Incidence, trends, and significance of putative koala retrovirus-associated diseases in monitored wild koala populations in southeast Queensland

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
File version

Version of Record (VoR)

Author(s)
McKay, Philippa A
Jones, Brent D
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
2023
Size
File type(s)
Location
Abstract

Research indicates that northern koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are ubiquitously infected with koala retrovirus (KoRV). There is increasing evidence linking KoRV with neoplasia and a range of disorders associated with immunodeficiency, conditions observed at high rates in captive colonies, and sick koalas presenting to wildlife hospitals. However, less is known about the occurrence of these putative KoRV-associated diseases in wild populations. We analysed health data collected at the veterinary examinations of 691 koalas inhabiting three monitored wild koala populations in southeast Queensland between 2013 and 2020. At initial presentation, neoplasia and AIDS-like syndrome were detected at a prevalence of 1.16% (8/691; 95% CI 0.5–2.19%). Longitudinal data from koalas recruited into the monitoring programmes and receiving one or more subsequent examination revealed an incidence rate of 3.5 cases/100 koalas/year (95% CI 2.35–4.9). These findings indicate that a relatively small proportion of the populations studied were affected by these putative KoRV-associated diseases. However, the impact on individuals was severe, with high associated mortality in the diseased cohort. Furthermore, northern koala populations endure multiple threats, suffering severe declines in recent decades. We propose that the significance of putative KoRV-associated diseases on these populations should be considered within this context and that further research into the interactions between KoRV and other drivers of decline is warranted.

Journal Title

Technical Reports of the Australian Museum Online

Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume

38

Issue
Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement

© 2023 McKay, Jones. This is an open access article licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original authors and source are credited.

Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject

Zoology

Archaeology

Persistent link to this record
Citation

McKay, PA; Jones, BD, Incidence, trends, and significance of putative koala retrovirus-associated diseases in monitored wild koala populations in southeast Queensland, Technical Reports of the Australian Museum Online, 38, pp. 35-40

Collections