Infectious Disease Ecology and Conservation
Johannes Foufopoulos, Gary A. Wobeser, Hamish McCallum
Abstract
Emerging infectious diseases pose an increasingly serious threat to a number of endangered or sensitive species. Despite the significant impact of pathogens on conservation, no single book has yet integrated the theoretical principles underlying disease transmission with the practical health considerations for helping wildlife professionals and conservation biologists to manage disease outbreaks and conserve biodiversity. This novel and accessible textbook starts with a foundational section focusing on the role of pathogens in natural ecosystems, the dynamics of transmission in different environments, and the factors driving wildlife disease outbreaks. It then moves on to far more applied issues concerned with the acquisition of field data including sampling, experimental design, and analysis, as well as diagnostic analyses in both the laboratory and field. Guidelines for effective modeling and data analysis follow, before a final section is devoted to disease prevention and control including the prevention of novel outbreaks, the use of diseases as biocontrol agents, and the associated issues of ethics, public communication, and outreach.