Spatial and temporal variation in proximity networks of commercial dairy cattle in Great Britain.

ABSTRACT: The nature of contacts between hosts can be important in facilitating or impeding the spread of pathogens within a population. Networks constructed from contacts between hosts allow examination of how individual variation might influence the spread of infections. Studying the contact networks of livestock species managed under different conditions can additionally provide insight into their influence on these contact structures. We collected high-resolution proximity and GPS location data from nine groups of domestic cattle (mean group size = 85) in seven dairy herds employing a range of grazing and housing regimes. Networks were constructed from cattle contacts (defined by proximity) aggregated by different temporal windows (2 h, 24 h, and approximately 1 week) and by location within the

SUBMITTER: Fielding HR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8385416 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature