The colonization frequency of farmers observed by us was nearly 3 times as high as reported from a recent study in the Netherlands [23].
Figure 1 shows the frequency distribution of farmers' stated intention to crop giant reed, with a 0 hectare response expressed by about 8% of the respondents.
The availability of water and fodder varies with each season, as do the frequency of conflicts with farmers.
Any bias introduced by the control selection (first degree relatives), would likely be bias towards the null because it is more likely to find the same profession also within immediate family members than from the background population, that is, yielding an increased frequency of, for example, farmers or fishermen also in the control sample.
Frequency of transmission between farmers and their family members and among hospitalised humans appears to be low. 2 10 11 However, this belief might be contradicted by recently described LA-MRSA transmission events in Dutch patients with neither risk factors nor livestock contact.
A study from Nicaragua reported a frequency of 11% of responding farmers having experienced symptoms of intoxication after spraying during the last month, 25% in the last 12 months and 48% at one point in time [ 8].
These differ in a number of aspects, including the frequency of veterinary visits and the farmer's access to prescription drugs.
We observed a lower colonization frequency of veterinarians in comparison to farmers, this might be due to different degrees of exposition.
Treatment frequency of pyrethroids has been questioned by farmers and veterinary practitioners for several years.
Repeated surveys of the frequency of infectious diseases are necessary for farmers, agricultural organizations and veterinary services to evaluate the needs for implementing disease control procedures.
