Tasmanian devil disease summary
Disease name: Devil Facial Tumour Disease, known as DFTD.
What it is: A contagious cancer, not a normal infection. It causes tumours around the face, mouth and neck.
How it spreads: Mostly through biting during feeding, fighting or mating. Cancer cells pass from one devil to another.
When it started: The first form, DFT1, was first recorded in 1996 in north-east Tasmania.
Early impact: By the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was clear the disease was causing serious population decline.
Official response: The Save the Tasmanian Devil Program began in 2003.
Population decline: In some badly affected areas, devil numbers have fallen by around 70% to 80% or more.
Where it is now: DFTD has spread across much of Tasmania. The older form, DFT1, is widespread, with parts of the west and north-west still important lower-disease or disease-free areas.
Second form: DFT2 was first recorded in 2014 and has mainly been found in south-east Tasmania around the Channel / D’Entrecasteaux area.
Effect on devils: Tumours can stop devils eating. Many die from starvation, infection or cancer spread within 3 to 6 months after symptoms appear.
Current status:Tasmanian devils are listed as endangered.
Where things stand: Devils still survive in the wild, but many populations are smaller and younger than before.
Treatment:There is no simple field-ready cure yet. Vaccine research, monitoring, captive insurance populations, roadkill reduction and habitat protection continue
