Athens, Ga. A new study by University of Georgia researchers
shows that the common practice of killing wild animals to
control disease outbreaks can actually make matters worse in
some cases. In a study published the August 7 edition of the
journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences,
post-doctoral researcher Marc Choisy and Pejman Rohani,
associate professor of ecology and UGA Biomedical and Health
Sciences Institute researcher, create a detailed mathematical
model that demonstrates how the combination of hunting and
factors such as birth season and mating season influence disease
outbreaks. Their results suggest that wildlife managers and
health officials use caution when considering hunting or culling
as a means to manage diseases as diverse as rabies, tuberculosis
and even avian influenza. "One consequence of hunting that we
show in this paper is that it can increase the probability of
dying from the disease," Choisy said. "It can give you results
that are contrary to what you expect."