Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-15T07:26:11.109Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Farm husbandry and the risks of disease transmission between wild and domestic mammals: a brief review focusing on bovine tuberculosis in badgers and cattle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2007

A. I. Ward ,
B. A. Tolhurst  and
R. J. Delahay
A. I. Ward*
Affiliation:
Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ, UK
B. A. Tolhurst
Affiliation:
School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK
R. J. Delahay
Affiliation:
Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ, UK
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Where wildlife act as a reservoir of disease for domestic mammals, measures solely based on management of either in isolation are unlikely to resolve the problem. Many such diseases can have serious economic implications for farmers and the economy and their management can present considerable challenges. Traditionally, wildlife populations have been culled in attempts to reduce the risks of disease transmission to livestock (e.g. bovine tuberculosis in European badgers and brushtail possums). However, this may be both undesirable and potentially counter-productive in some circumstances. Consequently, in recent years increasing attention has focused on changing livestock husbandry and farm management practices so as to reduce risks of disease transmission from wildlife to livestock. Here we present a brief review of husbandry and farm management practices that may influence disease transmission risks from wild to domestic mammals, with particular attention to bovine tuberculosis in the UK. We conclude that the manipulation of farming practices could potentially make a significant contribution to disease risk management. However, there are currently scant empirical data on risk reduction methods and further information will undoubtedly be required to inform husbandry best-practice.

Keywords

biosecuritywildlifezoonoses
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 82 , Issue 6 , December 2006 , pp. 767 - 773
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Artois, M. 2003. Wildlife infectious disease control in Europe. Journal of Mountain Ecology 7: S89–S97.Google Scholar
Aubert, M. F. 1995. Costs and benefits of rabies control in wildlife in France. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 31: 247–250.Google Scholar
Benham, P. F. J. 1985. A study of cattle and badger behaviour and farm husbandry practices relevant to the transmission of bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) Report to MAFF Chief Scientists' Group (1982–1985) MAFF, London.Google Scholar
Benham, P. F. J. and Broom, D. M. 1989. Interactions between cattle and badgers at pasture with reference to bovine tuberculosis transmission. British Veterinary Journal 145: 226–241.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bennett, R. and Cooke, R. 2005. Control of bovine TB: preferences of farmers who have suffered a TB breakdown. Veterinary Record 156: 143–145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brochier, B., Kieny, M. P., Costy, F., Coppens, P., Baudin, B., Lecocq, J. P., Languet, B., Chappuis, G., Desmettre, P., Afiademanyo, K., Libois, R. and Pastoret, P. P. 1991. Large scale eradication of rabies using recombinant vaccinia-rabies vaccine. Nature 354: 520–522.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, J. A. 1993. Transmission of bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) from badgers (Meles meles) to cattle. Ph.D. thesis, University of Bristol.Google Scholar
Caldow, G. 2004. Biosecurity, does it have a place in the management of beef herds in the United Kingdom? Cattle Practice 12: 149–153.Google Scholar
Caley, P., Hickling, G. J., Cowan, P. E. and Pfeiffer, D. U. 1999. Effects of sustained control of brushtail possums on levels of Mycobacterium bovis infection in cattle and brushtail possum populations in Hohotaka, New Zealand. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 47: 133–142.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Capel-Edwards, M. 1971. The susceptibility of small mammals to foot and mouth disease. Veterinary Bulletin 41: 815–823.Google Scholar
Central Science Laboratory 2006. An investigation of potential badger/cattle interactions including the extent of badger visitations to farm buildings and food stores, and how cattle husbandry methods may limit these. Report to Defra, Project SE3029. Defra, London.Google Scholar
Cheeseman, C. L. and Mallinson, P. J. 1979. Radio tracking in the study of bovine tuberculosis in badgers. A handbook on biotelemetry and radio tracking (ed. Amlaner, C. J. Jr and Macdonald, D.), pp. 649–656. Pergamon Press, Oxford.Google Scholar
Cheeseman, C. L. and Mallinson, P. J. 1981. Behaviour of badgers (Meles meles) infected with bovine tuberculosis. Journal of Zoology 194: 284–289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cheeseman, C. L., Mallinson, P. J., Ryan, J. and Wilesmith, J. W. 1993. Recolonisation by badgers in Gloucestershire. In The badger (ed. Hayden, T. J.), pp. 78–93. Royal Irish Academy, Dublin.Google Scholar
