Disease Management through Influencing Human Activities

Abstract

That wildlife management consists largely of managing people is an axiom among biologists. Almost anything that is done to control or prevent disease in wild species also involves a considerable amount of people management. I do not intend to discuss the type of management that is needed to obtain the funding necessary for disease control programs, although that is an essential skill if a program is to succeed; instead I will discuss forms of action more directly related to management of disease. I have mentioned at various places earlier in the book that many of the most serious disease problems in wildlife are directly related to some human activity. These are usually the result of habitat modification or loss, artificial manipulation of animal populations, or because of direct introduction of disease agents or risk factors into the environment. Much of what can be done to control or prevent disease consists of recognizing the potential effects of such activities and trying to prevent or mitigate the effects before they occur, or of trying to reduce or control the effects of some existing activity. In this chapter I will deal with three major areas:

• problems associated with the movement of animals and disease agents.

• problems associated with the movement of animals and disease agents.

• legislative or regulatory means to reduce or curb disease.

• use of methods, such as public education and planning of human activities, to reduce the impact of diseases that are not manageable in other ways.

“Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed”. Quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln by Gilbert (1964)