Reducing the Spread of Foot-and-Mouth Disease from African Buffalo to Livestock

Foot-and mouth-disease (FMD) is the most contagious disease affecting cloven-hoofed ungulates. The disease easily spreads from wildlife reservoirs to livestock, where it can have crippling economic consequences for vulnerable rural communities. Most large wildlife species depend upon conservation areas for their continued survival. With continuing human population growth, the future of wildlife conservation depends on management of areas where wildlife and livestock interface. Preventing transmission of FMD between species will help save the lives of both domestic and wild ungulates. Researchers will determine which individual buffalo are most likely to migrate into livestock areas and transmit FMD, and when this is most likely to occur. This information will be used to target surveillance efforts to the highest risk time periods and host animals, with the goal of improving efficiency and effectiveness of FMD control at the wildlife-livestock interface. This Fellowship Training Grant supports a veterinarian who is pursuing a PhD in wildlife disease ecology