Effects of trading networks on the risk of bovine tuberculosis incidents on cattle farms in Great Britain

Trading animals between farms and via markets can provide a conduit for spread of infections. By studying trading networks we might better understand the dynamics of livestock diseases. We constructed ingoing contact chains of cattle farms in Great Britain that were linked by trading, to elucidate potential pathways for the transmission of infection, and to evaluate their effect on the risk of a farm experiencing a bovine tuberculosis (bTB) incident. Our findings are consistent with variation in bTB risk associated with region, herd size, disease risk area and history of previous bTB incidents on the root farm and nearby farms. However, we also identified effects of both direct and indirect trading patterns, such that connections to more farms in the England High Risk Area up to three movements away from the root farm increased the odds of a bTB incident, while connections with more farms in the England Low Risk Area up to eight movements away decreased the odds. Relative to other risk factors for bTB, trading behaviours are arguably more amenable to change, and consideration of risks associated with indirect trading, as well direct trading, might therefore offer an additional approach to bTB control in Great Britain.