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AIDS-Like Virus New Threat To Koala

Posted by timothy on from the poor-fellas dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A virus that may weaken the immune system of koalas, similar to HIV in humans, is a new 'wild card' among threats facing the species and nearly all koalas in the Australian state of Queensland could already be infected."

120 comments

  1. Blame CmdrTaco by nadamucho · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm pretty sure I know how this all started..

    1. Re:Blame CmdrTaco by alexborges · · Score: 1

      God hates koalas, what more evidence do you need!

      --
      NO SIG
  2. I knew those koalas were closet cases by kawabago · · Score: 4, Funny

    Sleep 18 hours a day and eat the rest of the time. If they gambled too they could be my ex!

    1. Re:I knew those koalas were closet cases by sopssa · · Score: 1

      No, you're mistaken. Men koalas just sleep, wake up for a bit and decide to go back to sleep. When they finally wake up, they go rape some of the female koalas and afterwards gets high eating eucalyptus, and then gets back to sleep. (it's true, actually)

      Awesome lifestyle, one could say.

    2. Re:I knew those koalas were closet cases by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Erich? Du hei um Slashdot?

  3. Drop Bears by muphin · · Score: 1

    oh no Drop Bears now with AIDS, even scarier

    --
    It's not a typo if you understood the meaning!
    1. Re:Drop Bears by cyberzephyr · · Score: 1

      Quite simply, Koala are NOT bears!

      --
      I'm here for the experience, not the Hyperbole.
    2. Re:Drop Bears by mrsteveman1 · · Score: 4, Funny

      I agree, they're actually closer to ewoks. Not nearly as good at mounting rebel attacks, though.

    3. Re:Drop Bears by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      oh really.... are you sure about that? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULEQpUY_crc

  4. Why? by deniable · · Score: 3, Funny

    Why is it always the Koalas with STDs? First it was chlamydia, now it's this thing. I blame the tourists.

    1. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Because it's a cute and furry dick warmer.

    2. Re:Why? by religious+freak · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Actually, I recall a video (possibly TED vid, too lazy to look up) which discussed the method by which AIDS likely was first transmitted into humans. It was hypothesized to have actually been transmitted via hunter/gatherers carrying their bloody prey on their backs. Because their backs had abrasions from chasing their future food through trees and growth the infected animal blood was mixed with human blood and voila... AIDS came to humans.

      Let's just hope there aren't too many bloodied aboriginals hunting koalas :)

      --
      If you can read this... 01110101 01110010 00100000 01100001 00100000 01100111 01100101 01100101 01101011
    3. Re:Why? by Techman83 · · Score: 1

      Nah they're busy sipping Tinnies around the camp fire.

      --
      # cat /dev/mem | strings | grep -i cat
      Damn, my RAM is full of cats. MEOW!!
    4. Re:Why? by Hurricane78 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yeah, riiight. That’s the excuse I’d have given.
      Doctor: Terrible news. You’re the first human to contract AIDS.
      Patient: How would I have gotten that?
      Doctor: Two ways: One: You were fucking a chimp up the ass.
      Patient: LOL. Pff. Fucking a chimp up the ass... Me? No way. ... How else could I have gotten it?
      Doctor: Oh, you could have carried bloody prey on your back, while your back had abrasio...
      Patient: That one!
      (Credit goes to Ricky Gervais. :)

      --
      Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
    5. Re:Why? by Martin+Blank · · Score: 1

      More likely it was through a human with open wounds butchering bush meat from an infected ape. Animal slaughter in Africa isn't exactly hygienic.

      --
      You can never go home again... but I guess you can shop there.
    6. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can see why you posted anon. quite a gamble on that +funny or -troll
      may you be praised. anon for obvious reasons.

    7. Re:Why? by eltaco · · Score: 1

      do you have a link? I'd be fine with a youtube or ted link or something.. at least something with a citation. I'm no HIV/AIDS expert but to my knowledge AIDS appeared in humans around the late 1960s approx. granted, it could have been transferred via indigenous cultures, that still hunt as their primary source of food.

      I'm stil weary though.

      yeah sorry buddy, you're gonna have to look it up.. :-)

      --
      It's not about fate, it's about character.
      there be no shelter here, the frontline is everywhere!
    8. Re:Why? by somersault · · Score: 1

      Or, you could look it up yourself.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_of_AIDS

      --
      which is totally what she said
    9. Re:Why? by eltaco · · Score: 1

      never.

      --
      It's not about fate, it's about character.
      there be no shelter here, the frontline is everywhere!
    10. Re:Why? by eltaco · · Score: 1

      oh and I do not grant wiki acedemic status. after you posted that I could've changed half of the info to fit my claims. cite a source that has a reputation to lose (or gain).
      peer review, this is somersault. somersault, meet peer review.

      --
      It's not about fate, it's about character.
      there be no shelter here, the frontline is everywhere!
    11. Re:Why? by M8e · · Score: 0

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_of_AIDS#Notes

    12. Re:Why? by ArsenneLupin · · Score: 1

      Three ways actually.

    13. Re:Why? by somersault · · Score: 1

      Wow, you first state something completely off base without looking it even up, misspell wary, then hypocritically tell people to look stuff up. Then when given a page with a good summary with 47 citations - most from peer reviewed sources, you get snarky and complain about lack of peer reviewed sources.. perhaps you should think for a while about whether you really want people to think you're that much of an asshole.

      --
      which is totally what she said
    14. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe the sheep have gotten too hard to sneak up on?

    15. Re:Why? by BeanThere · · Score: 1

      Quote yourself: "I'd be fine with a youtube or ted link or something."

      So you'd be fine with a youtube or ted link, but not wikipedia? That makes no sense, sounds more like backpedalling to me.

    16. Re:Why? by religious+freak · · Score: 1

      haha - somersault +1

      :) :)

      --
      If you can read this... 01110101 01110010 00100000 01100001 00100000 01100111 01100101 01100101 01101011
    17. Re:Why? by camperdave · · Score: 1

      Well, that's a lot more palatable than my "monkey sex" hypothesis.

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
  5. pools closed, by gandhi_2 · · Score: 0

    mate.

    --
    THL phish sticks
  6. What's with the stupid hat? by Cimexus · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Does anyone else feel mildly offended every time they see that stupid hat icon they use for Australian stories now? I mean seriously ... is this a serious news site? It'd be like using a picture of Speedy Gonzales for Mexican stories, or a fat man with a mustache saying "mamma mia!" for Italian ones.

    1. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by AuMatar · · Score: 4, Funny

      I agree. It should be a giant knife. And the mouseover should say "That's not a knife. This is a knife."

      --
      I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
    2. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      actually, this isn't really a serious news site. its here for people to "unwind" to.
      now kindly go fuck yourself and leave the koalas alone.

      p.s. capitalization is for chumps!

    3. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by dakameleon · · Score: 3, Funny

      is this a serious news site?

      Is this a serious news site? How long exactly have you been coming to Slashdot, mate?

      --
      Man who leaps off cliff jumps to conclusion.
    4. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by Michael+Kristopeit · · Score: 3, Insightful
      they still use a demonized picture of bill gates for microsoft stories...

      which is worse, personalized corporate attacks long after the person has left the corporation, or generalized cultural observations? or isn't there a difference?

    5. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by Cimexus · · Score: 1

      Good point. Although at least Bill Gates has (had) something to do with Microsoft. That hat has little to do with Australia outside of a bad 80s movie which seems to be 100x more well-known in the US than Australia itself ;)

    6. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by Techman83 · · Score: 1

      Have you been to Country Australia? Or even the Outback? They are quite a popular article of clothing. Mandatory if you have a Dri 'z' bone, as no hoods on those things. An Akubra is both water proof and also good to keep the sun off your face/neck.

