Evaluation of a biosecurity survey approach for contamination by in koala rehabilitation, field capture, and captive settings.

Transmission of between koalas is a potential risk in field capture or rehabilitation settings, where koalas are held in proximity to each other, or equipment is shared between animals. Given the impact of on koala welfare and population viability it is surprising that quarantine and disinfection protocols in a koala rehabilitation facility or capture settings have not previously been evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate an approach, based on the detection of chlamydial DNA and cell viability, to determine the degree of environmental contamination within a koala care facility.