THE USE OF CONTRACEPTION AS A DISEASE MANAGEMENT TOOL IN WILDLIFE

Authors

Jack C. Rhyan, United States Department of AgricultureFollow
Lowell A. Miller, United States Department of AgricultureFollow
Kathleen A. Fagerstone, United States Department of Agriculture

Date of this Version

2013

Citation

Rhyan, J.C., L.A. Miller, and K.A. Fagerstone. 2013. The use of contraception as a disease management tool in wildlife. Journal of Wildlife Medicine 44(4S):S135-S137. doi: 10.1638/1042-7260-44.4S.S135.

Comments

U.S. government work.

Abstract

Contraception offers potential as a tool for managing certain diseases in wildlife, most notably venereally transmitted diseases or diseases transmitted at parturition. Brucellosis is an excellent example of an infectious disease present in wild populations that could potentially be managed through immunocontraception. Previous studies in bison (Bison bison) suggest that a single injection of GonaCon^TM (National Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service/Wildlife Services, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, USA) results in 3 or more yr of infertility. Ongoing studies will determine if the use of GonaCon in bison decreases shedding of Brucella abortus from infected animals and will better define the duration of infertility following a single injection.