A 50 year-long study of wildlife disease ecology

Long-term studies of mammal populations are rare, and the inclusion of host-pathogen interactions is even rarer. The bacterium Mycobacterium bovis (the cause of bovine tuberculosis) circulates between European badgers (Meles meles) and cattle in parts of the UK and Ireland, posing a significant challenge for disease control. The long-term intensive study of a badger population at Woodchester Park in southern England, from 1976 to date, has generated an unrivalled database of the life histories and infection status of 3200 individual badgers from over 16,200 capture events.

Study techniques have evolved over time, often involving the development of novel techniques and application of emerging technologies to monitor badger population density, movement behaviour and social interactions. Cutting edge molecular techniques have been employed to gain insights into pathogen transmission pathways. The study has permitted investigation of the relationships between population density and infection prevalence, and the roles of social organisation and movements in determining the distribution of infection. The project demonstrates the value of long-term studies in revealing key ecological and epidemiological trends, and informing disease management strategies.

Dez has been in ecological research for over 30 years and a practising consultant for 20 years. He works on wildlife management and disease ecology for the Animal and Plant Health Agency, is Research Director at RSK Biocensus and a Visiting Professor at Exeter University. He manages ecological research projects, supervises PhD students and has published over 170 scientific papers. He is convenor of the CIEEM Academic Special Interest Group and Chair of the Mammal Society’s Science Advisory Committee.