scholarly journals Aspects of the epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis in badgers and cattle. I. The prevalence of infection in two wild animal populations in south-west England

1981 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Barrow ◽  
J. Gallagher
Keyword(s):  
Lymph Node ◽  
Bovine Tuberculosis ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Wild Animal ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
South West ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Two Populations ◽  
South West England

SUMMARYThe prevalence of infections caused by Mycobacterium bovis was estimated in two populations of wild animals in the south west of England. A variety of mammalian species was trapped on farm land where incidents of infection with tuberculosis had occurred in cattle. Bacteriological analysis of lymph node samples and lesions showed that the only animals acting as a reservoir for M. bovis were badgers. Examination of arthropod ectoparasites of infected badgers proved negative for M. bovis and suggests that these are unlikely to act as vectors in transmission of the disease.

scholarly journals Inferring Mycobacterium bovis transmission between cattle and badgers using isolates from the Randomised Badger Culling Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. e1010075
Author(s):  
Andries J. van Tonder ◽  
Mark J. Thornton ◽  
Andrew J. K. Conlan ◽  
Keith A. Jolley ◽  
Lee Goolding ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Bovis ◽  
Bovine Tuberculosis ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Cattle Industry ◽  
Cattle Movement ◽  
Badger Culling ◽  
Movement Data ◽  
South West ◽  
Different Parts ◽  
South West England

Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) is a causative agent of bovine tuberculosis, a significant source of morbidity and mortality in the global cattle industry. The Randomised Badger Culling Trial was a field experiment carried out between 1998 and 2005 in the South West of England. As part of this trial, M. bovis isolates were collected from contemporaneous and overlapping populations of badgers and cattle within ten defined trial areas. We combined whole genome sequences from 1,442 isolates with location and cattle movement data, identifying transmission clusters and inferred rates and routes of transmission of M. bovis. Most trial areas contained a single transmission cluster that had been established shortly before sampling, often contemporaneous with the expansion of bovine tuberculosis in the 1980s. The estimated rate of transmission from badger to cattle was approximately two times higher than from cattle to badger, and the rate of within-species transmission considerably exceeded these for both species. We identified long distance transmission events linked to cattle movement, recurrence of herd breakdown by infection within the same transmission clusters and superspreader events driven by cattle but not badgers. Overall, our data suggests that the transmission clusters in different parts of South West England that are still evident today were established by long-distance seeding events involving cattle movement, not by recrudescence from a long-established wildlife reservoir. Clusters are maintained primarily by within-species transmission, with less frequent spill-over both from badger to cattle and cattle to badger.

scholarly journals Assessing Transmission of Antimicrobial-ResistantEscherichia coliin Wild Giraffe Contact Networks

2018 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Miller ◽  
Timothy J. Johnson ◽  
George Omondi ◽  
Edward R. Atwill ◽  
Lynne A. Isbell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Resistance Genes ◽  
Wild Animal ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Animal Populations

ABSTRACTThere is growing evidence that anthropogenic sources of antibiotics and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria can spill over into natural ecosystems, raising questions about the role wild animals play in the emergence, maintenance, and dispersal of antibiotic resistance genes. In particular, we lack an understanding of how resistance genes circulate within wild animal populations, including whether specific host characteristics, such as social associations, promote interhost transmission of these genes. In this study, we used social network analysis to explore the forces shaping population-level patterns of resistantEscherichia coliin wild giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) and assess the relative importance of social contact for the dissemination of resistantE. colibetween giraffe. Of 195 giraffe sampled, only 5.1% harboredE. coliisolates resistant to one or more tested antibiotics. Whole-genome sequencing on a subset of resistant isolates revealed a number of acquired resistance genes with linkages to mobile genetic elements. However, we found no evidence that the spread of resistance genes among giraffe was facilitated by interhost associations. Giraffe with lower social degree were more likely to harbor resistantE. coli, but this relationship was likely driven by a correlation between an individual’s social connectedness and age. Indeed, resistantE. coliwas most frequently detected in socially isolated neonates, indicating that resistantE. colimay have a selective advantage in the gastrointestinal tracts of neonates compared to other age classes. Taken together, these results suggest that the maintenance of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in wild populations may, in part, be determined by host traits and microbial competition dynamics within the host.IMPORTANCEAntimicrobial resistance represents a significant threat to human health, food security, and the global economy. To fully understand the evolution and dissemination of resistance genes, a complete picture of antimicrobial resistance in all biological compartments, including natural ecosystems, is required. The environment and wild animals may act as reservoirs for anthropogenically derived resistance genes that could be transferrable to clinically relevant bacteria of humans and domestic animals. Our study investigated the possible transmission mechanisms for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria within a wild animal population and, more broadly, contributes to our understanding of how resistance genes are spread and maintained in natural ecosystems.

