Chlamydia Under Control
Sydney
Australia has approved the world’s first vaccine to shield endangered koalas from chlamydia, a disease that has severely reduced their wild populations.
The vaccine, developed over more than a decade by the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC), received clearance from the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, marking a breakthrough in wildlife protection. Chlamydia, spread mainly through breeding, can cause urinary tract infections, infertility, blindness, and even death, with infection rates reaching 70 percent in some populations.
A UniSC-led study showed that vaccinated koalas were 65 percent less likely to develop symptoms during breeding age, and survival rates increased significantly. Professor Peter Timms, a UniSC microbiologist, said the single-dose vaccine—requiring no booster—was key to slowing the disease, which accounts for nearly half of koala deaths in the wild.
Until now, treatment options were limited to antibiotics, which disrupt digestion of eucalyptus leaves—the sole food source for koalas—sometimes causing starvation and recurring infections. The new vaccine is approved for use in wildlife hospitals, veterinary clinics, and field programs, raising hopes for stabilizing declining populations.
Extensive trials over ten years confirmed both the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. Conservationists believe widespread vaccination could safeguard the future of Australia’s most iconic marsupial, whose survival is also threatened by habitat loss, climate change, and bushfires.
Chlamydia, a bacterial sexually transmitted infection, is also widespread among humans, with more than 1.5 million reported cases annually. Many infections are asymptomatic, highlighting the importance of regular screenings to curb transmission.
