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

Adenovirus infection in bearded dragons - May 2019

Adenoviral hepatitis is a common cause of neonatal and juvenile mortality in bearded dragons (Pogona spp.) in the USA. Adenovirus has been reported in captive and free-living  dragons in...
Open

Diseases of concern in wild Australian crocodiles - Oct 2019

Australian farmed crocodiles have been affected by a number of different disease agents including poxvirus, pentastomes, Streptococcus agalactiae, Dermatophilus and Chlamydia. Little is known...
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Diseases of concern in wild Australian marine turtles - Mar 2023

Significant diseases that have been reported in wild Australian marine turtles include: coccidiosis, (see also WHA fact sheet “Disseminated coccidiosis in green turtles”),...
Open

Disseminated coccidiosis in green turtles - Mar 2024

Coccidiosis in green turtles (Chelonia mydas) is a neurological and gastrointestinal disease caused by coccidian parasites morphologically similar to Caryospora cheloniae. Outbreaks in Australian...
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Inclusion body disease in Australian snakes - Jun 2013

Inclusion body disease (IBD) is an important disease of snakes because of its 100% mortality rate and lack of definite knowledge regarding epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. While...
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Mycobacterial disease in wild Australian native reptiles - Aug 2013

Mycobacterial disease (mycobacteriosis) is a serious disease across many animal species and has been described in the scientific literature since the 1880s. Mycobacterial infections have been...
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Nidoviral respiratory disease in Australian lizards - Mar 2023

A respiratory disease syndrome has been anecdotally reported in wild and captive shingleback lizards (Tiliqua rugosa) in Western Australia (WA) since the late 1990s. The syndrome was colloquially...
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Pathogenic skin fungi in Australian reptiles - Aug 2021

Fungi belonging to the genera Nannizziopsis, Paranannizziopsis and Ophidiomyces (formerly members of the Chrysosporium anamorph of Nannizziopsis vriesii [CANV] complex) are the cause of skin...
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Pentastomiasis in Australian reptiles - Jan 2019

Pentastomiasis (also known as Porocephalosis) is a disease caused by infection with pentastomids.Pentastomids are endoparasites of vertebrates, maturing primarily in the respiratory system of...
Open

Ranaviruses in wild reptiles in Australia - Feb 2020

Ranaviruses have been associated with disease outbreaks causing significant mortality and morbidity in wild amphibians, reptiles, and cultivated and wild fish. Systemic infection caused by a...
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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.