Koalas have a highly specialized diet composed mainly of eucalyptus leaves. Although eucalyptus is normally toxic to most animals, koalas have a specialized organ called the caecum that allows them to break down the fibrous leaves. Although koalas don’t have much competition for their food source, many factors put this population at risk of extinction.

The eastern and southern forests of Australia are home to koalas. This habitat is being destroyed by human deforestation as well as an increase in wildfires. Koalas are being forced from their habitats, seeking smaller patches of trees farther away from humans and as dogs, another major threat to their survival.

Being confined to smaller, more isolated forest areas has increased inbreeding within the species. This has resulted in an erosion of genetic diversity, reducing their ability to adapt to environmental threats. All of these factors are decreasing the koala’s ability to survive and thrive.

Through the efforts by the Austrian Federal and New South Wales Governments, researchers have gained more insight into the koala population’s genetics. Studies have shown that Victoria, Australia (Southern Australia) had the highest level of inbreeding. Additionally, many koalas in these regions are suffering from various diseases.

A leading infectious disease in koalas is 

. It has become one of the key factors in the population decline, particularly in South-East Queensland and New South Wales.

 Chlamydial disease can cause inflammation, tissue fibrosis, urinary tract disease, and reproductive complications. In a population that is already dwindling, a disease that can lead to reduced fertility or infertility can become devastating.

Pain relief for koalas: a study on acetaminophen use

Currently, investigators are studying the use of doxycycline 5 mg/kg every 7 days subcutaneously and chloramphenicol 60 mg/kg once daily subcutaneously for a duration of 28 days as treatment for chlamydial disease in koalas.Currently, investigators are studying the use of doxycycline 5 mg/kg every 7 days subcutaneously and chloramphenicol 60 mg/kg once daily subcutaneously for a duration of 28 days as treatment for chlamydial disease in koalas.

 However, studies conducted in 2023 following the 

 have shown that koalas are developing genetic resistance to both antibiotics. This study showed that fire-effect koalas had the highest frequency of antibiotic resident genes at 16.8%.

Considerable efforts by the University of Sunshine Coast Animal Ethic Committee are focused on developing new vaccines for koalas. Researchers are not only a vaccine for chlamydia prevention, but also a exploring a combination vaccine for chlamydia and Koala Retrovirus (KoRV)-an infection linked to increasing rates of chlamydiosis and cancer.

 Although these studies show promising results, progression of studies may lead towards a more effective vaccine.

Koalas face a growing number of threats-from habitat loss and inbreeding to infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance.

 With multiple organizations contributing ongoing research and conservational effort, there is hope for the survival of this species. Continued support and awareness are key to preserving the lineage of the koala for generations to come.

Samantha Gorski is a PharmD candidate studying veterinary pharmacy at the University of Connecticut in Storrs.

Interesting Facts About Koalas. Friends of the Koala. January 15, 2025. Accessed April 4, 2025. https://friendsofthekoala.org/about-koalas/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhr6_BhD4ARIsAH1YdjAxDODH1D5o3xzXyB8mTHtMRsFmLPm9zlhb8Xu3UJpNsTflxCPctIwaAtQREALw_wcB ‌

McLennan EA, Kovacs TGL, Silver LW, et al. Genomics identifies koala populations at risk across eastern Australia. 

Chen CJ, Casteriano A, Green AC, Govendir M. A retrospective study on antibacterial treatments for koalas infected with Chlamydia pecorum. 

. 2023;13(1):12670. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-39832-w

National Koala Disease Risk Analysis Report Version 1.2. May 2023. Accessed April 11, 2025. https://wildlifehealthaustralia.com.au/Portals/0/ResourceCentre/BiosecurityMgmt/KDRA%20Report%20v1.2_FINAL.pdf ‌

McDougall FK, Boardman WSJ, Speight N, et al. Carriage of antibiotic resistance genes to treatments for chlamydial disease in koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus): A comparison of occurrence before and during catastrophic wildfires. McDougall FK, Boardman WSJ, Speight N, et al. Carriage of antibiotic resistance genes to treatments for chlamydial disease in koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus): A comparison of occurrence before and during catastrophic wildfires. 

. 2023;17:100652. doi:10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100652

Quigley BL, Timms P, Nyari S, McKay P, Hanger J, Phillips S. Reduction of Chlamydia pecorum and Koala Retrovirus subtype B expression in wild koalas vaccinated with novel peptide and peptide/recombinant protein formulations. 

