bTB in Deer

For the last 2 years I have been working on understanding and developing solutions to dealing with bTB within red deer herds. When the disease reaches epidemic prevalence then management and control of the disease is very much one that requires an assertive ‘fire-fighting’ style of leadership and management. The disease is brutal for deer and often results in a slow death, where the bacterium slowly consumes the body of all resources. This often takes many months ( 12-18 months). It is not pleasant to witness. Having a deep understanding of the disease epidemiology and ecology along with environmental and other species factors is crucial in developing a strategy. Gathering the data to build the intelligence is only the initial steps. Decisive and timely action often means acting without all the information, this can be uncomfortable. However not delaying action to suppress and then reduce the disease prevalence is critical once it has been found. Continuing to gather accurate and precise data is essential in adjusting and monitoring any plan. This is pivotal for the conservation of the species.

I’ll be working on writing a case study over the summer months. Please feel free to get in contact if you have any questions I might be able to help with.