Do koalas have disease

Answer 1

Koala numbers are dropping partially as a result of the organism chlamydia, which has four major effects:

• blindness
• pneumonia
• urinary tract infection
• reproductive tract infections, ultimately rendering animals infertile.

Scientists are still working on a cure, as this disease is decimating some of the populations on the mainland.

Koalas are also susceptible to leukaemia and skin cancers.

Answer 2

Koalas have not always been susceptible to disease. One of the reasons it has become a bigger problem in recent decades is that, as the koala population diminishes, due to habitat clearing and attacks by introduced predators, it reduces the scope of the gene pool in koalas. When there are fewer animals of any species, it means that the gene pool is reduced. Not only does this increase the likelihood of in-breeding, and with it, all the associated immunity problems that occur, it also means quite simply that there are fewer strong specimens to withstand viruses and survive.

Answer 3

A major threat to the koala populations of Australia is the organism chlamydia, which has four major effects:

• blindness
• pneumonia
• urinary tract infection
• reproductive tract infections, ultimately rendering animals infertile.

Scientists are still working on a cure, as this disease is decimating some of the populations on the mainland.

Koalas are also susceptible to leukaemia and skin cancers.

Answer 4

Koalas do not cause disease.