. 2023;14:100329. doi:10.1016/j.jvacx.2023.100329

Articles

Chlamydia pecorum has become a key factor in the decline of this marsupial population in Australia.

The Koala crisis: habitat destruction and diseases threaten their future 

Aaron Shaw, OTR/L, CHT, CSCS, explains exercise plays in extending career longevity and healthspan

Why exercise matters in the veterinary profession

, Aaron Shaw, OTR/L, CHT, CSCS, host of the podcast 

, discussed various aspects of wellness in the veterinary profession. In this video, Shaw talks about the benefits of exercise, and how it can expand the career longevity, or “

Below is a partial transcript, lightly edited for clarity:

So what I would say about exercise and its impact on the career span, or what I call the ‘vetspan’ for people in the vet team, is really, the physiological benefits are so vast, from mental clarity to improving sleep—and we already know there are benefits to having great sleep; well, exercise will help you improve sleep.

It improves metabolism. It improves resting metabolic rate, bone density, muscles. And I think that the sad truth is that as we age, and especially once you're past 30 years old, we lose muscle strength, and we lose muscle size, and 30 years old is actually very young—[speaking as] somebody whose ‘30 years old,’ as was decades ago at this point—but to imagine that without intervention, without doing something intentionally, once we kind of pass through our early 30s and mid-30s, there's kind of a downward slope...of muscles.

And at the same time—correct me if I'm wrong—but dogs aren't getting any lighter. The physical demands of being in a vet clinic [aren’t] getting any easier. So, there's this conflict where, you know, people tend to be getting weaker, yet the demands of work are at least staying the same, if not getting even more challenging over time.

So, physical exercise, having the physical capacity to, you know, both the strength and the endurance, to not only get through Monday, but also Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and day as a day. Plus, of course, there's a million things to do outside of the office that take that demand. So by exercising consistently, and this doesn't have to be, you know, gold-gym-body-builder-type-exercise, but even 15 minutes a day of really thoughtful exercises that would really specifically support those that are in the vet clinic have a huge benefit to decreasing the risk of injury...making work literally feel easier, and all of the other you know, metabolic benefits from exercise.

Videos

Aaron Shaw, OTR/L, CHT, CSCS, explains the role exercise plays in extending career longevity and healthspan

A patient’s dietary needs and how nutrition correlates to overall health and wellbeing frequently generate topics of interest during veterinary conferences. In a series of interviews, industry leaders and conference presenters Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC; Mark J. Acierno, DVM, MBA, DACVIM; and Karen Shenoy, DVM, spoke with 

editors. In these videos, they provide expert insights about different aspects of companion animal nutrition, including mitigating feline stress with dietary supplements, managing chronic kidney disease, and understanding the gut microbiome, respectively.

The following video titles include a link to view the individual interview:

Alleviating feline stress with nutrition and supplements

Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC, discusses the role of nutrition and supplements in reducing stress in felines, in this 

interview. These and additional insights were presented in a lecture, “

Top Tips for Stress-Associated Conditions in Cats,

” at the 2024 Fetch dvm360 conference (Fetch Coastal) in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In the lecture and interview, Pachel highlights the importance of reducing stress in cats through targeted dietary strategies and palatable supplements that these felines will actually take.

What options are there for controlling nausea and stimulating the appetite of a feline patient with chronic kidney disease? Mark J. Acierno, DVM, MBA, DACVIM, professor and associate dean at Midwestern University, talked about different methods for controlling these symptoms in cats, breaking these methods down into management strategies, and different medications that can be used, in a 

 interview discussing his lecture “Improving the Lives of Feline Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease,” presented at the 2024 Fetch dvm360 conference in Atlantic City. The lecture is currently available through dvm360’s 

Microbiome science is being explored by researchers and addressed by Hill’s Pet Nutrition in some new and enhanced prescription diet and science diet products. Karen Shenoy, DVM, then-chief veterinary officer for Hill’s US and current vice president and chief veterinarian for Hill’s EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), discussed the importance of a healthy microbiome and the work being done to study more about how it affects pets and how that knowledge can be applied to their diets, in a 

interview at the 2025 Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX), presented by the North American Veterinary Community, in Orlando, Florida.

In a series of interviews, industry leaders and conference presenters provide expert insights about different aspects of companion animal nutrition.

