Tasmanian Government Media Release - 29 May 2008
The save the Tasmanian Devil Program has embarked on a monitoring trip that may determine if some Tasmanian devils in the wild are resistant to facial tumour disease.
It was encouraging that the individual captive Tasmanian devil known as "Cedric" seemed to be resistant to the tumour. But he is just one individual and it may merely be chance that he has not developed the disease so far. It is therefore vital to find out if there are resistant devils in the wild.
Wildlife biologists and veterinary pathologists from the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program have begun a monitoring trip along part of the recorded "frontline" of facial tumour disease in the wild. This activity will help further research into the possibility that some of the devils from western Tasmania may be genetically resistant to the disease.
The operation will concentrate on the most westerly region where the disease has been recorded. Blood and DNA samples will be collected, and a determination made as to whether there is an increased number of diseased animals in this area.
The area being targetted is just south of Upper Natone in the state's north-west, where the disease was recorded last year.
The Save the Tasmanian Devil Program advises that it is not seeing rapid increases in the number of new cases in the western - most areas occupied by the disease. Furthermore, the rate at which the disease front is moving appears to be slowing as it moves west.
In addition, preliminary investigations have shown that several wild caught devils from this area have already developed antibodies to the tumour.
In eastern parts of the state, the pattern of disease spread to date has been characterised by rapid increases in the number of disease cases, followed by major declines in devil populations.
The monitoring exercise will provide data on how the local populations of the species in the area under study has responded since the disease was recorded in that area.
The DNA samples will enable researchers to look for genetic differences between infected and uninfected animals, and the blood samples will let them see if any animals have mounted an immune response to the tumour.
The minister and researchers are very hopeful that the incidence of the disease will still be low. It will certainly be important information for the understanding of the disease.
Veterinary staff of the Department of Primary Industries and Water will take part in the monitoring trip to collect a range of samples for use in research.
The principal research scientist of the program, Professor Hamish McCallum, has advised that research around west Pencil Pine by the University of Tasmania has shown that the number of new disease cases has increased slowly in comparison with other monitoring sites.
Previous research suggests that there is more genetic variation between devils at Pencil Pine than in eastern parts of Tasmania. This has been the western - most record of the disease for more than a year now. This is why it is important to learn more about the devils around these sites.
The University of Tasmania and the University of Sydney are now investigating whether there are genetic differences between infected and uninfected devils at West Pencil Pine. They are also analysing blood samples to see if any animals have mounted immune responses.
On a cautionary note, we need to be aware that there is still more research to be undertaken in this field, which is why the devilsaround the frontline of the disease are especially interesting to the program.
The monitoring exercise will help shed light on whether they have been exposed to the disease and whether their immune systems are responding.
For more information see the Save the Tasmanian Devil website.