      --
      # cat /dev/mem | strings | grep -i cat
      Damn, my RAM is full of cats. MEOW!!
    7. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by Michael+Kristopeit · · Score: 1
      i agree that popular opinion should not justify anything... but if that hat says "austrailia" 100x more than anything else, is it irresponsible not to use it?

      i get more offended when people ask questions in the negative sense... like "you didn't wear the dundee hat?"... popular opinion says that the response "no" means "i did not wear the hat" while logic says that the response "yes" would also mean "i did not wear the hat".

      people adapt to other people, and some people are dumb.

    8. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by grim-one · · Score: 1

      I agree, the hat doesn't even have corks on strings!

    9. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by Cimexus · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Ahh, but Australia is one of the most urbanised countries on earth (measured by proportion of population living in large metro areas). Far more so than most of Europe, or the US and Canada.

      So although I'm quite aware that an Akubra is a pretty essential thing to have if you live on the land, all I'm really saying is that using it as an icon representing the country as a whole smacks of stereotyping. It just irritates me Americans just seem to instantly think of a 30 year old movie as the first thing that comes to mind when they think of Australia ... not only that but a movie that is not really supposed to be taken seriously. It's like they know nothing else about the place, except that.

      Wasn't meaning to launch a massive thread on the matter but it bugs me every time I see the icon, that's all.

    10. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by ipquickly · · Score: 1

      I like the hat, although I think a Didgeridoo would be more appropriate(hats are everywhere).

      But if they were to use an igloo for Canada, I would be deeply offended.

    11. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by Chees0rz · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I had a great conversation in a bar with an Aussie tourist. He picked up his shit and just decided to drive around the West Coast. We talked about stereotypes... he was amazed that kids picked up summer jobs when in school out here, because television/movies just showed kids raising while class was out... not working. He also had some messed up views of american football and what we do for sports in HS.

      It goes both ways!

    12. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by ArsonSmith · · Score: 1

      going to remove my Australian stereotype of a tuff guy that can live of the land and moving it to just the typical whiner not much different than what we have here in the US.

      --
      Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
    13. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by SEE · · Score: 2, Funny

      I agree, they should use the Australian flag, with the traditional boot kicking a bare arse.

    14. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by Martin+Blank · · Score: 1

      I used to work with a bunch of Aussies. My image of them is of a fun-loving group that has fun five work hours a day and then in the remaining three hours of work outperforms everyone else actually working eight hours a day.

      Man, I miss those guys.

      --
      You can never go home again... but I guess you can shop there.
    15. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by kimvette · · Score: 1

      http://www.hostedfile.com/videos/4983/simpsons-knifey-spooney.html

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
    16. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by TRRosen · · Score: 1

      Would you rather have a picture of Yahoo Serious?

    17. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      I thought it was a well known fact that American football is messed up?

      Now Australian Football... a sport of kings. :p

    18. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by deniable · · Score: 1

      You know Akubra is a brand and not a type of hat. Some of them go well with suits.

    19. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by deniable · · Score: 1

      Nah, Sir Les Patterson.

    20. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by hairyfeet · · Score: 1

      Hey! You dang Aussies better just be happy we didn't drop a damned A bomb on your asses after you let that damned Yahoo Serious loose like a plague upon the land! What the hell did we ever do to you? Didn't we help keep the Japs from invading your ass in WW II? And that is how you repay our kindness? Did you even WATCH Young Einstein? God that thing was fucking awful!

      The only reason we spared your asses after dropping that stink bomb is you did give us Mad Max, one of the best damned pieces of cinema to ever grace a motion picture screen. But that just barely, and I mean barely, makes up for releasing the horror of Young Einstein upon poor helpless civilians like that. So don't be getting too pissy, or we may just pack up all them damned irritating Canadians leaking over our border like a bad smell like Celene Dion and air drop 'em on your ass!