3 must-see expert interviews on nutrition

Fecal score and age have an association with subclinical 

infection in dogs, a recent study by Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) and School of Public Health, found. The study, which was conducted on kennel dogs, offers insight into which dogs at kennel facilities should be screened for the parasite.

The research, led by Loni Taylor, PhD, DVM, MPH, an epidemiologist professor with the School of Public Health, and 5 colleagues with VMBS, looked at both 

More specifically, the study, published in 

, aimed to find demographic factors, including breed, sex, and age; and fecal scores from the Purina Fecal Scoring Chart, that were linked to positive screening test cases of 

in kennel-housed laboratory dogs in Texas.

, a zoonotic intestinal parasite affecting humans and animals, is transmitted via the fecal-oral route and is one of the most prevalent causes of waterborne diseases.

According to the authors of the study, it was recently estimated that 

is present in 37% to 50% of kennel-housed dogs. 

, meanwhile, is reported to be found in 7% to 21% of these canines.

“In adult, healthy humans, and animals, these diseases usually cause diarrhea and occasionally other minor ailments, but for infants, puppies and the immunocompromised, infection could be deadly,” said Taylor in a Texas A&M report.

 “We wanted to identify the factors associated with kennel-housed dogs in Texas that test positive for both diseases.”

The research team collected fecal samples from a census sample of 153 clinically normal dogs living in Texas kennels between March and October 2021, and noted participants’ sex, age, breed, and location. Samples were taken from golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, beagles, and a variety of large hounds and hound mixes, according to Texas A&M.

A single researcher identified the fecal score of the samples through a visual assessment using the Purina Institute metric. The Purina Fecal Scoring Chart that was used contains a visual guide and descriptions of 7 types of stools, varying from very hard and dry (score 1), to watery and flat (score 7).

Three diagnostic tests, consisting of a human point-of-care coproantigen test, a direct immunofluorescent assay, and an in-house polymerase chain reaction, were used and evaluated simultaneously to determine positive results for 

Study results found no clear link between sex or breed and 

infection. However, dogs were significantly more likely to test positive for 

Additionally, kennel-housed dogs aged 18 months or younger had 3.4 times the odds (

compared to older dogs. No association was found between age and 

 prevalence. According to Taylor, a larger sample size in future studies could help find a link between the two.

Participants with hard stool were less likely to test positive for 

. However, there was no statistically significant relationship identified for fecal score and 

“With these findings, we demonstrated the value of considering age and fecal score when choosing which dogs to screen for subclinical 

“Given the increased odds of Giardia infection, screening should be as robust as the recommended combination of testing methods,” Taylor said.

Taylor LA, Saleh MN, Kneese EC, Vemulapalli TH, Budke CM, Verocai GG. Investigation of factors associated with subclinical infections of Giardia duodenalis and cryptosporidium canis in kennel-housed dogs (canis lupus familiaris). 

. 2024;74(2):92-98. doi:10.30802/aalas-cm-24-000007

Kellett A. New insight into factors associated with a common disease among dogs and humans. 

. March 21, 2025. Accessed April 11, 2025. https://vitalrecord.tamu.edu/multidisciplinary-study-gives-new-insight-into-factors-associated-with-a-common-disease-among-dogs-and-humans/

Giardia infection (giardiasis). Mayo Clinic. Accessed April 11, 2025. 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/giardia-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20372786

Purina Pro Plan Faecal Scoring Chart. Purina. Accessed April 11, 2025. 

https://vetcentre.purina.co.uk/sites/default/files/2021-11/Faecal%20scoring%20chart_general%20use.pdf

The study, which looked at kennel-housed dogs, highlighted key factors to consider when determining which canines should be screened for infection

Researchers find link between fecal score, age, and Giardia infection in dogs

. The very word invokes revulsion in many people. For veterinary professionals, the term conjures sights, smells, and, yes, sounds. The munching of maggots crawling inside a patient echoes in our memories.

When a maggot case arrives in a hospital, some professionals move toward the patient, and others find reasons to walk in the opposite direction. Myiasis, or fly-strike, is common in debilitated animals with infected or necrotic tissue.

Beyond manual removal, it is common to ensure the eradication of these distasteful dipterans from our patients with medications such as nitenpyram. An alternative is any of the isoxazoline drugs. The onsets of action for nitenpyram and isoxazolines are similar, with the obvious benefit of extended duration with isoxazolines of a month or more.

