Protect wildlife from livestock diseases

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Wildlife Disease
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have led to significant seabird mortality in Europe, North America, and Africa.
• The spread of HPAI from farmed poultry to wild bird populations has been a known risk for over a decade.

Discussion:

• Investigates the vulnerability of wild seabird populations to zoonotic diseases originating in intensive agriculture.
• Examines the preparedness of nations in mitigating disease spillover from livestock to vulnerable wildlife.

Key Insights:

• Seabird colonies experienced exceptionally high mortality rates due to HPAI.
• A failure in proactive wildlife disease management allowed HPAI to devastate seabird populations.

Outlook:

• Highlights the urgent need for international cooperation and policy changes to protect wildlife from anthropogenic disease threats.
• Emphasizes the responsibility of nations to manage diseases emerging from increasing global livestock production to safeguard biodiversity.