      --
      ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
    21. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by fuzzix · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It just irritates me Americans just seem to instantly think of a 30 year old movie as the first thing that comes to mind when they think of Australia

      And that's the point, it's a useful piece of iconography on an American site to make 'em go "Australia". It's like having pictures on a menu so the unlettered folk can point at the food they'd like and grunt "four".

      I don't think there's an icon for Ireland but if there was, what would it be? Text now and win a prize!

      Text "A" for: A Leprechaun!
      Text "B" for: A Shamrock!
      Text "C" for: Government corruption and petty revenge!
      Text "D" for: A bishop covering up a priest's sexual abuse of altar boys!

      ENTER NOW!

    22. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by TheThiefMaster · · Score: 1

      This is the original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01NHcTM5IA4

    23. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by eltaco · · Score: 1

      yeah, he probably though you were talking about rugger.

      --
      It's not about fate, it's about character.
      there be no shelter here, the frontline is everywhere!
    24. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I used to work with an Australian guy. He was the most uncultured and envious person I ever met. Any time someone did anything that mildly constituted "fun" at work, he would run to the CEO and make a huge fuss out of it. For fuck's sake, we worked at a video game company, not a funeral parlour. We were supposed to have fun.

      There were also a lot of little cultural things that he was completely oblivious to. I took him to lunch at a Mexican restaurant the first week he started working for us and found out that he had never heard of a "burrito". Another time our office manager asked me if she could wear my jumper because she was cold and he didn't know what that or a hoodie was. So far I have lived in six different countries in my lifetime and I had never met someone who didn't know what these things were.

      We all finally got tired of his whining and he was fired. I presume he was forced to move back to Australia after that, since he was here on a work visa. I hope he's having fun tossing boomerangs to the dingos.

    25. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by Cimexus · · Score: 1

      Funnily enough, that'd be a lot more accurate ;)

    26. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by L4t3r4lu5 · · Score: 1

      Nah, it should be this guy

      --
      Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
    27. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by Nobo · · Score: 4, Informative

      It just irritates me Americans just seem to instantly think of a 30 year old movie as the first thing that comes to mind when they think of Australia ... It's like they know nothing else about the place, except that.

      Speaking as an American, I think you may be underestimating us. We also know about Outback Steakhouse.

    28. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by BeanThere · · Score: 1

      they still use a demonized picture of bill gates for microsoft stories...

      which is worse, personalized corporate attacks long after the person has left the corporation

      What? Since when do peoples actions magically get absolved the moment they change jobs? By your logic, if Hitler had merely changed jobs instead of committing suicide, then voila, it would no longer be reasonable to "demonize" him. Not that I'm comparing Bill Gates to Hitler, but nonetheless Bill Gates earned his bad reputation quite deservedly.

    29. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by maxume · · Score: 1

      Should be a guy in a prison jumpsuit.

      --
      Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
    30. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by khallow · · Score: 1

      Does anyone else feel mildly offended every time they see that stupid hat icon they use for Australian stories now?

      No. All that is Australia seems pretty easy to sum up with a gator hat. With a much more complicated state like the US, I think you might need two such symbols to properly sum up the country, maybe an American flag flapping in the breeze to represent the deep patriotic side and a huge bling ring that says "BLING" in diamond studded font so that you know that this ten ounce ring is a bling ring and not some other kind of ring. Educational and ostentatious at the same time. That's American too.

    31. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by SBrach · · Score: 1

      .....and baby eating Dingos.

    32. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by Culture20 · · Score: 1

      Does anyone else feel mildly offended every time they see that stupid hat icon they use for Australian stories now?

      Would you prefer a banana hammock?

    33. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Let's play a game. I'll name the hat, and you name the country it's associated with:

      Bowler
      Cowboy hat
      Fez
      Sombrero
      Conical straw hat
      Tall bear-fur hat

      See? It's not about stereotyping a whole country, it's just about association.

