Assessing the effects of the first 2 years of industry‐led badger culling in England on the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle in 2013–2015

Brunton, Lucy A.; Donnelly, Christl A.; O’Connor, Heather; Prosser, Alison; Ashfield, Stuart; Ashton, Adam; Upton, Paul; Mitchell, A.; Goodchild, A. V.; Parry, Jessica; Downs, Sara H.

doi:10.1002/ece3.3254

Cited by 30 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Results from the four area badger removal trial in Ireland and the Randomized Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) in England provided evidence of a positive effect of badger culling on incidence rates of tuberculosis in associated cattle herds ( 18 , 19 ). Arising from these studies, current policies to eradicate the disease are largely focused on surveillance testing of cattle supplemented with badger population control measures in areas of Ireland and England considered as high risk for cross-species transmission ( 1 , 20 ). Analysis of M. bovis prevalence rates in approximately 5,000 badgers culled in Ireland in response to tuberculosis breakdowns in cattle herds has revealed a decrease in the overall prevalence from 26 to 11% between 2007 and 2011 ( 21 ).…”

Section: Tuberculosis In Badgersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pathogenesis of Mycobacterium bovis Infection: the Badger Model As a Paradigm for Understanding Tuberculosis in Animals

Gormley

Corner

2018

Front. Vet. Sci.

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Tuberculosis in animals is caused principally by infection with Mycobacterium bovis and the potential for transmission of infection to humans is often the fundamental driver for surveillance of disease in livestock and wild animals. However, with such a vast array of species susceptible to infection, it is often extremely difficult to gain a detailed understanding of the pathogenesis of infection--a key component of the epidemiology in all affected species. This is important because the development of disease control strategies in animals is determined chiefly by an understanding of the epidemiology of the disease. The most revealing data from which to formulate theories on pathogenesis are that observed in susceptible hosts infected by natural transmission. These data are gathered from detailed studies of the distribution of gross and histological lesions, and the presence and distribution of infection as determined by highly sensitive bacteriology procedures. The information can also be used to establish the baseline for evaluating experimental model systems. The European badger (Meles meles) is one of a very small number of wild animal hosts where detailed knowledge of the pathogenesis of M. bovis infection has been generated from observations in natural-infected animals. By drawing parallels from other animal species, an experimental badger infection model has also been established where infection of the lower respiratory tract mimics infection and the disease observed in natural-infected badgers. This has facilitated the development of diagnostic tests and testing of vaccines that have the potential to control the disease in badgers. In this review, we highlight the fundamental principles of how detailed knowledge of pathogenesis can be used to evaluate specific intervention strategies, and how the badger model may be a paradigm for understanding pathogenesis of tuberculosis in any affected wild animal species.

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Section: Tuberculosis In Badgersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pathogenesis of Mycobacterium bovis Infection: the Badger Model As a Paradigm for Understanding Tuberculosis in Animals

Gormley

Corner

2018

Front. Vet. Sci.

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“…There will also be confounding factors that affect the cull duration required to reduce disease levels. For example, Brunton et al [52] found that badger culling led to a reduction in bTB levels (in sympatric cattle) after 2 years of culling, but partly attributed this to the implementation of an additional risk management programme in the second year of disease control.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

When to kill a cull: factors affecting the success of culling wildlife for disease control

Prentice

Fox

Hutchings

et al. 2019

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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Culling wildlife to control disease can lead to both decreases and increases in disease levels, with apparently conflicting responses observed, even for the same wildlife–disease system. There is therefore a pressing need to understand how culling design and implementation influence culling's potential to achieve disease control. We address this gap in understanding using a spatial metapopulation model representing wildlife living in distinct groups with density-dependent dispersal and framed on the badger–bovine tuberculosis (bTB) system. We show that if population reduction is too low, or too few groups are targeted, a ‘perturbation effect’ is observed, whereby culling leads to increased movement and disease spread. We also demonstrate the importance of culling across appropriate time scales, with otherwise successful control strategies leading to increased disease if they are not implemented for long enough. These results potentially explain a number of observations of the dynamics of both successful and unsuccessful attempts to control TB in badgers including the Randomized Badger Culling Trial in the UK, and we highlight their policy implications. Additionally, for parametrizations reflecting a broad range of wildlife–disease systems, we characterize ‘Goldilocks zones’, where, for a restricted combination of culling intensity, coverage and duration, the disease can be reduced without driving hosts to extinction.

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“…Smith 2002). The control of badger populations by culling has been shown to reduce the incidence of bTB in cattle inside the culling areas (Brunton et al 2017;Jenkins et al 2010). However, culling disrupts the local badger population structure, and remaining animals tend to move longer distances and visit neighbouring social groups more frequently (Carter et al 2007;R.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of a single-shot gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) immunocontraceptive vaccine in captive badgers

et al. 2019

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GonaCon, a single-shot injectable immunocontraceptive vaccine targeting the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), has been tested in key mammal species in the UK and shown to be a safe method to reduce population size in areas of high human wildlife conflict. Badgers exhibit an unusual reproductive physiology in that females may maintain fertilised eggs and dormant blastocysts at any time of year and delay their implantation until the winter. It is thus necessary to evaluate the consequences of delayed implantation and timing of vaccination on the effectiveness of GonaCon for fertility control of female badgers. We found that vaccination in June had an immediate effect on the fertility indicators monitored and inhibited subsequent cub production in the following year, while vaccination in November had no effect. Further results suggest that the optimal vaccination window in badgers could be as narrow as between June and August. The longer-term effectiveness of GonaCon vaccination in female badgers appears to reflect maintenance of anti-GnRH antibody titres at or above a putative threshold titre of 1:128,000, a threshold higher than that reported for other species (1:64,000). While it is possible that using a larger dose (> 1 mL) might lead to longer lasting effects, this study shows that vaccination would need to be repeated at least every 2 years in order to maintain levels of female infertility predicted to have demographic impacts on badger populations. Overall, no negative welfare consequences were observed in vaccinated badgers indicating that GonaCon is a potential tool for the management of conflicts involving badgers.

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Assessing the effects of the first 2 years of industry‐led badger culling in England on the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle in 2013–2015

Cited by 30 publications

References 20 publications

Pathogenesis of Mycobacterium bovis Infection: the Badger Model As a Paradigm for Understanding Tuberculosis in Animals

Pathogenesis of Mycobacterium bovis Infection: the Badger Model As a Paradigm for Understanding Tuberculosis in Animals

When to kill a cull: factors affecting the success of culling wildlife for disease control

Evaluation of a single-shot gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) immunocontraceptive vaccine in captive badgers

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