Poster 5: Koala Retrovirus

Question 1

What is it?

Answer 1

• Retroviridae gammaretrovirus

- only present in koalas

Question 2

What is the difference between KoRV-A and KoRV-B?

Answer 2

KoRV-A: endogenous, inherited, passed from parents to offspring, low replicative potential, sodium dependent phosphate transporter
KoRV-B: exogenous, transmitted through infection of specific somatic cells, passed from mother to offspring, uses thiamine transporter, high replicative potential

Question 3

Link to lymphoma and leukemia.

Answer 3

• association between KoRV and these, but no causative link
• not all goals with KoRV will succumb to infections or cancer
• similar gammaretroviruses been shown to activate photo-oncogenes
• immunosuppression resulting from high viral load may play a role in neoplasia

Question 4

Prevention and control

Answer 4

• isolation/quarantine of infected animals
• controlled breeding programs in zoos
• potential for vaccine development
• no treatment, but looking intro antiretroviral drugs