures of the year. Patterson J. Indian J. Pyometra and pyovagina in koalas. Immunology of Chlamydia infection: Implications for a Chlamydia trachomatis vaccine. It appears that the development of chlamydial induced reproductive cysts outside the koala have only been sparingly reported. Marschner C. Science Mind, Body, Wonder What triggers morning migraines? To help protect koalas from this devastating disease, Australian scientists have begun vaccinating hundreds of koalas against chlamydia in a trial program. Chlamydia , News. Koalas feed on eucalyptus leaves, which provide them with essential nutrients but also contain toxins that can harm their health.

A koala sits in a tree at a koala park in Sydney, Australia, Friday, May 5, Australian scientists have begun vaccinating wild koalas against chlamydia in a pioneering field trial in New South Wales. The aim is to test a method for protecting the beloved marsupials against a widespread disease that causes blindness, infertility and death.

With more than 4, local labs nationwide, it's easy to get tested today. Most Popular. Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that is particularly devastating to koala populations. Koalas are vulnerable to chlamydial infections caused by the species Chlamydia pecorum. Mindy Weisberger. Finally, the vaccinated koalas are marked with pink dye on their backs, to make sure the researchers don't give the chlamydia vaccine to the same animal twice. Chlamydia infections in the koala are treated with antibiotics for extended periods of time up to 45 days resulting in complete bacterial clearance [ 9 , 13 ]. Hemsley S. Published online Sep 4. See our best wildlife photos from Effect of estradiol on chlamydial genital infection of female guinea pigs. Scientists might now know.