Christiansen, K. and Clifton-Hadley, R. S. 2000. Farm management risk factors for bovine tuberculosis. Report to the Milk Development Council, Project 98/R1/16. Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Addlestone, Surrey.Google Scholar
Collins, M. T., Sockett, D. C., Goodger, W. J., Conrad, T. A., Thomas, C. B. and Carr, D. J. 1994. Herd prevalence and geographic distribution of, and risk factors for, bovine paratuberculosis in Wisconsin. Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association 204: 636–641.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cleaveland, S., Laurenson, M. K. and Taylor, L. H. 2001. Disease of humans and their domestic mammals: pathogen characteristics, host range and the risk of emergence. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society 356B: 991–999.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clifton-Hadley, R. S., Wilesmith, J. W. and Stuart, F. A. 1993. Mycobacterium bovis in the European badger (Meles meles): epidemiological findings in tuberculous badgers from a naturally infected population. Epidemiology and Infection 111: 9–19.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Daniels, M. J., Hutchings, M. R. and Greig, A. 2003. The risk of disease transmission to livestock posed by contamination of farm stored feed by wildlife excreta. Epidemiology and Infection 130: 561–568.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
da Silva, J., Woodroffe, R. and Macdonald, D. W. 1993. Habitat, food availability and group territoriality in the European badger, Meles meles. Oecologia 95: 558–564.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. 2006a. The June agricultural census. http://farmstats.defra.gov.uk/cs/farmstats_data/DATA/historical_data/hist_pub_search.asp). Downloaded 9 June 2006.Google Scholar
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. 2006b. TB in cattle–reducing the risk. Pre- and post- movement testing in Great Britain. Defra Publications, London.Google Scholar
Delahay, R. J., Smith, G. C., Barlow, A. M., Walker, N., Harris, A., Clifton-Hadley, R. S. and Cheeseman, C. L. 2006. Bovine tuberculosis infection in wild mammals in South West England: a survey of prevalence and a semi-quantitative assessment of the relative risks to cattle. Veterinary Journal In press.Google Scholar
Delahay, R. J., Smith, G. C., Ward, A. I. and Cheeseman, C. L. 2005. Options for the management of bovine tuberculosis transmission from badgers (Meles meles) to cattle: evidence from a long-term study. Mammal Study 30: S73–S81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Delahay, R. J., Wilson, G. J., Smith, G. C. and Cheeseman, C. L. 2003. Vaccinating badgers (Meles meles) against Mycobacterium bovis: the ecological considerations. Veterinary Journal 166: 43–51.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Denny, G. O. and Wilesmith, J. W. 1999. Bovine tuberculosis in Northern Ireland: a case-control study of herd risk factors. Veterinary Record 144: 305–310.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dolan, L. 1993. Badgers and bovine tuberculosis in Ireland: a review. The badger (ed. Hayden, T. D.), pp. 108–116. Royal Irish Academy, Dublin.Google Scholar
Donnelly, C. A., Woodroffe, R., Cox, D. R., Bourne, F. J., Cheeseman, C. L., Clifton-Hadley, R. S., Wei, G., Gettinby, G., Gilks, P., Jenkins, H., Johnston, W. T., Le Fevre, A. M., McInerney, J. P. and Morrison, W. I. 2005. Positive and negative effects of widespread badger culling on tuberculosis in cattle. Nature 439: 843–846.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Donnelly, C. A., Woodroffe, R., Cox, D. R., Bourne, J., Gettinby, G., Le Fevre, A. M., McInerney, J. P. and Morrison, W. I. 2003. Impact of localized badger culling on tuberculosis incidence in British cattle. Nature 426: 834–837.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Flanagan, P. 1993. Badgers and bovine tuberculosis: epidemiology and case studies. In The badger. (ed. Hayden, T. D.), pp. 131–138. Royal Irish Academy, Dublin.Google Scholar
Foyet, W. J. 1989. Fatal Pasterurella haemolytica pneumonia in bighorn sheep after direct contact with clinically normal domestic sheep. American Journal of Veterinary Research 50: 341–344.Google Scholar
Frőhlich, K., Thiede, S., Kozikowski, T. and Jakob, W. 2002. A review of mutual transmission of important infectious diseases between livestock and wildlife in Europe. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 969: 4–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gallagher, E., Kelly, L., Pfeiffer, D. U. and Wooldridge, M. 2003. A quantitative risk assessment for badger to cattle transmission of Mycobacterium bovis. Proceedings of the Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, 2003, pp. 33–44.Google Scholar
