AVA Conference Gold Coast 2020

Land clearing for the expansion of urban and agricultural areas inevitably leads to the loss and fragmentation of native habitat. Wildlife species capable of surviving in fragmented habitats are often required to adapt aspects of their behavioural ecology such as seeking new food sources. These adaptations can lead to increased interactions not only within species but also between species, including with domestic animals and humans. At this interface, the risk of disease transmission between wildlife, humans and domestic animals is increased. The aim of this research is to investigate how anthropogenic landscapes impact pathogen exposure and shedding, in the bandicoot, a common native mammal. This will enable an understanding of the role of bandicoots in the epidemiology of these pathogens and how this is impacted by the human environments in which they live. The role of wildlife in the transmission of zoonotic disease will become increasingly more important as land clearing continues to bring humans and wildlife into closer contact.