European Badger - Diseases and Parasites

Diseases and Parasites

Tuberculosis is a major mortality factor in badgers, though infected badgers can live and successfully breed for years before succumbing. Badgers are vulnerable to the mustelid herpesvirus-1, as well as rabies and canine distemper, though the latter two are absent in Great Britain. Badgers have been implicated in spreading bovine tuberculosis to cattle. Other diseases carried by European badgers include arteriosclerosis, pneumonia, pleurisy, nephritis, enteritis, polyarthritis and lymphosarcoma. Ectoparasites carried by badgers include the fleas Paraceras melis, Chaetopsylla trichosa and Pulex irritans, the lice Trichodectes melis, the ticks Ixodes ricinus, I. canisuga, I. hexagonus, I. reduvius, I. melicula. Mange is also carried by them. Helminths carried by badgers include trematodes such as Itygonimus lorum, nematodes such as Molineus patens, Uncinaria stenocephala, Capilara erinacei, Aelurostrongylus falciformis and tapeworms such as Mesocestoides lineatus and Dilepis undula.