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Devil facial tumour disease ('''DFTD''') is a fatal disease of the Tasmanian Devil . First seen in 1999 , the disease has ravaged Tasmania's wild devils, and estimates of the impact range from 20% to as much as a 50% decline in the devil population with over 65% of the State affected. Affected high-density populations suffer up to 100% mortality in 12–18 months. The disease has mainly been concentrated in the State’s eastern half, although in early 2005 , three cases were confirmed in South Tasmania. DFTD begins as lesions and lumps around the mouth. The lesions and lumps develop into cancerous tumours that spread from the face to the entire body. The tumours interfere with feeding, and the affected animal may starve to death. Using Culture s of the cancerous tissue to study the condition, researchers have identified the cancer as Neuroendocrine in nature, and all cancer cells have identical Chromosomal rearrangements. A Virus was initially thought to be the cause of DFTD, but no evidence of such a virus could be detected in the cancer cells. The cancer cells themselves are an infective agent, with transmission of the disease occurring by biting, feeding on the same material, and aggressive mating. Final confirmation of this came when researcher Anne-Maree Pearse and colleagues found an infected animal that had a chromosomal abnormality in its non-tumourous cells that did not appear in its tumour cells, proving that the tumour cells could not be descended from the animal's own cells. {Link without Title} {Link without Title} {Link without Title} Pearse believes that this may prove vital to the survival of the devils. Since June 2005, three females have been found that are partially resistant to DFTD. {Link without Title} The DFTD cells have a similar Karotype to cancer cells from Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumor , a cancer of dogs that is transmitted between animals by physical contact. NOTES DPIWE. 2005. Devil Facial Tumour Disease - Update June 2005 DPIWE. 2005. Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumor Disease, Disease Management Strategy DPIWE. Disease Affecting Tasmanian Devils Bostanci, A. 2005. A Devil of a Disease. '' Science '', 307:1035 PMID 15718445 1 |
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