Koala ocular disease grades are defined by chlamydial load changes and increases in Th2 immune responses.

Introduction: This study employs bulk RNA sequencing, PCR, and ELISA assays to analyze the pathological factors affecting the outcomes of ocular infections in koalas. It investigates the immune responses and gene expression profiles associated with various stages of koala ocular chlamydiosis.

Methods: A cohort of 114 koalas from Queensland, Australia were assessed, with 47% displaying clinical signs of ocular disease.

Using bioinformatics to investigate functional diversity: a case study of MHC diversity in koalas.

Conservation genomics can greatly improve conservation outcomes of threatened populations, including those impacted by disease. Understanding diversity within immune gene families, including the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and toll-like receptors (TLR), is important due to the role they play in disease resilience and susceptibility. With recent advancements in sequencing technologies and bioinformatic tools, the cost of generating high-quality sequence data has significantly decreased and made it possible to investigate diversity across entire gene families in large numbers of individuals compared to investigating only a few genes or a few populations previously.

Immunisation of koalas against Chlamydia pecorum results in significant protection against chlamydial disease and mortality.

In 2022, the Australian Government listed the koala as endangered in several states due to habitat destruction, traffic strikes, dog attacks, and Chlamydia pecorum disease. This study evaluates a 10-year assessment of a Major Outer Membrane Protein-based vaccine's effectiveness against chlamydial disease in wild koalas from Southeast Queensland. Over a decade, 680 koalas were tracked, with five vaccine trials involving 165 koalas.

HtrA, fatty acids, and membrane protein interplay in to impact stress response and trigger early cellular exit.

Unlabelled: is an intracellular bacterial pathogen that undergoes a biphasic developmental cycle, consisting of intracellular reticulate bodies and extracellular infectious elementary bodies. A conserved bacterial protease, HtrA, was shown previously to be essential for during the reticulate body phase, using a novel inhibitor (JO146). In this study, isolates selected for the survival of JO146 treatment were found to have polymorphisms in the acyl-acyl carrier protein synthetase gene () encodes the enzyme responsible for activating fatty acids from the host cell or synthesis to be incorporated into lipid bilayers.

Aspirin reprogrammes colorectal cancer cell metabolism and sensitises to glutaminase inhibition.

Background: To support proliferation and survival within a challenging microenvironment, cancer cells must reprogramme their metabolism. As such, targeting cancer cell metabolism is a promising therapeutic avenue. However, identifying tractable nodes of metabolic vulnerability in cancer cells is challenging due to their metabolic plasticity.

Efficacy of a synthetic peptide Chlamydia pecorum major outer membrane protein vaccine in a wild koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) population.

Chlamydiosis is a significant disease affecting Eastern Australian koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) populations, impacting individual animal welfare and fecundity and therefore influencing population dynamics. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a synthetic peptide vaccine based on 4 components of the Chlamydia pecorum major outer membrane protein (MOMP), over an 18-month period in a koala population severely impacted by chlamydiosis. Wild koalas were recruited into a vaccination or a placebo treatment group on a random allocation, then followed through a period of 18 months, with recapture at 6 monthly intervals.

Reduction of and Koala Retrovirus subtype B expression in wild koalas vaccinated with novel peptide and peptide/recombinant protein formulations.

Koalas are an endangered species under threat of extinction from several factors, including infections agents. infection results in morbidity and mortality from ocular and urogenital diseases while Koala Retrovirus (KoRV) infection has been linked to increased rates of cancer and chlamydiosis. Both and KoRV are endemic in many wild Australian koala populations, with limited treatment options available.

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.

Repeat infections with chlamydia in women may be more transcriptionally active with lower responses from some immune genes.

, the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection worldwide, is responsible for considerable health burden due to its significant sequelae. There are growing concerns about chlamydial treatment and management due to widely documented increasing burden of repeat infections. In the current study, a cohort study design of 305 women with urogenital chlamydial infections demonstrated that 11.

A targeted approach to investigating immune genes of an iconic Australian marsupial.

Disease is a contributing factor to the decline of wildlife populations across the globe. Koalas, iconic yet declining Australian marsupials, are predominantly impacted by two pathogens, Chlamydia and koala retrovirus. Chlamydia is an obligate intracellular bacterium and one of the most widespread sexually transmitted infections in humans worldwide.

