Episode 52: Host to host: How conservation management can influence the risk of Lyme Disease

Lyme disease, a potentially serious bacterial infection spread to humans and pets by ticks, appears to be becoming more common in the UK, Europe and North America. How we manage green spaces and wildlife populations may be an important factor in determining the level of risk that this disease poses to people.

In this episode of Naturally Speaking, Taya Forde catches up with Dr Caroline Millins and Dr Roman Biek from the Institute, along with Prof. Des Thompson from Scottish Natural Heritage, to discuss their recent publication reviewing the evidence—and highlighting knowledge gaps—in the effects of conservation management on Lyme disease.

Paper discussed:

Millins, C., Gilbert L., Medlock, J., Hansford, K., Thompson, D. B. A., and Biek, R. (2017) Effects of conservation management of landscapes and vertebrate communities on Lyme borreliosis risk in the United Kingdom. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 372:20160123.

Featured image: KK_photographics [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0] via Flickr

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Intro and outro music sampled from: “The Curtain Rises” and “Early Riser” Kevin MacLeod [CC BY 3.0]