Tasmanian devils and DFTD

1 - 3 of 3 posts

robert99 Sweden • Posts: 1360

1 22 Mar 2017

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170321-how-the-tasmanian-devil-has-responded-to-infectious-cancers

The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is an endangered marsupial found only on the Tasmanian Islands off the south-east coast of Australia. It may grow to only 8kg, but that still makes the Tasmanian devil the largest living carnivorous marsupial on Earth.

Marsupials are a small but endearing branch of the mammalian family tree. Along with the egg-laying "monotremes", like the Platypus, they are sisters to the placental mammals, a group that includes everything else, from humans to elephants and from mice to lions.

The last remaining populations of devils are now being ravaged by a fatal form of cancer known as Devil Facial Tumour Disease, or DFTD. This unusual disease can be transmitted between devils, in one of just a handful of examples of contagious cancer.

see also http://www.tassiedevil.com.au/tasdevil.nsf

robert99 Sweden • Posts: 1360

3 23 Mar 2017

1996 - DFT1 was first observed in 1996. Prior to this there was no evidence of DFTD in the devil population. DFT2 was first observed in 2014.

http://www.tcg.vet.cam.ac.uk/about/DFTD

Tasmanian devils with large facial tumours were photographed in North East Tasmania during 1996. We now know these characteristics are consistent with Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD).

DFTD is a fatal condition in Tasmanian devils, characterised by cancers around the head and neck.

DFTD appears to be a new disease that is restricted to Tasmanian devils. No affected animals were detected among the 2000-plus devils trapped by six biologists between 1964 and 1995.

DFTD is extremely unusual: it is one of only four known naturally occurring transmissible cancers. It is transmitted like a contagious disease between individuals through biting and other close contact.

http://www.tassiedevil.com.au/tasdevil.nsf/The-Disease/979FEB5F116CE371CA2576CB0011A26E

+ 1