Inaugural Conference - June 2002

Albert D.M.E. Osterhaus, Erasmus MC, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands

At its inaugural meeting, the newly established Dutch Society for Wildlife Health (DSWH), has brought together a largely interdisciplinary group of Dutch scientists, working on many different fields related to wildlife health in and outside the Netherlands. These fields include infectious diseases, ecology, ethnology, toxicology, pathology, population dynamics, mathematical modelling, ethics and management. An increasing interest in wildlife health conservation, welfare and disease is paralleled by an increase in the emergence of diseases and disease outbreaks in wild animals world-wide. This can be attributed to a complex mix of predisposing factors that has arisen over the past decades, including anthropogenic factors, environmental changes, globalization and human population pressure.
The central theme of the conference was the complex relationship between these factors and the different ways in which they may affect health and welfare of wild animals, ecosystems, domestic animals and eventually humans. The scientific presentations were selected and grouped together according to the animal species involved, rather than according to aetiological principles in order to highlight the overall complexity of interactions between the plethora of health threats posed to these animals, as well as the complexity of the management of arising wildlife health and conservation issues. Today’s program illustrates that already a lot of collaboration does exist between the respective research groups in these fields in the Netherlands. However, it also demonstrates potential new opportunities for collaboration, exchange of information and ideas as well as valuable materials. It is within the mission of the DSWH to facilitate such collaborations and stimulate research, monitor activities and education in the field of wildlife health in the Netherlands. In doing so, it will create a platform for researchers, students, nature managers and policy makers, that will facilitate the acquisition of a broader knowledge on wildlife health and allow its optimal implementation in the areas of management, education and research. The establishment of a Dutch Wildlife Health Center also should contribute to these goals.

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