Garnett, B. T., Delahay, R. J. and Roper, T. J. 2005. Ranging behaviour of European badgers (Meles meles) in relation to bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) infection. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 94: 331–340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garnett, B. T., Delahay, R. J. and Roper, T. J. 2002. Use of cattle farm resources by badgers (Meles meles) and risk of bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) transmission to cattle. Proceedings of the Royal Society 269B: 1487–1491.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garnett, B. T., Roper, T. J. and Delahay, R. J. 2003. Use of cattle troughs by badgers (Meles meles) a potential route for the transmission of bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) to cattle. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 80: 1–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gilbert, M., Mitchell, A., Bourn, D., Mawdsley, J., Clifton-Hadley, R. and Wint, W. 2005. Cattle movements and bovine tuberculosis in Great Britain. Nature 435: 491–496.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Griffin, J. M., Hahesy, T. and Lynch, K. 1992. The role of farm management practices and environmental factors in chronic tuberculosis. Irish Veterinary Journal 45: 120–122.Google Scholar
Griffin, J. M., Hahesy, T., Lynch, K., Salman, M. D., McCarthy, J. and Hurley, T. 1993. The association of cattle husbandry practices, environmental factors and farmer characteristics with the occurrence of chronic bovine tuberculosis in dairy herds in the Republic of Ireland. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 17: 145–160.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Griffin, J. M., Martin, S. W., Thorburn, M. A., Eves, J. A. and Hammond, R. F. 1996. A case-control study on the association of selected risk factors with the occurrence of bovine tuberculosis in the Republic of Ireland. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 27: 75–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haynes, R. J. and Williams, P. H. 1993. Nutrient cycling and soil fertility in the grazed pasture ecosystem. Advances in Agronomy 49: 119–199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hinton, M. H. 2000. Infections and intoxications associated with animal feed and forage which may present a hazard to human health. The Veterinary Journal 159: 124–138.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hutchings, M. R. and Harris, S. 1997. Effects of farm management practices on cattle behaviour and the potential for transmission of bovine tuberculosis from badgers to cattle. The Veterinary Journal 153: 149–162.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hutchings, M. R. and, Harris, S. 1999. Quantifying the risks of TB infection to cattle posed by badger excreta. Epidemiology and Infection 122: 167–174.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Independent Scientific Group on Bovine Tuberculosis 2003. Development of vaccines for bovine tuberculosis. Report of the Independent Scientific Group Vaccine Scoping Sub-Committee. Defra, London.Google Scholar
Johnston, W. T., Gettinby, G., Cox, D. R., Donnelly, C. A., Bourne, J., Clifton-Hadley, R. S., Le Fevre, A. M., McInerney, J. P., Mitchell, A., Morrison, W. I. and Woodroffe, R. 2005. Herd-level risk factors associated with tuberculosis breakdowns among cattle herds in England before the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease epidemic. Biology Letters 1: 53–56.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kruuk, H. 1989. The social badger. Oxford University Press, Oxford.Google Scholar
Kruuk, H. and Parish, T. 1985. Food, food availability and weight of badgers (Meles meles) in relation to agricultural changes. Journal of Applied Ecology 22: 705–715.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1999. Farm biosecurity, protecting herd health. MAFF Publications, London.Google Scholar
Martin, S. W.Eves, J. A.Dolan, L. A.Hammond, R. F.Griffin, J. M.Collins, J. D.Shoukri, M. M. 1997. The association between the bovine tuberculosis status of herds in the East Offaly Project Area, and the distance to badger setts, 1988–1993. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 31: 113–125.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miller, M. W. and Wild, M. A.Williams, E. S. 1998. Epidemiology of chronic wasting disease in captive Rocky Mountain elk. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 34: 532–538.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Muirhead, R. H. and Gallagher, J.Burn, K. J. 1974. Tuberculosis in wild badgers in Gloucestershire: Epidemiology. Veterinary Record 95: 552–555.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ó Máirtín, D.Williams, D. H. and Dolan, L. and Eves, J. A.Collins, J. D. 1998. The influence of selected herd factors and a badger-intervention tuberculosis-control programme on the risk of a herd-level trade restriction to a bovine population in Ireland. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 35: 79–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Reilly, L. M.Daborn, C. J. 1995. The epidemiology of Mycobacterium bovis infections in animals and man–a review. Tubercle and Lung Disease 76: 1–46.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Paterson, A. D.Honhold, N.Taylor, N. M.Ramirez, A.Romero, P.Peel, M.Hullinger, P. and Mansley, L. M. 2003. A quantitative insight into ‘biosecurity’: a case-control study investigating the risk factors predisposing Cumbrian dairy farms to foot and mouth disease. In Proceedings of the Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Warwick 2003 (ed. Reid, S. W. J. and Menzies, F. D.), pp. 208–217Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Glasgow.Google Scholar
