Koala AIDS Poses Increased Hazard to Australian Icon Already at Risk

Koala AIDS Poses Increased Hazard to Australian Icon Already at Risk

[url=http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/asia/Koala-AIDS-Poses-Increased-Hazard-to-Australian-Icon-Already-at-Risk-96617034.html]www1.voanews.com[/ur l]

The discovery of an AIDS-like virus in koalas is raising newfound fears the animal may soon face extinction. KIDS, or Koala Immune Deficiency Syndrome, decimates the koala's ability to fight off infection and disease.

Dr. Jon Hanger, the researcher who discovered the virus points out a very sick koala with the sexually transmitted disease Chlamydia, and now her doctors fear she may have developed the retrovirus that causes koala AIDS.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Australia's koala face extinction from an AIDS-like virus.

An Australian national icon is dying from a version of the AIDS virus.

Currently the wild koala population is around ~43000, down from ~100000 a few years ago.

I certainly don't want to see my favorite Australian animal going extinct. Do you?

[url=http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/asia/Koala-AIDS-Poses-Increased-Hazard-to-Australian-Icon-Already-at-Risk-96617034.html]www1.voanews.com[/ur l]
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by ironfalcon


So sad.

Koala's are awesome too. I've held one before. Cute, fuzzy little bastards with sharp freaking claws.

How sad.. the 'national icon' is dying.. not the koalas.

"Now be won't be able to use their cute faces in our logos!"

Just sounded strange and cold to word it that way.

How many other species are comming down with aids like virus if any?
how old is this info?