Pteropox infection in a juvenile grey-headed flying fox (Pteropus poliocephalus).

A juvenile grey-headed flying fox (GHFF) (Pteropus poliocephalus) presented to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital after a wildlife carer found the animal hanging on the outside of an aviary. On presentation, the animal was emaciated and moribund with disseminated, multifocal, depigmented and proliferative lesions on the wing membranes and skin of the neck. Histopathology revealed multiple, well-circumscribed proliferative epidermal lesions with intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies.

Unexpected Pathogen Diversity Detected in Australian Avifauna Highlights Potential Biosecurity Challenges.

Birds may act as hosts for numerous pathogens, including members of the family , (BFDV), avipoxviruses, (CoAHV1) and (PsAHV1), all of which are a significant biosecurity concern in Australia. While and BFDV have previously been detected in Australian avian taxa, the prevalence and host range of avipoxviruses, CoAHV1 and PsAHV1 in Australian birds remain undetermined. To better understand the occurrence of these pathogens, we screened 486 wild birds (kingfisher, parrot, pigeon and raptor species) presented to two wildlife hospitals between May 2019 and December 2021.

The Effect of Disease and Injury on Faecal Cortisol Metabolites, as an Indicator of Stress in Wild Hospitalised Koalas, Endangered Australian Marsupials.

Loss of habitat, urbanisation, climate change and its consequences are anthropogenic pressures that may cause stress in koalas. Non-invasive monitoring of faecal cortisol metabolites (FCMs) can be utilised to evaluate the impact of stressors. The aim was to determine if the tetrahydrocorticosterone (50c) and cortisol enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) could be effective in measuring FCM values in wild, stressed koalas.

An Analysis of Demographic and Triage Assessment Findings in Bushfire-Affected Koalas () on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, 2019-2020.

In the 2019-2020 Australian bushfires, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, experienced catastrophic bushfires that burnt approximately half the island, with an estimated 80% of the koala population lost. During and after the event, rescued koalas were triaged at a designated facility and a range of initial data were recorded including rescue location and date, sex, estimation of age, body condition and hydration, and assessment of burn severity ( = 304 records available). Koalas were presented to the triage facility over a span of 10 weeks, with 50.