Management of Disease in Wild Mammals

Wildlife populations may be a significant source of infection for humans and domestic animals while in some cases being themselves endangered by pathogens. The development of sustainable approaches to the management of wildlife diseases is fundamental to the protection of human health, agriculture, and endangered species. Managing disease in free-ranging wild mammals presents serious challenges, however, because of their often complex ecology and social behavior, which can undermine simplistic assumptions about the dynamics of disease and responses to intervention. The text presents discussion of basic approaches to disease management, with reference to specific challenges presented by wild mammal populations and in the light of the results of recent research at the interfaces between disease epidemiology, host ecology, and wildlife management. Further chapters are devoted to surveillance, contingency planning, the application of mathematical models and cost-benefit analysis, and the special case of endangered species. This book provides an authoritative contemporary review of the major issues and challenges in the management of disease in wild mammals.