Home / Environment / Vaccine Approved to Combat Deadly Chlamydia Epidemic Threatening Koalas
Vaccine Approved to Combat Deadly Chlamydia Epidemic Threatening Koalas
9 Sep
Summary
- World-first vaccine developed to combat chlamydia in koalas
- Vaccine reduces likelihood of symptoms and mortality by 65%
- Funding sought to roll out vaccine nationally to wildlife hospitals, clinics, and wild koalas
In a major breakthrough for Australia's endangered koala populations, a world-first vaccine to combat the devastating chlamydia epidemic has been approved by federal regulators. Researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) spent over a decade developing the single-dose vaccine, which has proven highly effective in clinical trials.
The chlamydia outbreak has been the biggest killer of koalas in recent decades, with some wild colonies seeing infection rates as high as 70%. The disease, which can cause painful urinary tract infections, blindness, and infertility, has decimated koala populations across much of eastern Australia. Infected koalas are often given antibiotics, but this treatment prevents them from digesting their only food source, eucalyptus leaves, leading to starvation and death.
The vaccine's approval is a critical step in saving the iconic national animal from the brink of extinction. UniSC's research found the vaccine reduced the likelihood of koalas developing chlamydia symptoms during breeding age and decreased mortality from the disease in wild populations by at least 65%. The team now hopes to secure major funding to roll out the vaccine nationally to wildlife hospitals, vet clinics, and directly to koalas in the wild.
