This invention relates to a diagnostic kit for assessing exposure to or infection by a koala retrovirus. The kit consists of specific primers and probes for the detection of three distinct subtypes of infectious koala retrovirus and may be useful in various species, including humans, primates, and koalas.

A family of infectious koala retroviruses are correlated with the development of malignant neoplasias, including lymphomas and leukemias. Infectious koala retroviruses have been shown to infect human cells in culture, though the health implications in humans have not yet been fully determined.