If you are wondering which to use based on label use, both choices have extralabel benefits with on-label dosing. If you have not heard of this, don’t be hard on your pharmaceutical representatives for not telling you—they can’t. The FDA has strict rules against extralabel promotion.

Pharmaceutical technical team members can only answer direct extralabel questions. Thus, unless you specifically ask, “Can I use your product to kill maggots?” company representatives cannot tell you. The 24-hour emergency hospital where this author was medical director regularly dealt with myiasis cases, and unless funds or patient logistics were an issue, the health care team regularly utilized isoxazolines.

Any pet on monthly isoxazolines will not be affected by myiasis. In some situations of debilitation, this could become a disadvantage.

Photo: Judy Gallagher/iNaturalist.org.png

Is there ever an advantage to being riddled with maggots? Yes, but this is not a reason to stop prescribing year-round isoxazolines for your indoor and outdoor patients. In current cases with myiasis, those baby dipterans are often helping the animal.

, the common green bottle fly. Parasitologists, forensic entomologists, and some doctors are fascinated by these insects. 

often recognizes an individual’s death before anyone else. Within minutes of a person’s or animal’s demise, these flies will lay eggs upon the corpse.

This egg-laying timing allows scientists to use maggots to help determine the time of death in some forensic investigations. The maggots’ larval instar, or stage, can help scientists know how long ago the fly eggs were laid.

Although far less common today, doctors have used 

as a surgical maggot since the early 1800s. This myiasis leads to improved tissue regeneration and lower bacterial levels within patients. Wounds of injured Civil War soldiers who were left in the field were occasionally noted to be unusually bright and clean, and the effect was given the term 

. With the discovery of penicillin not occurring until the next century, these neglected soldiers in the field often had better survival rates than those with bandaged wounds in the medical tent who developed gangrene.

Civil War Angel’s Glow did not arise from maggots, per se. The greenish-blue bioluminescence arose from a nematode-associated bacterium that infected the wound. The maggots managed the cleanliness. Patient survival was a team effort: the maggots' removal of necrotic tissue and the bacterium’s antimicrobial exotoxin helped save lives. Until a 2001 high school science project elucidated the bacterial role, the flies took the credit.

Secondary myiasis typically is not painful because these maggots stop eating at the edges of healthy tissue. This is common for the calliphorid flies endemic to the United States. Calliphorids bear the common name of blow flies.

Although medical professionals and some injured soldiers of the Civil War had positive experiences with the flies, most sheep producers detest them because of their proclivity for laying eggs in damp wool. Any skin disease, such as infection, can quickly lead to unwanted myiasis.

only provides secondary myiasis, meaning that tissue must be damaged or necrotic for maggots to feed. Primary myiasis caused by the New World screwworm (NWS), 

, was eradicated in the US as of 1966, except for a brief invasion in 2016. It is currently endemic in Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and countries in South America.

NWS has recently spread to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and now Mexico for the first time in 3 decades. The US Department of Agriculture is expecting reinvasion of NWS in the US. A family member of 

, NWS generates primary myiasis—its larvae eat healthy tissue of any warm-blooded animal. Their victims include cattle, sheep, pigs, dogs, cats, and humans.

Since primary myiasis eats living tissue, there is no pain-free Angel’s Glow here. These maggots induce excruciating tissue destruction with potentially fatal sequelae for their victims. If this foreign animal disease arrives here, we will witness an onslaught of myiasis cases like we haven’t seen before. Take a nap on the backyard hammock next to your dog, and you may both awaken with 

eggs laid upon you. Within 24 hours, the maggots emerge from their eggs and begin to devour healthy flesh.

In late 2024, the US canceled all Mexican cattle imports, due to NWS being identified in Chiapas, Mexico.

 Despite this measure, concerns remain that the northern movement of NWS will not be stoppable.

The USDA best describes the etymology of the name 

“The name screwworm refers to the maggots’ feeding behavior as they burrow (screw) into the wound, feeding as they go like a screw being driven into wood. Maggots cause extensive damage by tearing at the hosts’ tissue with sharp mouth hooks. The wound can become larger and deepen as more maggots hatch and feed on living tissue. As a result, NWS can cause serious, often deadly damage to the animal.”

Although there is no certainty NWS will arrive in the US, the risk is realistic and high. If this eventuality occurs, we will have myiasis cases where the maggots do not benefit the animal. The flies neither need nor search for debilitated or recently dead animals. Screwworms prefer their meat grade A.

sampled from a canine myiasis case, 2024.