    34. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by ElectricTurtle · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Australians are a race now? Americans are frequently stereotyped as cowboys, is that 'pseudo-racist' too? Or are you some racial positivist twit that thinks only white American males are capable of 'true racism' and therefore any discrimination against them isn't racist because they 'deserve it'?

      --
      I support the Slashcott and will not be reading or commenting from 2/10/14 to 2/17/14. Beta is steaming pile of dog shit
    35. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by Michael+Kristopeit · · Score: 1
      ??? you certainly did just compare bill gates to hitler.

      perhaps the only difference is a few million dead jews.

    36. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by Michael+Kristopeit · · Score: 1

      also, i never said it wasn't ever reasonable to demonize him... i just asked the reader to think about it. the fact that you assumed that from my question says a lot about your motives. some people hold bill gates reputation in high regard.

    37. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by Michael+Kristopeit · · Score: 1

      What? Since when do peoples actions magically get absolved the moment they change jobs? By your logic, if Hitler had merely changed jobs instead of committing suicide, then voila, it would no longer be reasonable to "demonize" him.

      just so you understand "my logic", (and perhaps logic in general..), consider this: if the nazis were never stopped, continuing today with their genocide under a new dictator, would it make more sense to attack the currently operating organization using individuals or symbols currently in use by the organization, or to attack an individual no longer serving in a leadership role?

      not that i'm comparing the nazis to microsoft...

    38. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't think there's an icon for Ireland but if there was, what would it be?

      G: a GOLD, White, and Green tri-colour, for those people that can't bear to see ORANGE on their flag.

    39. Re:What's with the stupid hat? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Too late, the brits already nuked us several times. Great way to treat your allies. 'Hey, we just want to drop a few nukes on you - no bad feelings eh?'

  7. There is only one possible conclusion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    GOD HATES KOALAS!!1!!

    1. Re:There is only one possible conclusion by timmarhy · · Score: 1

      now we to can have those nut bag baptists. they can wave signs infront of the zoo stating "thank god for aids" and "aids kills gay animals"

      --
      If you mod me down, I will become more powerful than you can imagine....
    2. Re:There is only one possible conclusion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ok, let's learn from the AIDS mess. NO-ONE FUCK ANY KOALAS!

    3. Re:There is only one possible conclusion by dasunt · · Score: 1

      GOD HATES KOALAS!!1!!

      Silly. That's what they *want* you to think.

      This is really due to a vast CIA conspiracy to promote the sales of big pharm.

  8. Seems like.. by Elitist_Phoenix · · Score: 0

    Seems like the Koalas have been playing to much "Knifey Spoony"

    --
    "I'm going to f***ing bury that guy, I have done it before, and I will do it again. I'm going to f***ing kill Google"
  9. Distribute condoms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Aussies should distribute condoms and teach safe sex to them.

    1. Re:Distribute condoms by MichaelSmith · · Score: 1

      If it didn't work with year 11 students at my high school I doubt it would work with our other fauna.

      --
      http://michaelsmith.id.au
    2. Re:Distribute condoms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But that would only promote promiscuity!

      Abstinence only FTW!!

    3. Re:Distribute condoms by deek · · Score: 1

      And now we know why Geeks will inherit the earth.

  10. Mutations? by fsbomlslisting · · Score: 0

    It seems as though these serious virus' probably start with animals then spread.

    --
    fsbo mls listing fsbo mls
  11. Let evolution take care of them. by ipquickly · · Score: 0

    If this virus affects the survival of the species, let the species die out.
    I don't like the idea that we should interfere with 'survival of the fittest'.

    But I do admit that it would be sad if they are gone.

  12. Is it named... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Koalaids?

  13. All Right Fess Up by Greyfox · · Score: 1
    Who fucked the Koala?

    And you should have used protection -- that Koala's a whore!

