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The possibility of a bioterrorist attack on U.S. agriculture is very real. In fact, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is on the top of the Department of Homeland Security's list for a bioterrorist attack against U.S. agriculture. It's one of the most highly contagious diseases affecting cattle, swine, sheep, goats and deer.

"Because it spreads so quickly and it is easily transmitted, the threat of FMD to the U.S. is very serious and we need to be prepared," said Dr. Tim Carpenter of the University of California at Davis.

Carpenter is in charge of a study that aims to protect the livestock industry from the devastating consequences of FMD.

Livestock producers nationwide are being asked to participate in an online survey to gather data on animal movements and husbandry practices. The information will be used in a simulation model to predict the duration and magnitude of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, as well as the best strategies for containment. All information will be kept confidential and be used only for modeling purposes.

With no recent cases of FMD in the United States to use as an example (the last was in 1929), it is hard to predict how an outbreak might spread in today’s globalized environment. Information about the distribution of livestock nationwide, animal movements and husbandry practices in the United States is not up-to-date. The lack of current information hampers the implementation of an effective response strategy.

In 2001, an outbreak of FMD in the United Kingdom resulted in economic losses exceeding $15 billion. As a result, at least 6 million animals were slaughtered. In the United States, the economic impact of an outbreak is estimated to be as high as $13 billion, and every segment of the livestock industry would be severely affected.

The survey is a way to help researchers gather information that could be helpful to the industry as a whole, said Ohio Livestock Coalition Executive Director Sandy Kuhn.

"If we can assist in gathering this information through disseminating the survey to our members, we can help keep the livestock industry strong, healthy and viable in the United States," she said.

The online survey can be found by visiting www.ofbf.org and clicking Featured Links.