PREFACE

At the aim of this book is to provide a reference text on infectious diseases which affect free-living wild mammals and birds in Europe. This is a broad field and currently involves many scientific disciplines including ecology, biology, wild­life management, epidemiology, animal and human health, molecular biology, evolu­tionary biology, genetics, virology, bacteriology, pathology, and diagnostics.

A volume of knowledge on wildlife disease has been produced in Europe over recent decades and research on wildlife diseases has significantly increased in the last 15 years, partly due to the growing concern about new and emerging pathogens and partly through projects financed by the EU and other international organisations. This interest has also concentrated on investigations into the risks to human health (the zoonotic risks from wildlife). Several recent discoveries in the field have been pub­lished together with the gathering of large amounts of supportive information. However, this information is frequently published as specialised articles, or it deals only with local situations or individual studies rather than in the continental context. It is now apparent that these diseases must be considered from the perspective of the European continent.

This book describes each significant wildlife infectious disease. The Europe-wide information has been extracted, condensed and written by specialists in each topic. The book presents high-quality, accurate, clear and up to date information on the important aspects of the infectious diseases of wildlife. This type of information is frequently sought-after, but not always easy to locate or assimilate.

We believe that this book is needed now because there are changing situations and increased awareness in Europe with respect to:

1. The emergence or re-emergence of new diseases from wild animal reservoirs, such as avian influenza, classical swine fever, rabies, tuberculosis and foot and mouth disease.

2. The zoonotic implications of wildlife, for example, in highly-pathogenic avian influenza, rabies, West Nile Virus, hantavirus infections and food borne zoonoses (tuberculosis, hepatitis E).

3. Changes in the environment that wildlife may be a sensitive indicator for, in particular climatic change and its effects on disease ecology, and vector popula­tions (ticks, midges, mosquitoes) resulting in spread of disease to new areas within and into Europe, for example bluetongue, tick borne encephalitis, Usutu and West Nile viruses.

4. The involvement of wild animals in the infection of livestock and pets. As wild animals move freely and certain populations increase, then contact between wildlife and domesticated animals will increase. For example salmonellosis in domestic cats and classical swine fever from wild boar to pigs.

5. The public concern for the effects of disease on the health of wild animals, par­ticularly if causing mass mortality, for example morbillivirus in seals and out­breaks of botulism in birds.

6. The opening of markets within Europe results in movements of animals and a higher risk of spreading disease between livestock and wildlife, for example foot and mouth disease, classical swine fever.

7. Limited control of wild populations, encroachment by man on wildlife habitat and decreased hunting is producing high density and urban populations of roe deer, red fox and wild boar. As a consequence, there is increased contact with domesticated animals and humans, which results in increased transmission of disease between species.

8. The importance of the sub-clinical reservoir role of wild animals and the need for surveillance methodologies in detecting these covert infections, for example in rabies and tuberculosis.

9. The potential for migrating wildlife to introduce new and exotic pathogens to Europe.

10. There is also recognition that those assessing diseased wild animals require back­ground information and guidance as to treatment and control strategies.

11. Disease may threaten wild populations, endangered species, and ultimately biodiversity.

This book is original because it is the first text to describe in detail the infectious diseases of wild mammals and wild birds in Europe. Its key features are that —

• It presents information on aspects of each disease or group of pathogens to provide the reader with a clear background and also covers the distinctive nature of these diseases as they occur in Europe (pathogen strains, insect vectors, reservoir species, climate, etc).

• It concentrates on the Europe-wide situation, including geographical distribution of the diseases, European wildlife species and European regulations for the diagnosis and control of the diseases.

• It describes the latest advances in veterinary diagnostics including molecular tech­nology. Wildlife vaccination and disease surveillance techniques are described.

• It provides practical information, for example listing the animal species in which the disease has been recorded; the samples required for diagnostic examination, the diagnostic methods and the EU community reference laboratories.

• It provides guidance on disease control measures.

Our aim is to provide useful information for scientists trying to understand the health of wildlife populations. The One World-One Health concept shows that this is essential in understanding global health systems. If biologists, ecologists, veterinar­ians, epidemiologists and wildlife rehabilitators find the text helpful then the aim will be achieved.