Fact Sheets

Wildlife Health Australia’s Fact Sheets contain brief, factual information on a wide range of diseases, both infectious and non-infectious, that impact Australian wildlife and feral animals. Information focuses on implications of disease for free-ranging native wildlife, although impacts on humans, domestic and feral animals are included to provide a One Health perspective. Diseases of relevance to Australian wildlife that are exotic to Australia, or zoonotic (transmitted from an animal to a human) are also included. There are also several Fact Sheets on topics of general interest to wildlife health.

Wildlife Health Australia welcomes your feedback on Fact Sheets. Please email admin@wildlifehealthaustralia.com.au. We would also like to hear from you if you have a particular area of expertise and are interested in creating or updating a WHA Fact Sheet. A small amount of funding is available to facilitate this.

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All

Borrelia and Australian wildlife - Dec 2016

Borrelia are known to cause disease (primarily in humans) overseas. This includes Lyme disease, which is considered EXOTIC to Australia. This fact sheet focuses on what is known about tick-borne...
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EXOTIC - African horse sickness - Jul 2023

African horse sickness (AHS) is not found in Australia. AHS is an acute or sub-acute, infectious, insect-borne viral disease of horses, donkeys and mules. Horses are more susceptible to AHS than...
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EXOTIC - African swine fever - Jul 2023

African swine fever (ASF) is not found in Australia. ASF is a highly contagious, generalised viral disease affecting only pigs. ASF is transmitted by direct contact, inanimate objects and ticks....
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EXOTIC - Aujeskzy's disease - Jul 2023

Aujeszky’s disease is not found in Australia. Aujeszky’s disease is a viral disease that causes encephalomyelitis and respiratory disease in domestic and wild animals. The disease is...
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EXOTIC - Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans in amphibians - Jul 2023

Batrachochytrium salamandrivoran (Bsal) is a species of fungus that can cause fatal disease in salamanders and newts, and may cause disease in frog species. Infection with Bsal causes skin erosion...
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EXOTIC - Bovine brucellosis - Jul 2023

Bovine brucellosis is not present in Australia. Bovine brucellosis is a chronic infectious disease of cattle caused by the bacterium Brucella abortus, an intracellular parasite. Bovine brucellosis...
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EXOTIC - Chikungunya fever - Mar 2024

Chikungunya fever is a viral, mosquito-borne disease of humans. The disease occurs throughout much of the world, with large outbreaks becoming more frequent in many endemic regions and the...
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EXOTIC - Classical swine fever - May 2017

Classical swine fever is a serious viral disease of pigs. It is important because it can cause major economic losses in pig industries, feral pigs can act as a reservoir of infection and it is...
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EXOTIC - Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia - Jul 2023

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia is not present in Australia. It is a contagious bacterial disease that affects the lungs of cattle, buffalo, zebu and yaks. Sheep, goats, camels, antelope and...
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EXOTIC - Contagious equine metritis - Jul 2023

Contagious equine metritis (CEM) is not present in Australia. It is a sexually transmitted disease of horses that causes endometritis (inflammation of the lining of the uterus) and temporary...
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Wildlife Health Australia aims to link, inform and support people and organisations who work with or have an interest in wildlife health across Australia through technical advice, facilitation, communications and professional support.