Currently, we are collaborating with South Africa National Parks and the University of Johannesburg to map the bovine TB (bTB) reservoir. BTB, caused by Mycobacterium bovis, is a highly contagious disease endemic to the Kruger National Park, where it has established in wild roaming buffalo (Syncarus caffer). It is able to infect nearly every mammal, and due to the low mortality of buffalo to this pathogen and their high mobility, the disease has been spreading (spilling over-spillover) to other species. It has even been found in elephants as of 2021. The figure below shows a spillover event anf the general life cycle of bTB.
Spillover event from reservoir host, buffalo, to a spillover host, elephant. Figure credit: S. Herediaz, UBC Zoology.