Mapping bovine Tuberculosis dynamics in the South-African wildlife and livestock reservoir

In Sub-Saharan Africa, bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) is known to infect nearly all mammals, and is a threat to wildlife and livestock. However, the roles of biodiversity and host community composition on outbreak dynamics are still not clearly understood. Close contacts and the sharing of resources, such as food and water, are thought to be drivers of spillover and spill-back from the main reservoir host, buffalo (Syncerus caffer), to wildlife and livestock species. I propose to investigate the species contact networks and environmental reservoir of bTB in the Kruger National Park using camera traps and environmental DNA samples of water and soil. These data will be used to inform statistical models of disease spread, allowing us to quantify the effect of host community composition on bTB maintenance and outbreak potential in the Park. Understanding these dynamics will help in guiding policy on bTB prevention in spaces shared by livestock and wildlife.

Faculty Supervisor:

Jonathan Davies

Student:

Partner:

University of Johannesburg

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: