The first koala to receive the QUT-developed Chlamydia vaccine, developed by Professor Ken Beagley from the Centre for Immunology and Infection control, has been released from the program and back into the wild.
Three years ago, researchers from QUT and Currumbin Wildlife Hospital started trials as part of life-saving Koala Chlamydia vaccine research and in that time, more than 250 koalas in total have been vaccinated as part of the program in two studies. Leading immunologist Professor Beagley has spearheaded the first immunisations of a wild koala colony in the Gold Coast hinterland after 10 years developing the vaccine in the lab.
Working with Dr Michael Pyne OAM and the team at Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, the project has now resulted in up to 300 vaccinated koalas, with grand joeys being born to healthy females, using a two-shot vaccine approach. Anne Chovee was the first wild Gold Coast koala to receive the vaccine and was recently admitted for her final chec before being released back into the wild, and officially released from the program. Read the full news article