Paterson, B. M. and Morris, R. S. 1995. Interactions between beef cattle and simulated tuberculous possums on pasture. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 43: 289–293.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Phillips, C. J. C. 2002. Cattle behaviour and welfare, 2nd ed. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phillips, C. J. C.Foster, C. and Morris, P.Teverson, R. 2000. The role of cattle husbandry in the development of a sustainable policy to control bovis infection in cattle. Report of the Independent Husbandry Panel May 2000. MAFF, London.Google Scholar
Phillips, C. J. C.Foster, C. and Morris, P.Teverson, R. 2003. The transmission of Mycobacterium bovis infection to cattle. Research in Veterinary Science 74: 1–15.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Poole, D. W.McKillop, I. G.Western, G.Hancocks, P. J.Packer, J. J. 2002. Effectiveness of an electric fence to reduce badger (Meles meles) damage to field crops. Crop Protection 21: 409–417.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richomme, C.Gauthier, D. and Fromont, E. 2006. Contact rates and exposure to inter-species disease transmission in mountain ungulates. Epidemiology and Infection 134: 21–30.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roper, T. J.Garnett, B. T. and Delahay, R. J. 2003. Visits to farm buildings and cattle troughs by badgers (Meles meles): a potential route for transmission of bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) between badgers and cattle. Cattle Practice 11: 9–12.Google Scholar
Roper, T. J.Lüps, P. 1993. Disruption of territorial behaviour in badgers Meles meles. International Journal of Mammalian Biology 58: 252–255.Google Scholar
Shrubb, M. 2003. Birds, scythes and combines. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Suazo, F. M.Escalera, A. M. A. and Torres, R. M. G. 2003. A review of M. bovis BCG protection against TB in cattle and other animal species. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 58: 1–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tuyttens, F. A. M.Delahay, R. J.Macdonald, D. W.Cheeseman, C. L.Long, B.Donnelly, C. A. 2000. Spatial perturbation caused by a badger (Meles meles) culling operation: implications for the function of territoriality and the control of bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis). Journal of Animal Ecology 69: 815–828.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
University of Reading 2004. Assessment of the economic impacts of TB and alternative control policies. Final project report London Defra.Google Scholar
Veterinary Laboratories Agency 1999. Wildlife diseases in the UK. Annual report to the State Veterinary Service Weybridge VLA.Google Scholar
Veterinary Laboratories Agency 2000. Wildlife diseases in the UK. Annual report to the State Veterinary Service Weybridge VLA.Google Scholar
Veterinary Laboratories Agency 2001. Wildlife diseases in the UK. Annual report to the State Veterinary Service Weybridge VLA.Google Scholar
Veterinary Laboratories Agency 2002. Wildlife diseases in the UK. Annual report to the State Veterinary Service Weybridge VLA.Google Scholar
Veterinary Laboratories Agency 2003. Wildlife diseases in the UK. Annual report to the State Veterinary Service Weybridge VLA.Google Scholar
Veterinary Laboratories Agency 2004. Wildlife diseases in the UK. Annual report to the State Veterinary Service Weybridge VLA.Google Scholar
Webster, J. P.Lloyd, G. and Macdonald, D. W. 1995. Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) reservoir in wild brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) populations in the UK. Parasitology 110: 31–35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Webster, J. P.Macdonald, D. W. 1995. Parasites of wild brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) on UK farms. Parasitology 111: 247–255.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
White, P. C. L.Benhin, J. K. A. 2004. Factors influencing the incidence and scale of bovine tuberculosis in cattle in southwest England. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 63: 1–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, E. S.Miller, M. W. and Thorne, E. T. 2005. Chronic wasting disease: implications and challenges for wildlife managers. Journal of Wildlife Disease 34: 532–538.Google Scholar
Wilson, G.Harris, S. and McLaren, G. 1997. Changes to the British badger population, 1988 to 1997. London People's Trust for Endangered Species, London.Google Scholar
Woodroffe, R. 1999. Managing disease threats to wild mammals. Animal Conservation 2: 185–193.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woodroffe, R.Donnelly, C. A.Johnston, W. T.Bourne, F. J.Cheeseman, C. L.Clifton-Hadley, R. S.Cox, D. R.Gettinby, G.Hewinson, R. G.Le Fevre, A. M.McInerney, J. P.Morrison, W. I. 2006. Effects of culling on badger Meles meles spatial organization: implications for the control of bovine tuberculosis. Journal of Applied Ecology 43: 1–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar