Biological controls and the potential of biotechnological controls for vertebrate pest species

Abstract

The introduction of myxoma virus into Australia to control the European rabbit is the classical example of biological control for a vertebrate pest species. The subsequent selection for reduction in virulence of myxoma virus strains and the increased resistance to myxoma virus of the new host is one of the paradigms for infectious disease biology. More recently, rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus has also been successfully introduced into Australia as a second biological control agent for rabbits and has been highly effective in the arid and semi-arid parts of the continent but less so in the higher rainfall zones. The use of biotechnology for vertebrate pest control has been explored through projects to develop virally vectored immunocontraceptives for rabbits, foxes, and mice, and although much progress has been made, it must be concluded that there is still a large gap betweenwhat biotechnology can deliver and what is needed for successful biological control of vertebrate pest species. The release of any biological control agentwhether a naturally occurring virus or a genetically engineered organism requires very careful evaluation of the risks and benefits and two examples of this process are discussed. © 2007 Springer.