A mahogany glider, a recent patient at UQ’s School of Veterinary Science
Experts are hoping to better protect Australian wildlife using increased data, with a one-year pilot project involving seven universities, including The University of Queensland. UQ's School of Veterinary Science's Veterinary Medical Centre and Veterinary Laboratory Services will contribute data to the Wildlife Health Information System (eWHIS) , managed by Wildlife Health Australia. UQ veterinarian Dr Stephanie Shaw said staff would report on wildlife cases presented for treatment or diagnosis, adding data to the eWHIS database and making it easier to spot emerging issues or trends in wildlife health. "UQ is well-positioned to contribute information on diseases we currently in wildlife, such as psittacine beak and feather disease, and unusual or emerging viral and fungal diseases such as sunshine virus and yellow fungus disease, or CANV," Dr Shaw said. UQ avian and exotic pet medicine specialist Associate Professor Bob Doneley said the two UQ departments saw almost 2000 wildlife cases a year. "It is a great partnership to share knowledge and to be on the frontline in Australia's wildlife disease surveillance," he said. Wildlife Health Australia CEO Dr Rupert Woods said universities saw many wildlife disease investigations annually, so the number of records going into eWHIS could increase by 50 per cent or more as a result of the project.
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
