The aim of vector control is to reduce the number of wild animals responsible for spreading TB (otherwise known as TB vectors) and/or to contain the spread of these populations.
This is achieved by monitoring New Zealand’s wild animal populations to establish the presence of TB and by undertaking a wide range of control programmes targeting these infected wild populations.
These programmes are carried out on more than six million hectares of land nationwide and target mostly possums and ferrets, since they are the main TB vectors in New Zealand.
In addition, the AHB funds surveys of wild animal populations to determine the extent of TB-infected wildlife. Most of these surveys target wild pigs and ferrets because their wide-ranging movements and scavenging habits make them good indicators of TB in the environment.