Undiagnosed deaths, crocodiles - Australia (NT)(02)

International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

Source: Northern Territory news [edited]
< http://www.ntnews.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,20408336%255E13569,00.html>

South African Dr Fritz Huchzermeyer arrived in Darwin last week to
investigate the puzzling deaths of thousands of juvenile saltwater
crocodiles at farms throughout the Top End in recent months.

Dr Huchzermeyer is regarded as the foremost crocodile disease expert
in the world.

While scientists from the Department of Primary Industries are
confident the deaths are linked to a Chlamydia outbreak, Dr
Huchzermeyer believes the deaths could also be a new strain of pox virus.

"In crocodile populations I have seen around the world with Chlamydia
infections, the mortality rate has been very low, whereas in this
case, it is extremely high," Dr Huchzermeyer said. "Also, the
affected crocodiles are not responding to tetracyclines, which are a
form of antibiotic used to successfully treat juvenile crocodiles
infected with Chlamydia. It's very puzzling to have these
conjunctivitis signs, which suggest Chlamydia, combined with ...
severe swelling of the phalynx [sic.], which hardens and suffocates
the crocs. [Surely this is pharynx, which is part of the respiratory
system in some organisms, vs. the phalynx, which is one of the distal
bones in the digits, i.e. like a finger bone, which has nothing to do
with hardening and suffocation. - Mod.TG]

"These mucosal legions [lesions?] on the crocodiles here could also
suggest a new manifestation of the pox virus; it is possible the
water birds that migrate between the farms have been passive carriers
of whatever disease is affecting the population. We need a proper
diagnosis, and that can only be done by analyzing the microscopic
sections of infected animals. Whatever it is, this is the highest
mortality rate I've ever seen for such a large population."