09/18/07 Producers needed for FMD survey

In the wake of the recent foot and mouth disease outbreak in the United Kingdom researchers at the Center for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance at UC Davis are calling on livestock producers across the nation to participate in an online survey. The goal of the survey is to collect information for a computer simulation model that will help predict how foot and mouth would spread in the US and to identify the best control strategies for containment. Doctor Claire Thunes is the project manager for the confidential survey which she says takes ten to 15 minutes to complete. THUNES "Nine or ten pretty quick questions asking some pretty basic information about the movements they make, the type of facilities they have, how many animals they have on the farm. We don't even ask them to identify the exact number of animals. We have categories, zero to 50, 50-100, 100-500. They just have to identify what category they fall into." You can find the survey at www.fmdsurvey.com. Dairy, swine and goat producers are especially encouraged to participate. The primary investigator for the study Dr Tim Carpenter says the economic impact of an FMD outbreak in the US is estimated to be as high as 13-billion dollars and by answering this short survey livestock producers can help prevent that from happening. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott