Having a koala urinate on you isn't pleasant -- especially if it puts you at risk of getting chlamydia.
That's the fear recently faced by Liam Payne and Harry Styles, members of the popular boy band One Direction.
The band is currently touring Australia and New Zealand and, as part of their visit, Payne and Styles each cuddled with a 3-year-old koala named Kat.
But during the encounter, Kat answered nature's call and whizzed right on them, according to HeatWorld.com.
That was bad enough, but the two teen idols, both 18, worried they saw their lives flashing before their eyes when they learned that 80 percent of koalas reportedly have chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease whose effects include severe conjunctivitis (or "pink eye"), incontinence, prostatitis and kidney damage, according to AOL News.
In some koala cases, the chlamydia is so bad that the animals no longer have the energy to survive and suffer from urinary tract infections that are impairing the reproductive system.
To say that Payne and Styles were shocked to find out that being soaked with koala urine put them at risk is an understatement.
"I'm genuinely scared. This is worrying," Payne told the Sun. "I’d have never picked the thing up if I'd known."
Although transmission from koalas to humans is unlikely, a minority of the creatures have a strain of chlamydia that can be passed to other species, The Frisky reported.
Still, the situation is so dire that experts fear the koala may become extinct in a few decades if a vaccine isn't developed. But that presents problems as well, according to Peter Timms, a Queensland University of Technology professor working on the vaccine.
"We want to make sure the vaccine helps them," Timms told AOL News. "While you might treat the chlamydia, you might make their digestive tracts worse."
As for One Direction? They seem to be handling their fears of marsupial STDs nicely. Shortly after Payne publicly addressed the animal infection issue, he discussed his romantic prowess with a New Zealand TV station.
"Louis and I both have girlfriends, so we must be doing something right," he said, according to the Sun.
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.