Which of the following is an example of population management to control disease transmission at the wildlife-domestic interface?

Which of the following is an example of population management to control disease transmission at the wildlife-domestic interface?

• A. Culling all deer nationwide
• B. Building fences around farms
• C. Vaccinating deer
• D. Recruiting hunters to kill deer

Answer: (D)

Population management lowers disease transmission by changing how many wildlife hosts are present and how often they interact with domestic animals. Recruiting hunters to kill deer reduces deer numbers in areas where they can come into contact with livestock, pets, or human environments, which cuts the opportunities for the disease to move between wildlife and domestic populations. This approach acts on population density and contact rates, making it an effective way to manage transmission at the wildlife-domestic interface. Vaccinating deer removes some risk of disease but doesn’t reduce how many deer are around or how often they encounter domestic animals. Building fences can limit contact, but it doesn’t address the size of the wildlife population itself. Culling all deer nationwide is impractical and ecologically harmful.

Population management lowers disease transmission by changing how many wildlife hosts are present and how often they interact with domestic animals. Recruiting hunters to kill deer reduces deer numbers in areas where they can come into contact with livestock, pets, or human environments, which cuts the opportunities for the disease to move between wildlife and domestic populations. This approach acts on population density and contact rates, making it an effective way to manage transmission at the wildlife-domestic interface.

Vaccinating deer removes some risk of disease but doesn’t reduce how many deer are around or how often they encounter domestic animals. Building fences can limit contact, but it doesn’t address the size of the wildlife population itself. Culling all deer nationwide is impractical and ecologically harmful.