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FOUNDATIONS OF WILDLIFE DISEASES. By Richard G. Botzler and Richard N. Brown. University of California Press, Oakland, California, USA. 2014: viii + 429 pages. ISBN: 978-0-5202760-9-3. US$85.00, £59.00 (hardback; same price for the digital version).-It has been eight years since the last major wildlife disease book (G. Wobeser, 2006, Disease in Wild Animals: Investigation and Management, Spring, Heidelberg, Germany), and that focused primarily on waterfowl. Many ornithologists interested in wildlife diseases have been waiting eagerly for this new book, and they will not be disappointed. Foundations of Wildlife Diseases is written from a natural history perspective and is intended to be an introductory textbook on wildlife diseases ofbirds, mammals and herpetofauna. The target audience is college upper-division and graduate students that have an interest in how infective agents interact with wild birds and natural resources. The book is organized into a two page preface, 12 chapters, two appendices, a 17 page glossary, and a detailed 20 page index. One appendix is a glossary of technical terms commonly used in the wildlife disease literature that will be very useful for ornithologists, while the other appendix is a summary of serological and diagnostic tests. Each chapter includes an outline, sections on select definitions and concepts, an overview and then a summary. There is a literature cited section at the end of each chapter. The book is written in such a way to provide readers with a structure for thinking about and understanding disease agents and their interactions with birds and other wildlife.
There are several themes woven nicely throughout the book, providing the reader with an overview of the basic principles that govern the study of bird diseases. These themes include: (1) the integration of theoretical foundations with a thorough examination of the factors that can affect the health and fitness of wild birds and other animals, (2) the role of humans in the cause and perpetuation of wildlife disease outbreaks, (3) specific information on a wide array of infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, arthropods, fungi, Protista, and helminths, as well as immunity to these agents, and (4) a foundation for the study of noninfectious diseases (e.g., cancers, and prion diseases). The book focuses not only on avian diseases, but also covers mammals, reptiles, amphibians and...