Infectious animal diseases: the wildlife/livestock interface

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Wildlife Ecology
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Conflicts exist between livestock owners and conservationists over wildlife-associated livestock diseases.
• Disease transmission at the wildlife/livestock interface is often bi-directional.
• Emerging sylvatic foci of diseases like bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis threaten eradication efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the bi-directional nature of disease transmission between wildlife and livestock.
• To present the categories of diseases involved at this interface.
• To address the challenges posed by increasing wildlife-livestock proximity due to ecotourism and land-use changes.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on wildlife-livestock disease interactions.
• Analysis of disease transmission dynamics at the interface.
• Examination of socio-economic factors driving land-use changes.

Main Results:

• Disease problems at the wildlife/livestock interface are frequently bi-directional.
• Emerging diseases pose a significant threat to established eradication programs.
• Expanding ecotourism and subsistence farming intensify wildlife-livestock interactions.

Conclusions:

• Innovative control strategies are needed to manage diverse wildlife/livestock interactions.
• New approaches must balance conservation goals with economic needs and land-use practices.
• Effective management is crucial to prevent market access issues for animal products.