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"epidemiologist with APHIS, said the multistate epi report provides ‘ a national clinical picture of the disease in cows and the routes of spread, and the report from Michigan is an early snapshot showing what's happening in the field. Both suggest three key factors for transmission between farms: shared equipment and vehicles, shared personnel who may inadvertently carry the virus between farms on their clothes or boots, and animal movements. "The bigger picture is that enhanced biosecurity is really critical," she said. So far, genomic evidence continues to suggest a single introduction from wild birds, with further spread among dairy farms, such as from Texas to Michigan in the initial weeks of the outbreak. Now the virus is spreading between farms owing to multiple direct and indirect factors, according to the APHIS reports. Multiple factors fuel spread between farms Questionnaires revealed that more than 20% of farms received cattle within 30 days of clinical signs, and 60% of farms continued to move cattle off the facilities after animals showed signs of illness. Most farms had cats present, and more than 50% of those had sick or dead cats. Also, more than 20% of dairy farms also had chickens or poultry, nearly all of which had sick or dead birds. USDA officials said cats