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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
general
Positive and negative effects of widespread badger culling on tuberculosis in cattle
Nature, Volume 439, No. 7078, Year 2006
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Description
Human and livestock diseases can be difficult to control where infection persists in wildlife populations. For three decades, European badgers (Meles meles) have been culled by the British government in a series of attempts to limit the spread of Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis (TB), to cattle1. Despite these efforts, the incidence of TB in cattle has risen consistently, re-emerging as a primary concern for Britain's cattle industry. Recently, badger culling has attracted controversy because experimental studies have reached contrasting conclusions (albeit using different protocols), with culled areas showing either markedly reduced 2,3 or increased4,5 incidence of TB in cattle. This has confused attempts to develop a science-based management policy. Here we use data from a large-scale, randomized field experiment to help resolve these apparent differences. We show that, as carried out in this experiment, culling reduces cattle TB incidence in the areas that are culled, but increases incidence in adjoining areas. These findings are biologically consistent with previous studies2-5 but will present challenges for policy development. © 2006 Nature Publishing Group.
Authors & Co-Authors
Donnelly, Christl A.
United Kingdom, London
Imperial College London
Woodroffe, Rosie B.
United States, Davis
University of California, Davis
Clifton-Hadley, Richard S.
United Kingdom, Addlestone
Animal and Plant Health Agency
Gao, Wei
United Kingdom, London
Imperial College London
Gettinby, George G.
United Kingdom, Glasgow
University of Strathclyde
Jenkins, Helen Elizabeth
United Kingdom, London
Imperial College London
Johnston, William Thomas
United Kingdom, London
Imperial College London
Rehman, Andrea M.
United Kingdom, London
Imperial College London
United Kingdom, London
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Morrison, William Ivan
United Kingdom, Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh
Statistics
Citations: 311
Authors: 9
Affiliations: 9
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1038/nature04454
ISSN:
00280836
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Infectious Diseases
Study Design
Cohort Study
Study Approach
Quantitative