Category Archives: Wildlife Disease
Badgers: the debate continues
Badgers: the debate continues The threat of bovine TB to cattle is still as great as ever, with the latest statistics release from Defra highlighting its continued presence. The use of badger culling to attempt to reduce the incidence of … Continue reading
Badger cull: licences reissued by Natural England
In 2011, it was announced that a badger cull would be implemented to attempt to curb the spread of bovine tuberculosis. Licences were issued last summer, with culls initially scheduled to take place last autumn. Due to the combination of … Continue reading
Tackling Tree Disease in the UK
It isn’t simply Ash Dieback that’s threatening the forests and woodlands of the UK. A plethora of pests and pathogens are on the horizon, with the numbers of diseases afflicting our trees having increased markedly over the past twenty years. … Continue reading
The partners in crime that could solve the case…
One of the strongest ecological structuring forces the world has ever known, that has influenced the genetic make-up of every organism on earth, is that of the partnership between parasite and host. The term parasite may evoke images of tapeworms … Continue reading
Natural England Issues First Badger Cull License
Natural England yesterday issued the first license to cull badgers, under the Coalition Government’s controversial plan to allow free-shooting of the animals by consortia of farmers. Rather than vaccinate badgers, as is being trialled in Wales, in England the Government … Continue reading
First occurrence of ‘ash dieback’ in Britain
A fungal disease caused by Chalara fraxinea was found for the first time in a nursery in South East England. The disease is widespread on the Continent and can kill ash trees. The nursery imported 2,000 ash trees from the … Continue reading
Food security, biodiversity and ecosystem services are threatened by human induced spreading of fungal infections
A recently published review paper in Nature draws attention to the dangers of globalisation and international trade which facilitate spreading of fungal diseases. The authors collected data from all over the world and showed that fungal infections had increased, caused … Continue reading
Natterjack toad threatened by UK drought – intensive conservation efforts needed to protect amphibians
The persistent dry weather which has led to the current hosepipe ban in South East England is also threatening the future of one of Britain’s rarest amphibians, the natterjack toad. With fewer than 50 breeding populations remaining in mainland Britain, … Continue reading
Welsh Environment Minister announces programme of badger vaccination
Welsh Environment Minister John Griffiths yesterday launched the Welsh Government’s Strategic Framework for Bovine TB Eradication, which outlined a programme of badger vaccination to be introduced in the Intensive Action Area. The Minister said the decision to pursue vaccination as … Continue reading
The Future of Biosecurity – Seminar
The fifth in a series of ESRC-funded seminars on biosecurity is taking place at Birkbeck College, University of London, on 22-23 September 2011. ‘The Future of Biosecurity and Biosecuring the Future’ will bring together speakers, discussion panels, exhibition and film … Continue reading