Latest news with #VeterinaryScience
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alarm raised after strange backyard phenomenon worsens in Aussie region
For the last two decades, a strange backyard phenomenon has been noticed by alarmed residents in northern Australia. The frogs in their towns have been presenting with strange growths that resemble cancer, and because tumours are rare in frogs there have been increasing concerns about chemical contamination and emerging disease. On Friday, scientists from the University of Queensland announced they would begin investigating the problem, noting it was important to determine whether the tumours were being caused by something that could also impact human health. Dr Viviana Gonzalez-Astudillo from the School of Veterinary Science explained that frogs can get similar types of cancers to humans. And because they breathe and absorb water through their skin, they're a good bio-indicator of any contaminants in the environment. 'Because frogs have such an intimate relationship with our waterways, anything we put out there in the form of chemicals or pathogens — viruses, fungi, parasites or bacteria — they're going to be probably the first type of vertebrate that is going to be exposed and manifest something,' she told Yahoo News Australia. 'That is where the concern is, and that is why we need to investigate.' Related: Mutant turtles discovered in contaminated Aussie waterways Chemical contamination found in one-third of frogs Dr Gonzalez-Astudillo said the investigation should not cause 'wide-scale panic' about new contaminants entering the environment, and it's important to stress the cause of the growths remains a mystery. But there are pervasive substances like PFAS, which is commonly used in non-stick cookware and flame retardants, or even long-banned chemicals that can exist in the environment for decades, and it's important to rule this out. Chemical contamination is a known problem affecting frogs. An Australian Museum and University of NSW study published in April found 36 per cent of frogs in eastern NSW had either a rodenticide or legacy pesticide in their livers. But frogs are also highly susceptible to disease — the introduction of chytrid fungus caused at least six extinctions in Australia. Clusters of the mystery tumours have been restricted to towns around Far North Queensland, and since 1998, non-profit group Frog Safe has assessed 60 animals. Last year, Yahoo reported that since 2020, four new forms of the disease had emerged that hadn't been encountered before. Because the tumours are generally found around the eyes and mouth, without medical attention, vital bodily functions are inhibited, and the frogs die. Herpes virus linked to separate disease cluster In Queensland, the tumours have been found in white-lipped and common green tree frogs. Similar symptoms have been documented in the North American leopard frog, where the problem was linked to a frog herpes virus that develops when the weather is hotter. Anecdotally, the mystery frog tumours in Queensland are becoming more prevalent, but this now needs to be backed up by scientific evidence. It's rare for vets to treat sick frogs, so it's believed most cases go unreported. Plan to revive frog sound not heard since 1980s in Canberra Incredible Australian footage reveals native predator killing city rats Warning 'nowhere is safe' as Australia's 500km toxic problem spreads For the research to be successful, the University of Queensland team need public help. They're calling on anyone who spots a frog with an unusual growth to contact Frog Safe on (07) 4006 3784 and email the photos to sickfrog@ Attempts will be made to treat all sick frogs, and no animals will be killed specifically for the study. The research is expected to run until November, 2026 and is supported by the CSIRO Ecosurveillance Systems team. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Brain worm spike detected in Australia following extreme weather event
A tiny parasite that can infect human brains has the potential to change our way of life in Australia, threatening not only our health but what we eat. Originally from Southeast Asia, rat lungworm is now established along our east coast, with infections found as far south as Jervis Bay. University of Sydney research has linked spikes in infections of the worm in animals to heavy rainfall, because the worm is commonly found in slugs and snails that proliferate during wet weather. A study of 93 dog infections in Sydney and Brisbane found 32 occurred directly after a single rain event, which were likely triggered after pets came into contact with common garden molluscs. The researchers found risk was elevated for between two and 10 months after heavy rain. The study's senior author, Jan Šlapeta from the Sydney School of Veterinary Science, told Yahoo News it's unclear how far south the parasite will spread. But with the world's weather becoming warmer and wetter, it's possible it could one day make its way down to Melbourne. "It has the potential to spread further. An indicator is that 20 or 30 years ago, we did not talk about it in America or Europe. Now it's in the southern states of the United States, it's creeping into Europe, it's in Spain," he said. "I think climate change is very much helping this parasite spread further." Interactions with slugs and snails are the most common way for people to become infected, either by accidentally or intentionally eating them, or by consuming unwashed salad they've had contact with. In 