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Sampson flat bushfires
Dr Sheridan Lathe

The Sampson Flat Bushfires took place from the 2nd to the 9th of January 2015. Many native animals were displaced, injured or killed during the fires. The Adelaide Koala and Wildlife Hospital set up a burns unit in the clinic, with enough supplies and staff to treat up to 30 burns patients in clinic and an additional amount as outpatients.

A total of ten koalas and one brushtail possum were admitted to the Adelaide Koala and Wildlife Hospital from the 8th - 15th of January. The patients ranged in age from 3 years of age to 12 years of age (based on tooth wear classes). Two of the four female koalas had pouch young.

Each patient was assessed on admission and initially treated with wet to dry bandages, antibiotic cover and pain relief. The wet to dry bandages were used for the first 3-5 bandage changes then replaced with flamazine and melolin bandages to encourage wound healing. Bandage changes were conducted under sedation or anaesthetic to minimise pain and stress. Burns varied from case to case but ranged from superficial burns to the pads of the feet to deep burns effecting up to 10% of the body.
Of the koalas treated five died or were euthanised during the course of their treatment. Four of these were due to sepsis. One of the koalas was affected by calcium oxolate nephrosis.
Seven of the treated koalas were tested for chlamydia using conjunctival and cloacal swabs processed by Idexx laboratories. Chlamydia was not detected in any of the koalas affected from the fire. Blood tests were run on all affected koalas at least weekly; low protein, elevated blood urea nitrogen and elevated creatine kinase appeared to be poor prognostic indicators.

Five of the koalas and the brushtail possum were successfully rehabilitated for release. The release dates ranged from 1st February to the 10th of February 2015. All patients had blood tests run before release, which were normal.

Based on the koalas admitted to the Adelaide Koala and Wildlife Hospital after the Sampson Flat Bushfires it appears that koalas in this region had no incidence of chlamydia infection and a low incidence of calcium oxolate nephrosis. It also appears that many koalas in this region are living long lives with five out of ten estimated to be over 8 years of age. It has also shown the most common reason for treatment failure was sepsis, likely due to lack of efficacy of common antibiotics in koalas.

Adelaide University, Roseworthy Campus, Media Release - November 2014

This year the staff at the hospital have been very lucky to work with a Honors Student, Jess Fabijan, from the Adelaide University. Jess, along with her supervisors, are studying the relationship between the koala retrovirus and chlamydia. The results of Jess's study has shown a higher prevalence of both disease then we expected in the South Australian population. For more information follow the link to the official media release:
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/news/news74943.html