OBJECTIVE: To estimate direct and indirect contact rates on livestock facilities and distance traveled between herd contacts. SAMPLE POPULATION: 320 beef, dairy, @entity1237 , @entity742 , and @entity1707 herds, 7 artificial insemination technicians, 6 hoof trimmers, 15 veterinarians, 4 sales yard owners, and 7 managers of livestock-related companies within a 3-county region of California. PROCEDURE: A questionnaire was mailed to livestock producers, and personal and telephone interviews were conducted with individuals. RESULTS: Mean monthly direct contact rates were 2.6, 1.6, and 2.0 for dairies with < 1,000, 1,000 to 1,999, and > or = 2,000 @entity291 , respectively. Mean indirect contact rates on dairies ranged from 234 to 743 contacts/mo and increased by 1 contact/mo as herd size increased by 4.3. Mean direct monthly contact rate for beef herds was 0.4. Distance traveled by personnel and vehicles during a 3-day period ranged from 58.4 to 210.4 km. Of livestock arriving at sales yards, 7% (500/7,072) came from > or = 60 km away, and of those sold, 32% (1,180/3,721) were destined for a location > or = 60 km away. Fifty-five percent (16/29) of owners of large beef herds observed deer or @entity2498 within 150 m of livestock at least once per month. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Direct and indirect contacts occur on livestock facilities located over a wide geographic area and at a higher frequency on larger facilities. Knowledge of contact rates may be useful for planning biosecurity programs at the herd, state, and national levels and for modeling transmission potential for @entity4021 virus.

Direct and indirect contact rates among beef, dairy, @entity1237 , XXXX , and @entity1707 herds in three California counties, with reference to control of potential @entity4021 transmission.

@entity1707 :: ('9823', 'Species') :: ['swine'] @entity742 :: ('9940', 'Species') :: ['sheep'] @entity4021 :: ('MESH:D005536', 'Disease') :: ['foot-and-mouth disease'] @entity2498 :: ('9860', 'Species') :: ['elk'] @entity291 :: ('9913', 'Species') :: ['cattle'] @entity1237 :: ('9925', 'Species') :: ['goat']
@entity742 :: (9940,Species) :: ['sheep']
