Social group size affects Mycobacterium bovis infection in European badgers (Meles meles)
Open Access
- 4 June 2009
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in Journal of Animal Ecology
- Vol. 78 (4), 818-827
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2656.2009.01545.x
Abstract
1. In most social animals, the prevalence of directly transmitted pathogens increases in larger groups and at higher population densities. Such patterns are predicted by models of Mycobacterium bovis infection in European badgers (Meles meles). 2. We investigated the relationship between badger abundance and M. bovis prevalence, using data on 2696 adult badgers in 10 populations sampled at the start of the Randomized Badger Culling Trial. 3. M. bovis prevalence was consistently higher at low badger densities and in small social groups. M. bovis prevalence was also higher among badgers whose genetic profiles suggested that they had immigrated into their assigned social groups. 4. The association between high M. bovis prevalence and small badger group size appeared not to have been caused by previous small-scale culling in study areas, which had been suspended, on average, 5 years before the start of the current study. 5. The observed pattern of prevalence might occur through badgers in smaller groups interacting more frequently with members of neighbouring groups; detailed behavioural data are needed to test this hypothesis. Likewise, longitudinal data are needed to determine whether the size of infected groups might be suppressed by disease-related mortality. 6. Although M. bovis prevalence was lower at high population densities, the absolute number of infected badgers was higher. However, this does not necessarily mean that the risk of M. bovis transmission to cattle is highest at high badger densities, since transmission risk depends on badger behaviour as well as on badger density.Keywords
This publication has 52 references indexed in Scilit:
- The prevalence, distribution and severity of detectable pathological lesions in badgers naturally infected withMycobacterium bovisEpidemiology and Infection, 2007
- Culling and cattle controls influence tuberculosis risk for badgersProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2006
- Ranging patterns and parasitism in primatesBiology Letters, 2006
- Effects of culling on badger Meles meles spatial organization: implications for the control of bovine tuberculosisJournal of Applied Ecology, 2005
- Spatial association of Mycobacterium bovis infection in cattle and badgers Meles melesJournal of Applied Ecology, 2005
- Tuberculosis in badgers; a review of the disease and its significance for other animalsResearch in Veterinary Science, 2000
- Attempts to control tuberculosis in cattle by removing infected badgers: constraints imposed by live test sensitivityJournal of Applied Ecology, 1999
- Bovine tuberculosis in badger ( Meles meles ) populations in southwest England: the use of a spatial stochastic simulation model to understand the dynamics of the diseasePhilosophical Transactions Of The Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 1995
- Modelling bovine tuberculosis in badgers in England: preliminary resultsMammalia, 1995
- Population biology of infectious diseases: Part INature, 1979