The European badger, Meles meles, pictured in Fig. 2.1, is a mammal found in England. Badgers can contract bovine tuberculosis (bTB) caused by the pathogen, Mycobacterium bovis. • Researchers estimated that 5% of the badger population in England are infected with bTB. • bTB can be spread between badger populations and other populations of wild animals and farmed animals. • Herds of dairy cows produce milk for human consumption. If a dairy herd becomes infected with bTB, the pathogen can be transmitted to human populations in milk. • A variety of measures have been introduced in an attempt to reduce the bTB rate in badgers and so prevent infection of dairy cows. • These measures include vaccination and the removal of badger populations (culling). [Figure 2.1]