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The identification of bovine tuberculosis in zooarchaeological assemblages. Working towards differential diagnostic criteria.

Wooding, Jeanette E.
Publication Date
2010
End of Embargo
Supervisor
Bond, Julie
Buckberry, Jo
Knüsel, Christopher J.
Keywords
Palaeopathology; Zooarchaeology; Human osteoarchaeology; Zoonosis; Iron Age; Viking Age; Iceland; Orkney; England; Skeletal manifestations; Animal skeletal remains; Zoopalaeopathology
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Creative Commons License
The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.
Peer-Reviewed
Open Access status
Accepted for publication
Institution
University of Bradford
Department
School of Life Sciences. Division of Archaeological, Geographical and Environmental Sciences.
Awarded
2010
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Theses
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PhD Thesis - Vols. I and II
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Abstract
The study of human palaeopathology has developed considerably in the last three decades resulting in a structured and standardised framework of practice, based upon skeletal lesion patterning and differential diagnosis. By comparison, disarticulated zooarchaeological assemblages have precluded the observation of lesion distributions, resulting in a dearth of information regarding differential diagnosis and a lack of standard palaeopathological recording methods. Therefore, zoopalaeopathology has been restricted to the analysis of localised pathologies and ‘interesting specimens’. Under present circumstances, researchers can draw little confidence that the routine recording of palaeopathological lesions, their description or differential diagnosis will ever form a standard part of zooarchaeological analysis. This has impeded the understanding of animal disease in past society and, in particular, has restricted the study of systemic disease. This research tackles this by combining the disciplines of human palaeopathology and zoopalaeopathology and focusing on zoonotic disease. The primary aim of this research was to investigate the skeletal manifestation of bTB in cattle, sheep/goat and pig to establish differential diagnostic criteria for its identification in zooarchaeological assemblages. Methods commonplace in human palaeopathology were adapted and applied to zoopalaeopathology, in addition to radiography and aDNA analysis. The results emphasise the difficulties but also the potential associated with the identification of systemic diseases in zooarchaeological assemblages. An approach to the classification of potentially infectious lesions is presented that enables the calculation of crude prevalence in disarticulated assemblages. In addition, the potential for a DNA analysis to shed further light on animal disease in the past is emphasised.
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10454/5123
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Type
Thesis
Qualification name
PhD
Notes
Many of the images have been removed from the online version due to copyright restrictions. The embargo period for the thesis ended: 16th January 2018.