scholarly journals Mapping Ebola in wild animals for better disease control

eLife ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Funk ◽  
Peter Piot
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Wild Animal ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Risk Areas

Identifying the regions where wild animal populations could transmit the Ebola virus should help with efforts to prepare at-risk areas for future outbreaks.

scholarly journals An Assessment of Intermediary Roles in Payments for Ecosystem Services Schemes in the Context of Catchment Management: An Example from South West England

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (01) ◽  
pp. 1750003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hadrian Cook ◽  
Laurence Couldrick ◽  
Laurence Smith
Keyword(s):  
Payments For Ecosystem Services ◽  
Catchment Management ◽  
Raw Water ◽  
Policy Mix ◽  
Catchment Scale ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Not For Profit ◽  
South West ◽  
On Farm ◽  
South West England

Payments for Ecosystems Services (PES) schemes are an underdeveloped component of the policy mix for catchment management in many countries. The importance of intermediaries to such schemes is acknowledged in the literature but few studies go beyond theory to evaluate practice. This paper analyses generic intermediary functions for PES. It then evaluates an innovative example from southwest England that provides illustrations, and some lessons regarding necessary capabilities and characteristics for intermediaries, and understanding of their form, functions and modalities. The ‘UpStream Thinking’ project was co-developed by a private water company and an environmental charity. The former translated effective demand from shareholders and water customers for improved raw water quality into finance, whilst the latter had capabilities for catchment-scale on-farm delivery and trusted acceptance as an intermediary. While any sector can potentially provide a PES intermediary, the value driven, not-for-profit and politically neutral voluntary sector proves to be a good fit. Such ‘boundary organisations’ are also well placed for horizontal coordination of catchment management authorities and actions.

scholarly journals Inferring Mycobacterium bovis transmission between cattle and badgers using isolates from the Randomised Badger Culling Trial

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andries J van Tonder ◽  
Mark Thornton ◽  
Andrew JK Conlan ◽  
Keith A Jolley ◽  
Lee Goolding ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Bovis ◽  
Bovine Tuberculosis ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Cattle Industry ◽  
Cattle Movement ◽  
Badger Culling ◽  
Movement Data ◽  
South West ◽  
Different Parts ◽  
South West England

Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) is a causative agent of bovine tuberculosis, a significant source of morbidity and mortality in the global cattle industry. The Randomised Badger Culling Trial was a field experiment carried out between 1998 and 2005 in the South West of England. As part of this trial, M. bovis isolates were collected from contemporaneous and overlapping populations of badgers and cattle within ten defined trial areas. We combined whole genome sequences from 1,442 isolates with location and cattle movement data, identifying transmission clusters and inferred rates and routes of transmission of M. bovis. Most trial areas contained a single transmission cluster that had been established shortly before sampling, often contemporaneous with the expansion of bovine tuberculosis in the 1980s. The estimated rate of transmission from badger to cattle was approximately two times higher than from cattle to badger, and the rate of within-species transmission considerably exceeded these for both species. We identified long distance transmission events linked to cattle movement, recurrence of herd breakdown by infection within the same transmission clusters and superspreader events driven by cattle but not badgers. Overall, our data suggests that the transmission clusters in different parts of South West England that are still evident today were established by long-distance seeding events involving cattle movement, not by recrudescence from a long-established wildlife reservoir. Clusters are maintained primarily by within-species transmission, with less frequent spill-over both from badger to cattle and cattle to badger.

TBE in United Kingdom

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Clinical Disease ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Probable Case ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
South West ◽  
Louping Ill ◽  
The Uk ◽  
North And South ◽  
South West England

Until 2019, TBE was considered only to be an imported disease to the United Kingdom. In that year, evidence became available that the TBEV is likely circulating in the country1,2 and a first “probable case” of TBE originating in the UK was reported.3 In addition to TBEV, louping ill virus (LIV), a member of the TBEV-serocomplex, is also endemic in parts of the UK. Reports of clinical disease caused by LIV in livestock are mainly from Scotland, parts of North and South West England and Wales.4

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