Historic chlamydia vaccine for koalas

A historic vaccine to strengthen protection of koalas against chlamydia has been developed by researchers from the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Centre for Bioinnovation, with funding from the Albanese Government.

The single-dose vaccine will combat the threat of chlamydia which can cause painful urinary tract infections, infertility, blindness and death in koala populations.

Researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast have spent more than 10 years developing the single-dose vaccine to protect koalas from the disease.

Trials were conducted on hundreds of wild koalas, koalas in care, and over multiple generations.

Development of the vaccine is supported by $749,000 in funding from the Albanese Government’s $76 million Saving Koalas Fund.

The vaccine has now been registered by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA).

Minister for the Environment and Water, Murray Watt said the milestone is a huge achievement.

“This is a decade in the making. Having a koala chlamydia vaccine registered and ready for use is a big stride towards protecting this iconic species.

“We know chlamydia impacts the fertility of wild koala populations and is a threat to their survival, that’s why the Albanese Government is supporting this project.

“We’re also investing in koala habitat restoration and koala monitoring efforts so that our koalas not only survive but thrive.”

Sunshine Coast Professor of Microbiology, Peter Timms said the University of the Sunshine Coast was determined to do the hard yards to move the project from research to this vital next stage.

“This is a high-quality, veterinary-approved product that can now be used in wildlife hospitals, veterinary clinics, and in the field, to protect the nation’s most at-risk koalas.

“We knew a single-dose vaccine – with no need for a booster – was the answer to reducing the rapid, devastating spread of this disease, which accounts for as much as half of koala deaths across wild populations in Australia. 

“A decade of clinical data, gathered through multiple vaccination trials, confirmed the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness. This includes the largest and longest-ever study of wild koalas.

“We found that the vaccine reduced the likelihood of koalas developing symptoms of chlamydia during breeding age and decreased mortality from the disease in wild populations by at least 65 percent. It offers three levels of protection – reducing infection, preventing progression to clinical disease and, in some cases, reversing existing symptoms.”