Also just clarifying, I’m sharing a story from the NYT. Not my own.

Measles is one of the most infectious diseases we know of. One infected person on average infects between 12-18 people!!! This also means that 95% or more of the population have to be vaccinated to keep measles from circulating. Renea‘s story was entirely preventable. Vaccines work.

I think this story illustrates two things: vaccinating your child doesn’t only protect your child but also those too young or sick to be immunised. And secondly, even though most kids or people infected with measles will recover, some won’t. There is no way of knowing which category you‘re in.

The brain swelling kept getting worse. Eventually she was diagnosed with sclerosing panencephalitis, a rare but fatal long term consequence of measles. The virus had been hiding away in her body all these years. She kept deteriorating and died a couple of weeks before her 11th birthday.

Renae got measles when she was 5 months old, too young to be vaccinated. She was hospitalised but survived. For the next 10 years all seemed well. She grew into a very smart and funny tween. Then she started to feel just a bit off, she got seizures. The doctors found brain swelling.

Opinion | Measles Took My Daughter. This Is What I Want Everyone to Know.

A heartbreaking story about the potential fatal long term impacts of measles, even if the initial infection is survived. Rare, but devastating and entirely preventable. Measles Took My Daughter. This Is What I Want Everyone to Know. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/21/o...

There is currently no evidence of secondary poisoning of predators of aquatic organisms, but perhaps something to keep in mind.

It can be removed from waste water through special steps such as ozone treatment. But most water treatment facilities don’t have this. Incidentally, diclofenac poisoning was also a major issue on the subcontinent for vultures feeding on livestock treated with the drug.

Schweizer Flüsse überschreiten häufig Grenzwerte für Diclofenac Über das Abwasser gelangen Rückstände des Wirkstoffs Diclofenac in Gewässer – mit Folgen für die Lebewesen.

Diclofenac (Voltaren) has been found in significant concentrations in rivers in Switzerland. The drug has negative health impacts on aquatic organisms. The gel enters waste water through hand washing, showers etc. www.srf.ch/news/schweiz...

More than 80% of flying fox colony wiped out as January heatwaves kill thousands of bats Only 180 bats survived intense heat in South Australian town, including 34 babies that carers say face months of recovery

www.theguardian.com/environment/... Heat waves are devastating to flying fox colonies. The good news is that the sprinkler systems installed in some colonies anecdotally seem to help though.

‘Unfathomable loss’: University of Melbourne’s vice chancellor dies at 52 Professor Emma Johnston, the university’s first female vice chancellor, has died less than 12 months after taking up the role.

We have lost a wonderful scientist, and our much admired vice chancellor much too soon. My condolences especially to Prof Johnston‘s family. www.theage.com.au/national/vic...

Postgraduate Research Scholarship in Disease Ecology and Epidemiology

Join our lab!
The Disease Ecology Lab at the USYD is seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to explore drivers of infectious diseases at the wildlife-livestock interface

🌐 www.sydney.edu.au/scholarships...

#PhD #Scholarship #DiseaseEcology #Epidemiology #WildlifeHealth #OneHealth #USYD

Definitely not the only possible sentinel, Eddy Cannella. But one of several potentials.

Our world-first study found ‘forever chemicals’ in Australian possums Australian possums tested in Melbourne are the 'canaries in the coal mine' for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in our urban wildlife finds University of Melbourne research.

pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/our...

Wildlife are telling us a lot about environmental pollution levels. One Health in action.

Urban possums in Melbourne, Victoria, have among the highest PFAS levels previously documented in terrestrial mammals anywhere in the world. Congratulations Ellis Mackay on your first paper! doi.org/10.1016/j.sc...

🎓 Graduate opportunity! The University of Melbourne’s School of BioSciences is seeking MSc students for a funded One Health-inspired project on how the gut microbiome can boost conservation success in Australian mammals. Contact Dr. Ashley Dungan: ashley.dungan@unimelb.edu.au

🧪Great work by Jacinta Colvin and team from RMIT and our partners at Phillip Island Nature Park.

🧪🦇 Congratulations, @alangguth.bsky.social for publishing the first of her PhD papers. More to come!

Excellent work by our fabulous final year DVM student Bridget Graffeo - and the MVS Parasitology team around Prof Abdul Jabbar.

Australian bird of the year 2025: vote for your favourite #birdoftheyear in the Guardian / BirdLife Australia poll From little penguins to (very big) cassowaries, every bird has its fans. Vote for your favourite in the 2025 Guardian/BirdLife Australia poll

Vote for your favourite Australian Bird of the Year! First round of voting closes tonight. A great opportunity to learn more about some of Australia's amazing avifauna.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Congratulations to Dr Anna Langguth, winner of the Student Award at this year‘s WDA-A conference for her presentation on zymosan challenge trials in eastern bent-wing bats. @alangguth.bsky.social #wdaa2025

Congratulations to Dr Alison Peel, winner of this year‘s prestigious WDA-A Barry L Munday Award for her extraordinary and extensive contributions to the field of wildlife health. @alibat.bsky.social #wdaa2025

We in WDA-A are deeply saddened to hear of Jane Goodall’s passing earlier today. Our thoughts and condolences go out to her family and friends.

Her legacy in wildlife conservation, empathetic science, and inspiring generations will forever ripple across the world.

My student Anna presenting some of her PhD work at this year‘s Wildlife Disease Association Australasian meeting. Always a great bunch of people passionate about wildlife health to hang out with.

Brett Gartrell speaking about off-target anticoagulant toxicity in Tuatara and short-tailed bats in NZ

Julien Grosmaire @WDAA2025 speaking about methods for koala monitoring including different tag and collar designs.

The 2025 WDAA is officially underway! Some fantastic talks by Chris Daniels from Green Adelaide, David Paton from BioR and Claire Hartvigsen-Power from Marna Banggara telling us about biodiversity needs and projects in the Adelaide region and beyond.