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

  14. Dont worry by clampolo · · Score: 0, Troll

    Only the gay koalas are in danger

  15. Safe sex by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They didn’t now what safe sex is? They pass all day rubbing itself in the hard wood (use condom dudes!)... Maybe they religion didn’t permit... I fell sad for them...

  16. apparently by brennz · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Koals don't know how to use condoms

    1. Re:apparently by kimvette · · Score: 1

      I wonder what the koala pope has to say about Koalas' promiscuous behavior!

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
  17. So what? by Caustic+Soda · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Does it really matter that much?
    We have about 16 hojillion koalas in this country.
    Looking at the number of people who have died of HIV/AIDS, it hasn't made any kind of dent in our population
    Is it really going to be any different for the koalas?

    Or perhaps we should all just wait and see what the hell this virus does, before deciding that it's actually significant.

  18. apparently by brennz · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Koalas don't know how to use condoms

  19. Proof! by IMightB · · Score: 1

    That God hates gay koalas

  20. Thanks for countering the stereotype by Chuck+Chunder · · Score: 1

    And by that I mean the stereotype that Australians are easy going people who don't take themselves too seriously.

    --
    Boffoonery - downloadable Comedy Benefit for Bletchley Park
  21. Kondoms ?? by nerdyalien · · Score: 1

    I think it is time to introduce...

    KONDOMS ...condoms custom tailored for Kualas !!!

  22. I never thought I'd get to say this, but by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the koalas are fucked. And they keep fucking. No wonder they sleep 18 hours a day, they're exhausted from fucking 6 hours a day!

    Fucking like rabbits? No, even worse mate, they're fucking like koalas.

  23. Relax, koala-lovers by srussia · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The only HIV-like aspect of the virus is that it is a retrovirus. It may even be harmless. BTW, does anyone have data on the prevalence of non-HIV retroviruses in humans?

    --
    Set your phasers on "funky"!
    1. Re:Relax, koala-lovers by reverseengineer · · Score: 1

      The virus involved is not completely harmless- according to the cited Nature article, it is associated with leukemia, and possibly increased susceptibility to other infections . However, it doesn't sound at all like KoRV represents the sort of threat that HIV poses in humans. HIV infection is a direct threat to the immune system since it uses the glycoprotein CD4 to gain entry into cells, and it happens that the cells covered with CD4 are essential to the immune system. HIV isn't dangerous just because it's a retrovirus, but rather because T helper cells happen to be very important. There's nothing inherently more dangerous about retroviruses or that makes their associated infections more serious. They do tend to mutate faster as a consequence of the error-prone reverse transcription process, which does often make a lasting effective treatment hard to develop.

      This koala retrovirus sounds more like any of the number of transmissible leukemia viruses out there. In causing cancer, the action of a virus is usually indirect, and not associated with its viral lifecycle. When viral genes integrate into the host genome, there's a chance of breaking some important host gene- for a cell cycle regulator, growth factor, tumor supressor, etc whose malfunction leads to cancer. The cancers tend to be leukemias, lymphomas, or digestive tract cancers since those cells are frequently replaced. In humans, there are seven known viruses implicated in causing cancer, of which human T-lymphotrophic virus (causes T-cell leukemia and T-cell lymphoma in about 5% of infections) is the only retrovirus. As far as I can tell, HIV and HTLV are the only symptomatic retroviruses in humans.

      Retroviruses that lead to leukemia are fairly common in the animal kingdom- there's bovine leukemia virus, feline leukemia virus, etc. The good news for the koalas is that such viruses tend to at their worst be a persistent low-level threat, but not the sort of plague that wipes populations out.

      --
      "FDA staff reviewers expressed concern about the number of patients who were left out of the study because they died."
  24. Re:Reminds me of Eddie Murphy routine from the 80s by gzipped_tar · · Score: 1

    No insult intended to gay people.

    Hey, you forgot the kangaroos, you insensitive clod!

