Many species have been devastated by the introduction of pathogens to new regions. Managers are confronted with two goals: prevent species from going extinct in the short term, without compromising their ability to evolutionarily respond. We will use theory to explore the tradeoffs associated with different management actions, including vaccination, treatment, disinfection of habitats, and demographic augmentation. We will use data from three case studies – white-nose syndrome in bats, avian malaria in Hawaiian birds, and chytridiomycosis in amphibians, to illustrate how different traits of hosts alter the most effective short-term and long-term management strategies.
Results/Conclusions
For species with little evidence of resistance or tolerance, intensive strategies including vaccination, treatment and habitat disinfection are needed to prevent extinction. For other species, the optimal management strategy is one that balances the loss of genetic diversity for non-disease related traits from rapid mortality of susceptible individuals with the efforts to increase the fraction of the population that is resistant or tolerant. The mechanisms of resistance and tolerance are critically important in this tradeoff. More broadly, devising the most effective management strategy after pathogen introduction requires focused research, adaptive management and collaboration between wildlife managers and scientists.