Deer and pigs as hosts of bovine tuberculosis, and their
potential use as sentinels of disease presence
G. NUGENT
Landcare Research, P.O. Box 69, Lincoln, New Zealand
E-Mail:
Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 2001. 61:
64-67
Feral pigs and wild deer often have the highest local
prevalences of bovine tuberculosis (Tb) of any of the wild animal
species present in infected areas. Despite this, pigs have long been
regarded as ‘spillover’ hosts that become infected mainly by scavenging
infected carrion, rather than by transmission from other pigs. Deer, in
contrast, appear capable of independently sustaining the disease when
their densities are high, but not when they are low. Most infection in
wild deer in New Zealand also appears to be spillover infection. As
spillover hosts, both pigs and deer have the potential to be used as
sentinels for identifying when and where Tb occurs in local possum
populations. Within the constraints of local availability, pigs appear
to be potentially more valuable as sentinels than deer.
Keywords: NZSAPAB;
bovine tuberculosis; brushtail possums; deer; detection of
disease; host status; pigs; sentinel; Cervus elaphus; Mycobacterium
bovis; Sus scrofa; Trichosurus vulpecula
Last Updated 7/08/01
