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

Angiostrongylus and Australian wildlife - Nov 2019

Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the rat lungworm, occurs in introduced rats and can cause neurological disease in mammalian and bird hosts. It is a zoonosis. Marsupials and flying-foxes are highly...
Open

Arboviruses associated with Australian wildlife - May 2024

At least 75 arboviruses have been reported in Australia, most of them transmitted by the bites of mosquitoes and 13 arboviruses are considered zoonotic (a disease transmitted from animals to...
Open

Australian bat lyssavirus - Aug 2023

Australian flying-foxes and insectivorous bats the natural reservoirs for Australian bat lyssavirus, which can infect humans and other mammals. It causes similar signs to rabies and infection...
Open

Australian marine mammals and biotoxins - Nov 2019

Marine biotoxins produced by harmful algal blooms are a growing global threat to the health of marine mammal species. Biotoxins have been associated with mass morbidity and mortality in...
Open

Australian marine mammals and Brucella - Mar 2020

Novel species of Brucella have recently emerged as pathogens of marine mammals and as potential zoonoses.

Open

Australian marine mammals and pollutants - Aug 2024

Marine mammals are prone to accumulating environmental pollutants due to their longevity and diet, making them excellent sentinels of ocean health. Pollutants are part of the cumulative threat to...
Open

Babesia and Theileria (piroplasms) in Australian wildlife - Mar 2024

Babesia spp. and Theileria spp. are protozoan haemoparasites (piroplasms) which infect the red blood cells of various mammals and birds worldwide. Ticks are the usual vectors and the protozoa...
Open

Bandicoot papillomatosis and carcinomatosis syndromes - Sep 2023

Papillomatosis and carcinomatosis syndromes in Shark Bay and southern brown bandicoots are caused by novel viruses. The syndrome (with associated disease) in Shark Bay bandicoots has been reported...
Open

Bartonella in Australian wildlife - Sep 2023

Bartonella can cause disease in mammals and humans. Bartonella henselae is carried by cats and fleas and can cause cat scratch fever. Several novel Bartonella species have been...
Open

Besnoitia in Australian wildlife - Aug 2023

Besnoitia are protozoa that infect mammals, reptiles and birds. A Besnoitia-like organism has been associated with nasal bleeding in captive and free-ranging kangaroos, a syndrome known...
Open
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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.