    --
    Colorless green Cthulhu waits dreaming furiously.
  25. Ubuntu Linux Virus!? by bcn17 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Thank god they weren't talking about Ubuntu.

    1. Re:Ubuntu Linux Virus!? by selven · · Score: 1

      Hey, no karma whoring.

  26. So? by Korin43 · · Score: 1

    I don't really see the big deal. The only reason AIDS is a problem is because we tend to feel bad when a large portion of our population dies off. This is bears (ok, bear-like animals) in Australia, natural selection will sort it out.

    1. Re:So? by ArsenneLupin · · Score: 1

      Even tough they have fur on their chest, Koalas are not bears.

    2. Re:So? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and yet I still get taxed so that condoms can be sent to Africa and Haiti .... I wish people who call me stupid for being christian would stop stealing (or taxing, same thing) my money to combat natural selection in humans.

  27. boardtracker is in trouble then.. by slashmojo · · Score: 1

    "Update: BoardTracker recently replaced its spiders with Koalas.."

    http://www.boardtracker.com/boards/4/

  28. Um ... a "friend" of mine wants to know by Chrisq · · Score: 1

    Um ... a "friend" of mine wants to know. Can it be passed to humans. Just out of curiosity ... yes of course it is. Oh and what are the early symptoms/

    1. Re:Um ... a "friend" of mine wants to know by lanswitch · · Score: 1

      Asking stupid questions on /.

    2. Re:Um ... a "friend" of mine wants to know by ArsenneLupin · · Score: 1

      Oh and what are the early symptoms

      I dunno.... an itching dick?

  29. Retro is cool by MightyDrunken · · Score: 5, Informative

    The nature article to the news story seems very interesting. As retroviruses have to integrate themselves into the cells genome to replicate, if the retrovirus infects a germline cell the virus can become incorporated into the animals genome and passed to their offspring. This seems to be already happening with this virus and it gives a chance to study the process in action.

    About 8% of our genome is probably from ancient viruses which "invaded" our genome millions of years ago. Generally they become deactivated by mutation but they have been implicated in the growth of mammal embryos and the placenta. It would be pretty cool if the placenta, a defining feature of most of the mammals is due to a virus!

    --
    The most dangerous drug
  30. Easy solution... by ZeroExistenZ · · Score: 1

    Give the Koala's sex-education, hand out condoms and demonize gay sex, because it's for teh gays...

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    I think we can keep recursing like this until someone returns 1
  31. Don't fuck with Koalas! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Only one lesson to draw from this article.

  32. Condom usage for Koalas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It is needed to use condom in both of your penises and during the entire intercourse.

  33. is this a serious news site? by wiredog · · Score: 1

    No. Next question?

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    Best Slashdot Co
  34. Re:Reminds me of Eddie Murphy routine from the 80s by ArsenneLupin · · Score: 1

    ... and the Koalas!

  35. One had sex with a Monkey!! by neptunusmaris · · Score: 1

    Yeah one had sex with a monkey then it spread... duh!

  36. There is a second, more possible conclusion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    God is punishing Australia for censoring the internet.

  37. no ubuntu jokes? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    huh? huh?

  38. First it was the chimps... by MrWin2kMan · · Score: 1

    All right, I've HAD it! Who's been buggering the poor, cute little koalas?

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    Nothing to see here but us trolls...move along...
  39. Tell your "friend" to consider sheep instead ... by freaker_TuC · · Score: 1

    ... Because cows already got Mad Cow Disease and chicken already got chicken disease!

    I can't even imagine I've said this..

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    --- I am known for the ones who want to find me on the net. Is that a privacy risk or a privilege? One might wonder..
  40. Alright... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Alright... who's been fucking the koalas?

  41. Now if we can just..... by hesaigo999ca · · Score: 1

    How long before someone gets the bright idea to put their thing in that hole,
    and start a whole new cross species aids problem.
    Was the last time in Africa with baboons?