BCL-3 loss sensitises colorectal cancer cells to DNA damage by targeting homologous recombination.

The proto-oncogene BCL-3 is upregulated in a subset of colorectal cancers (CRC), where it has been shown to enhance tumour cell survival. However, although increased expression correlates with poor patient prognosis, the role of BCL-3 in determining therapeutic response remains largely unknown. In this study, we use combined approaches in multiple cell lines and pre-clinical mouse models to investigate the function of BCL-3 in the DNA damage response.

Completing the Genome Sequence of Strains MC/MarsBar and DBDeUG: New Insights into This Enigmatic Koala () Pathogen.

, an obligate intracellular pathogen, causes significant morbidity and mortality in livestock and the koala (). A variety of gene-centric molecular studies have revealed important observations about infection dynamics and genetic diversity in both koala and livestock hosts. In contrast to a variety of molecular studies, to date, only four complete and 16 draft genomes have been published.

Is to Blame for Koala Reproductive Cysts?

A significant threat to koala populations is infection from , which results in disease and death. Wild koalas with infections are admitted to wildlife hospitals and treated with antibiotics; however, up to 50% of koalas that present to wildlife hospitals do not survive. A major contributor to high mortality is the development of reproductive cysts, resulting in female infertility and euthanasia.

Infrared thermography as a modality for tracking cutaneous temperature change and post-mortem interval in the critical care setting.

Purpose: To evaluate the potential use of cutaneous facial temperature change as measured by an infrared camera as a marker of postmortem interval (PMI) in the minutes immediately following death.

Methods: This was a prospective, observational pilot study using a convenience sample of all deaths which occurred in a room in an Intensive Care Unit equipped with a ceiling mounted thermal camera. Cutaneous temperature measurements were taken from 60 min antemortem to as long as possible postmortem.

ST24: Clonal Strains of One Health Importance Dominate in Australian Horse, Bird and Human Infections.

is traditionally regarded as a globally distributed avian pathogen that can cause zoonotic spill-over. Molecular research has identified an extended global host range and significant genetic diversity. However, Australia has reported a reduced host range (avian, horse, and human) with a dominance of clonal strains, denoted ST24.

Azithromycin or Doxycycline for Asymptomatic Rectal .

Background: Rectal chlamydia is a common bacterial sexually transmissible infection among men who have sex with men. Data from randomized, controlled trials are needed to guide treatment.

Methods: In this double-blind trial conducted at five sexual health clinics in Australia, we randomly assigned men who have sex with men and who had asymptomatic rectal chlamydia to receive doxycycline (100 mg twice daily for 7 days) or azithromycin (1-g single dose).

Chlamydial clinical isolates show subtle differences in persistence phenotypes and growth .

Urogenital infection is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial infection throughout the world. While progress has been made to better understand how type strains develop and respond to environmental stress , very few studies have examined how clinical isolates behave under similar conditions. Here, we examined the development and persistence phenotypes of several clinical isolates, to determine how similar they are to each other, and the type strain D/UW-3/Cx.

Epidemiology of Chlamydia psittaci infections in pregnant Thoroughbred mares and foals.

Late-term foal loss due to the traditional avian pathogen Chlamydia psittaci recently emerged as a threat to the Australian Thoroughbred industry. A longitudinal study of 14 stud farms was undertaken to better understand C. psittaci infection in pregnant mares and their foals by evaluating C.

A Deep Learning-Based Camera Approach for Vital Sign Monitoring Using Thermography Images for ICU Patients.

Infrared thermography for camera-based skin temperature measurement is increasingly used in medical practice, e.g., to detect fevers and infections, such as recently in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Retroviral integrations contribute to elevated host cancer rates during germline invasion.

Repeated retroviral infections of vertebrate germlines have made endogenous retroviruses ubiquitous features of mammalian genomes. However, millions of years of evolution obscure many of the immediate repercussions of retroviral endogenisation on host health. Here we examine retroviral endogenisation during its earliest stages in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), a species undergoing germline invasion by koala retrovirus (KoRV) and affected by high cancer prevalence.