No abstract

Understanding immune function is critical to conserving wildlife in view of infectious disease threats, particularly in threatened species vulnerable to stress, immunocompromise and infection. However, few studies examine stress, immune function and infection in wildlife.We used a flow cytometry protocol developed for human infants to assess phagocytosis, a key component of innate immunity, in a critically endangered marsupial, the woylie (Bettongia penicillata). The effects of stress physiology and Trypanosoma infection on phagocytosis were investigated. Blood and faecal samples were collected from woylies in a captive facility over three months. Trypanosoma status was determined using PCR.