《经济学人》：澳大利亚考拉感染了什么病？
原文标题：
Diseasedmarsupials
Akoalossalproblem
Australianscientistsarejabbingkoalasagainstchlamydia
Thevenerealdiseaseisamongthebiggestkillersofthecutemarsupial
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WHENBRITISHcolonistsfirstcametoAustraliatheybroughtwiththem,amongotherdelights,abouquetofvenerealdiseases.TheyintroducedAboriginalstosyphilisandgonorrhoea.NotevenAustralia’swildlifewasspared.TheEuropeansshippedinsheepandcattleinfectedwithchlamydia.Scientistssuspectthatitjumpedbetweenspecies:koalasarenowriddledwiththedisease.Insomecolonies,everyanimaltestspositive.Onlyacoupleofwildpopulationsarefreeofit.
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Thisismorethanjustamatterofembarrassmentinpolitemarsupialsociety.Chlamydiacausesconjunctivitis,whichcanblindakoala.Worseisabrownbottom.Thatimpliesthatthediseasehasledtoabadurinaryinfectionandincontinence.Thoseanimalsarehardtosave,saysMichaelPyne,avetatCurrumbinWildlifeHospitalinQueensland.Oftentheinfectionspreadstothekidneys,leadingtorenalfailure.Manysurvivorsareleftinfertile.
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Australia’siconic“bear”hasplentyofotherproblems,too.KoalanumbersinQueenslandandNewSouthWaleshavefallenbyatleasthalfthiscentury.Thedeclineissosteepthefederalgovernmentrecentlylistedthemasendangered.Theirhabitatshavebeenrippedupfordevelopmentandburntdowninbushfires.Theyareregularlyhitbycarsandattackedbydogs.Yetchlamydiaisoneoftheirbiggestkillers,andgrowing.
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Itisnotjustthatrandykoalasarespreadingdiseasetheold-fashionedway.Femalesfeedtheirjoeysakindoffaecescalled“pap”topassonnutrientsfromeucalyptusleaves.Thattransmitstheinfection,too.Koalasdonotrespondwelltoantibiotics,whichdisruptthebacteriatheyneedtobreakdownfood.
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Helpmaybe
