The Role of Raccoons in the Ecology of Bovine Tuberculosis

Bovine tuberculosis is a contagious bacterial disease that has had significant socioeconomic impacts on the region of northern lower Michigan. The role raccoons may play in the ecology and maintenance of the disease on farms in the core disease is unknown. Preliminary results of 61 radio collared raccoons have yielded a better understanding of raccoon movement and habitat use within an agricultural complex. Preliminary analysis of raccoons suggests annual home range sizes of .824 km2 and .608 km2 for males and females, respectively. Additionally raccoons and cattle have been documented at resource interfaces, further illustrating the potential for indirect disease transmission among species