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AAP
AAP
Sam McKeith

Koalas 'closer to extinction' with new disease outbreak

Chlamydia has been found among the last koala population in Sydney that had been disease-free. (Bianca De Marchi/AAP PHOTOS)

A potentially lethal sexually-transmitted infection has been detected in the last disease-free koala population in one major city, heightening extinction fears for the endangered native marsupial.

Two koalas, part of a population in southwest Sydney already under threat from development, were found infected with chlamydia in September, the NSW environment department said in a statement on Friday.

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