2010, a Sydney man died after he ate a slug following a dare. It's unusual for anyone in Australia to eat an infected snail because of their large size, but that could change if there's a similar biosecurity breach to what has occurred in Hawaii. It's on the Big Island that a tiny semi-slug,Parmarion martensi, has invaded the landscape. It's so small that it's easy to accidentally consume when eating salad greens and fresh fruit and vegetables. "You can't wash them off or see them. The number of human cases [of rat lungworm] have increased dramatically," Šlapeta said. "In Australia we do not have this semi-slug. Is there a potential? We can't yet tell. But we have areas up north that are similar to Hawaii. I don't want to be an alarmist, but this parasite could create more havoc. "If this semi-slug comes in, then it might end up on the veggies that people have got in their backyards. And that would change the landscape of this disease completely, like it changed in Hawaii." The semi-slug would complete a cocktail of invasive species that Šlapeta doesn't want to see become established in Australia. "The parasite is invasive, the rat is invasive, the European slugs that we see in the backyards of Sydney are invasive, but if we bring in the semi-slug... it could change the way we grow greens and behave in restaurants," he said. The first sign the worm has reached a city is usually that animals in its zoo have become sick, with curious primates often picking up slugs inside their cage and then becoming sick. Reports made by wildlife rescue volunteers are also useful in monitoring its spread, as tawny frogmouths and possums often get sick in large numbers. Since rat lungworm, also known as Angiostrongylus cantonensis, was first detected in Brisbane in the 1970s, at least six people have been infected, two of whom have died. When it comes to infections in people, most are asymptomatic, and many cases likely aren't diagnosed. Seven dire reasons it might be time to leave Australia – from floods to fungus Travellers could trigger mosquito disease outbreak in Australia as weather warms Details in satellite photos spark 'worrying' prediction about colony of thousands During its first phase of life, rat lungworm larvae hatch in the lungs of rats and is then passed through the animal as faeces. Slugs and snails consume that faeces and the worms grow inside of them. Rats then eat the slugs and snails and the process begins again. The process is relatively harmless to slugs, snails and rats, but in other hosts like humans, dogs or native birds and mammals, the body can overreact and try to kill the parasite. On rare occasions, it causes an infestation in the brain that triggers an immune response that causes inflammation. Symptoms normally set on between one and three weeks after a slug or snail is eaten, and include headaches, nausea, vomiting, a stiff neck, pain in the skin and fever. The University of Sydney study on rat lungworm infections in dogs advocates for a One Health approach to combating the parasite. This concept means recognising that animals and humans live in the same environment and are therefore interconnected. But how best to respond to the problems it's causing is something that's left Šlapeta stumped. "That's the million dollar question. The parasite is moving wherever it wants," he said. "We can't eliminate rats, we can't eliminate slugs, so we just have to be more vigilant around the clinical signs in our pets and ourselves. "But there's not much we can do about tawny frogmouths. They will keep looking for some sort of food, and if the slug or snail is infected then they will become infected too." The lead author of the study into rat lungworm in dogs was Sydney University's Phoebe Rivory. The research was published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Mail & Guardian
30-05-2025
- General
- Mail & Guardian
Antibiotic resistance profiles of oral flora in hippopotami (Hippopotamus amphibius): implications for treatment of human bite wound infections
Name of research institution: University of Pretoria Name of Faculty: Veterinary Science Name of department: Veterinary Tropical Diseases First author of the paper: Professor Anita Michel Authors: Maralize Engelbrecht, Francois Roux2 Jeanette Wentzel and Annelize Jonker Email address: Name of submitter: Professor Karen Keddy Capacity of submitter: Head of Department: Veterinary Tropical Diseases Email address of submitter: Submitting authority: Faculty of Veterinary Science Short description of the research: The common hippopotamus ( Hippopotamus amphibius ) which occurs in rivers, lakes and wetlands in sub-Saharan Africa, is known for its aggressive behaviour when defending its territory. This leads to numerous attacks on people close to water often leading to life-threatening injuries and severe wound infections. Our study investigated the bacterial spectrum common to the oral cavity of the hippopotamus and the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of those bacteria as this is of crucial importance to the effective treatment of bite wound infections caused by hippopotami. The findings showed that the bacteria usually residing in the hippopotamus' mouth are aquatic bacteria with a high level of antibiotic resistance to several antibiotic drugs which are commonly used to treat bite wound patients. This study highlights the need for revised, more effective treatment protocols that take into consideration the antibiotic susceptibility profiles reported in this paper. For the full paper see below:
