Rare potoroo cursed by the pox

Australia's most endangered marsupial, the Gilbert's potoroo, is suffering from a severe case of syphilis, according to a long-term study.

The disease may affect its ability to reproduce, the study says, further threatening the wild population, which is believed to number fewer than 40.

Murdoch University veterinarian Dr Rebecca Vaughan is now undertaking a penicillin-based trial on a long-nosed potoroo, the nearest relative to the Gilbert's potoroo.



Among a range of health conditions, Vaughan has found about 80% of the Gilbert's potoroo population is infected with a form of the bacteria treponema, which is similar to the microbe that causes syphilis in rabbits.

Infected male potoroos suffer severe inflammation of the penis and have a bright green discharge from their bottoms.

Vaughan says in some instances the inflammation is so severe the male potoroos cannot extrude their penis, obviously making it hard for them to mate.