What can we do now? First, continue to prescribe year-round isoxazolines for your indoor and outdoor patients. Secondly, be vigilant. Beyond the patient’s travel history and clinical presentation, several key features help define the maggot. Start at the posterior end of the maggot where breathing occurs. (

boast Calliphorid-type spiracles (the external breathing apparatus), which look like 3 lines pointed toward a button (

). To differentiate these 2 species, look for 

’s pigmented tracheal trunks, visible on the dorsal aspect of the maggots.

NWS has prominent hooks on its anterior end— imagine a vampire maggot. Many maggots will have these hooks, but they are large on NWS (

Finally, if you suspect NWS, report it. Take samples and contact your local health department and state veterinarian.

, demonstrating the diminutive hooks, in contrast to 

is a preventive medicine specialist who practices in emergency medicine. He also is an item writer for the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination.

Cutolo AA, Perier N, Menz I, Thyssen P, Silva FO, Beugnet F. Efficacy of afoxolaner (NexGard) on the treatment of myiasis caused by the New World screwworm fly 

(Diptera: Calliphoridae) in naturally infested dogs. 

. 2021;24:100569. doi:10.1016/j. vprsr.2021.100569

Correia TR, Scott FB, Verocai GG, et al. Larvicidal efficacy of nitenpyram on the treatment of myiasis caused by 

. 2010;173(1-2):169-172. doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.06.019

Ricciuti E. How blow flies compete (or not) for decomposition duties. 

. October 27, 2020. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://entomologytoday.org/2020/10/27/ how-blow-flies-compete-decomposition-duties/

Miller GL. Historical natural history: insects and the Civil War. Montana State University. Accessed February 24, 2025. https:// www.montana.edu/historybug/civilwar2/flies.html

Horobin AJ, Shakesheff KM, Woodrow S, Robinson C, Pritchard DI. Maggots and wound healing: an investigation of the effects of secretions from 

larvae upon interactions between human dermal fibroblasts and extracellular matrix components. 

. 2003;148(5):923–933. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2133.2003.05314.x

Lyons J. “Glowing” Wounds: why Civil War soldiers had injuries that shone. War History Online. October 19, 2018. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.warhistoryonline.com/ instant-articles/glowing-wounds-civil-war.html

New World screwworm. US Department of Agriculture. February 6, 2025. Accessed February 13, 2025. https:// www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/cattle/ticks/ screwworm

Staff Report. US suspends Mexican cattle imports after flesh-eating worm detected in Chiapas. 

. November 28, 2024. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/mexico-cattle-screwworm/

Companion Animal Parasite Council. Cochliomyia hominivorax. May 9, 2017. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://capcvet.org/ guidelines/cochliomyia-hominivorax/

Understanding this parasitic fly larva and the risk it may pose is the first step for preventing infestation

Screwworms: when the larvae don't care about boundaries

Domenico Santoro, DVM, MS, DrSc, PhD, DACVD, DECVD, DACVM discusses preventive measures to reduce the risk of dermatophyte infection

Talking to clients about fungal infection prevention

In this interview, Domenico Santoro, DVM, MS, DrSc, PhD, DACVD, DECVD, DACVM, associate professor at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville, and service chief of dermatology in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, talks about preventive measures against fungal infections that dog and cat owners should be aware of to minimize the risk of infection.

Below is the interview transcript, which has been lightly edited for clarity:

Domenico Santoro, DVM, MS, DrSc, PhD, DACVD, DECVD, DACVM: 

My name is Domenico Santoro. I'm an associate professor in dermatology at the University of Florida. I have a PhD in immunology, and I'm service chief of the dermatology service here.

], there is not really much to do in the sense that this is a commensal, so every dog, every cat, has it. So we just need to be aware of the underlying problem, like allergies, for example, [that] develop as a primary issue for these patients.

For dermatophytes, the most important prevention measure will be essentially [being] careful with new cats or new dogs coming in the household, or [coming into] contact [with other animals], specifically in doggy parks where there is contact with other animals that may be infected. Or even [being careful with] dogs who like to go outside and dig or chase wildlife animals because that is, for some of those dermatophytes, the soil and/or rodents can be the reservoir for the infection. So having dogs that dig outside—really, you can’t really prevent that type of behavior, but it is important to note it in the history, so that the veterinarian will know which type of fungus to consider, and they [can put] that organism in a differential diagnosis.