Tasmanian devils undergo plastic surgery

Scientists have used plastic surgery to shed new light on the deadly cancer wiping out tasmanian devils.

The devils are being killed by a contagious facial tumour disease transferred from animal-to-animal through biting.

Until now, scientists assumed the animals inbreeding was to blame.

They believed the low genetic diversity in the population meant devils could not reject the invading tumour cells.

But a plastic surgery experiment is making scientists reconsider the reason why the devils are being affected by the deadly tumours.

Associate Professor Greg Woods from the Menzies Research Institute says a plastic surgeon from a local hospital came to a bush site near Hobart to do skin grafts on devils.

"He really revolutionised the whole technique and brought out all his equipment," he said.

"What was really amazing was this was done out in the field, in the back of a truck ... the surgery went beautifully so it was really quite a nice way in which to do this research."

But there was a surprising result. Associate Professor Woods had assumed that the devils would accept skin grafts from each other.

That would have confirmed the researchers theory that the animals were catching the facial cancer from each other because the devils are so inbred.

But the devil's did not accept each other's skin.

"The graft got rejected quite nicely, which shows that the devils do have enough diversity to recognise foreign tissue," he said.

"This is really good news for the devil because it means that the devils' immune system can recognise foreign tissue.

"The challenge now is to work out what is special about those tumour cells to allow them to hide from the devils' immune system.

"I think it may be that the tumour is camouflaged; it's got a camouflage."

University of Sydney Associate Professor Kathy Belov, who has been studying the devil's genetics, says the researchers will now start studying the tumour cells.

"This has probably confused us more than anything else," she said.

"But we are going to come back and start thinking about what it means and how we can use this information to help us beat the disease."

The devil is considered an endangered species and faces extinction in about three decades if a cure for the disease is not found.

Source http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07-22/20110722-plastic-surgery-sheds-light-on-devil-tumour/2806502

More properties under Hendra quarantine

FOUR properties have now been quarantined at Logan City, south of Brisbane, after a horse died from the Hendra virus at a Park Ridge property on Monday night.

Biosecurity Queensland says there was just one horse on the property but any of the seven horses on surrounding properties may have come into contact with it.

Samples will be taken from those horses for testing.

Staff from Queensland Health and Biosecurity Queensland have been doorknocking neighbours of the property where the horse died to provide information about the virus and confirm the location of other horses in the area.

Veterinarian Kylie Schaaf treated the horse at Park Ridge and is one of two people being tested for the virus in the area. The other is the horse's owner.

It is the second time Ms Schaaf has been tested for the Hendra virus after colleague Ben Cunneen died in 2008 while looking after an infected horse at Redlands Veterinary Clinic.

She told ABC Radio today she was not worried about her personal safety because she took all the necessary precautions, but she feels for those who have been affected.

But she said what she does want to see is the vaccine for horses made available quickly.

"Humans can't get infected by bats, however if we can vaccinate the horses which amplify the disease this will prevent them infecting people potentially or at least minimise the risk."

She said her understanding was that the vaccine could be available by March next year if the permit process was sped up.

Ms Schaaf said it was also now getting to the point where it was better to play it safe and take precautions any time a horse was treated.

"It's ridiculous when it could be prevented by simple vaccinations. People wouldn't be at a greater risk of dying," she said.

Eight properties in total are now under quarantine, with 42 horses being monitored.

Three of the properties are in the Beaudesert area and contain 28 horses, while the other property is at Mount Alford, near Boonah, and has seven horses.

Since June 20, six horses have died or have been put down after contracting Hendra - five in southern Queensland and one in northern New South Wales.

In Queensland, 17 people who were exposed to the sick horses are waiting to learn if they have contracted the potentially deadly virus.

Nine others linked to a Hendra case in northern NSW are also waiting for test results.

Premier Anna Bligh said today the new cases were worrying.

"The recent spate of diagnosis of Hendra virus are deeply concerning," Ms Bligh told reporters in Brisbane.

"My heart goes out to the people who are waiting for these results."

Source http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/more-properties-under-hendra-quarantine/story-e6frf7jx-1226089099057