An outbreak of blindness in kangaroos in western New South Wales (abstract)

Authors: Hartley WJ
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 43, Issue 3, pp 124, Jun 1995
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Wildlife
Subject Terms: Eye/opthalmology, Disease/defect, Clinical examination, Pathology
Article class: Abstract

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Abstract: For several months of the summer-autumn of 1994 there were many reports of blindness, particularly in Western Grey Kangaroos on properties extending from north western Victoria throughout western New South Wales. On some properties, up to 20% of macropods were affected. Many animals probably died, mainly from starvation.
The essential lesion was a moderate to severe recent to old-standing mononuclear cell infiltration of the choroid retina with sloughing of the latter and Wallerinan degeneration of the optic nerve and optic tract in the brain. A few animals had an associated mild encephalitis.
The epidemiology would suggest that the likely cause of the epizootic is an insect-borne infective agent.

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