Developing an Adjunct Treatment for Koalas with Chlamydia

Chlamydial disease is a major threat to the survival of koala populations, resulting in blindness, urinary tract infections and infertility. While wildlife hospitals successfully treat many infected koalas with antimicrobial therapy, about a quarter of them do not survive due to gut microbial imbalances secondary to the very antibiotic therapy needed to treat chlamydia. To solve this problem, researchers will conduct a clinical trial administering capsules of healthy koala gut microbiota to koalas receiving antibiotic treatment for chlamydia. Concurrently, the team will work on developing a point-of-care test to help assess koala gut health for appropriate intervention and management during rehabilitation. Researchers hope findings will allow more koalas to be successfully treated for chlamydia and returned to the wild.