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Potential for epidemic take-off from the primary outbreak farm via livestock movements

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Tildesley, Michael J., Volkova, Victoriya and Woolhouse, M. E. J. (Mark E. J.). (2011) Potential for epidemic take-off from the primary outbreak farm via livestock movements. BMC Veterinary Research, Vol.7 (No.1). p. 76. ISSN 1746-6148

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1746-6148-7-76

Abstract

Background
We consider the potential for infection to spread in a farm population from the primary outbreak farm via livestock movements prior to disease detection. We analyse how this depends on the time of the year infection occurs, the species transmitting, the length of infectious period on the primary outbreak farm, location of the primary outbreak, and whether a livestock market becomes involved. We consider short infectious periods of 1 week, 2 weeks and 4 weeks, characteristic of acute contagious livestock diseases. The analysis is based on farms in Scotland from 1 January 2003 to 31 July 2007.

Results
The proportion of primary outbreaks from which an acute contagious disease would spread via movement of livestock is generally low, but exhibits distinct annual cyclicity with peaks in May and August. The distance that livestock are moved varies similarly: at the time of the year when the potential for spread via movements is highest, the geographical spread via movements is largest. The seasonal patterns for cattle differ from those for sheep whilst there is no obvious seasonality for pigs. When spread via movements does occur, there is a high risk of infection reaching a livestock market; infection of markets can amplify disease spread. The proportion of primary outbreaks that would spread infection via livestock movements varies significantly between geographical regions.

Conclusions
In this paper we introduce a set-up for analysis of movement data that allows for a generalized assessment of the risk associated with infection spreading from a primary outbreak farm via livestock movements, applying this to Scotland, we assess how this risk depends upon the time of the year, species transmitting, location of the farm and other factors.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Subjects:

S Agriculture > SF Animal culture

Divisions:

Faculty of Science > Centre for Complexity Science
Faculty of Science > Mathematics

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

Communicable diseases in animals -- Transmission, Livestock -- Diseases -- Epidemiology

Journal or Publication Title:

BMC Veterinary Research

Publisher:

Bio Med Central

ISSN:

1746-6148

Official Date:

24 November 2011

Dates:

Date	Event
24 November 2011	Published

Volume:

Vol.7

Number:

No.1

Page Range:

p. 76

Identification Number:

10.1186/1746-6148-7-76

Status:

Peer Reviewed

Publication Status:

Published

Access rights to Published version:

Open Access

Funder:

Scotland, Wellcome Trust (London, England), United States. Dept. of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate

Grant number:

ST-108-000017 (STD)

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