Robertson Andrew, Palphramand Kate L, McDonald Robbie A, Middleton Sonya, Chambers Mark A, Delahay Richard J, Carter Stephen P
Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK; National Wildlife Management Centre, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodchester Park, Gloucestershire GL10 3UJ, UK.
National Wildlife Management Centre, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodchester Park, Gloucestershire GL10 3UJ, UK.
Prev Vet Med. 2022 Sep;206:105702. doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2022.105702. Epub 2022 Jun 30.
In parts of the United Kingdom and Ireland, the European badger is a wildlife host for Mycobacterium bovis (the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis). Badger vaccination is one management option for reducing disease spread. Vaccination is currently achieved by parenteral vaccination of captured badgers, but an oral vaccine delivered in a bait may provide an additional approach in the future. We conducted two field experiments in wild badger populations to identify factors that influence uptake (% of individuals with evidence of bait consumption) of candidate oral vaccine baits. In both instances, baits containing the biomarker iophenoxic acid (as a proxy for the vaccine) were fed at burrows (setts) associated with badger social groups (study A = 48 groups, study B = 40 groups). Badgers were captured following a period of bait deployment to quantify uptake in relation to age, sex and social group. In addition, groups were allocated different treatments and the bait deployment protocol was varied to identify effects on uptake. Study A tested the effects of season, bait type, bait placement and packaging, while study B investigated the effects of bait quantity and badger activity levels. Overall bait uptake was low (Study A = 24 %, Study B = 37 %) but this varied among treatment groups (range 0-58 %). In both studies, bait uptake was significantly higher in cubs than in adults. Uptake was substantially higher where baits were placed directly into sett entrances (rather than under tiles near setts), and by badgers caught at main setts rather than at outlier setts. Season, bait type and packaging did not influence uptake, while increasing the quantity of bait available increased uptake by cubs but not by adults. Levels of badger activity at setts varied over time (suggesting potential disturbance), but were positively associated with levels of bait uptake.
在英国和爱尔兰的部分地区，欧洲獾是牛分枝杆菌（牛结核病的病原体）的野生动物宿主。獾疫苗接种是减少疾病传播的一种管理选择。目前通过对捕获的獾进行皮下接种来实现疫苗接种，但未来通过诱饵投放口服疫苗可能会提供另一种方法。我们在野生獾种群中进行了两项实地实验，以确定影响候选口服疫苗诱饵摄取量（有食用诱饵证据的个体百分比）的因素。在这两个实验中，含有生物标志物碘苯氧酸（作为疫苗的替代物）的诱饵在与獾社会群体相关的洞穴（兽穴）中投喂（研究A = 48个群体，研究B = 40个群体）。在一段时间的诱饵投放后捕获獾，以量化与年龄、性别和社会群体相关的摄取量。此外，对不同群体进行了不同处理，并改变诱饵投放方案以确定对摄取量的影响。研究A测试了季节、诱饵类型、诱饵放置和包装的影响，而研究B调查了诱饵数量和獾活动水平的影响。总体诱饵摄取量较低（研究A = 24%，研究B = 37%），但在不同处理组中有所不同（范围为0 - 58%）。在两项研究中，幼崽的诱饵摄取量显著高于成年獾。当诱饵直接放置在兽穴入口（而不是在兽穴附近的瓦片下）时，以及被在主要兽穴而非偏远兽穴捕获的獾摄取时，摄取量要高得多。季节、诱饵类型和包装不影响摄取量，而增加可用诱饵的数量会增加幼崽的摄取量，但不会增加成年獾的摄取量。兽穴处獾的活动水平随时间变化（表明可能受到干扰），但与诱饵摄取水平呈正相关。
