Bovine Viral Diarrhea: Is Your Herd Protected?
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HERD MANAGEMENT Bovine Viral Diarrhea: Is Your Herd Protected? Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) is an in- sheep, goats, white-tailed deer, and bison. signs of an infection by BVDV can also fectious disease that can sneak up on you, It is a member of the Pestivirus genus, be attributed to other agents. Symptoms with devastating results. It siphons off herd which also includes the virus that causes can range from mild to severe in expres- profits, sometimes quite dramatically as hog cholera in swine and border disease sion and include any of the following: demonstrated by research following a 1993 in sheep. • Abortion, early embryonic death, or outbreak of BVD in Ontario that affected BVDV can manifest itself as Type 1 or premature births; more than 800 dairy, beef and veal opera- Type 2, with each type containing its own • Irregular heats and breeding prob- tions. Across the two-year study period, set of viral strains. These strains are clas- lems; losses were estimated from $40,000 to sified as non-cytopathic (does not cause • Weak or stunted calves, usually $100,000 per herd, due to abortions and cellular death), or cytopathic (causes cel- termed “poor doers;” death, reduced milk production, and the lular death). The non-cytopathic virus is • Off-feed, dull and depressed; loss of genetics. the most common form, comprising 99% • Profuse watery diarrhea, pneumonia, The virus that causes BVD affects the of all BVDV strains. nasal discharge, excessive salivation immune, respiratory, reproductive and en- The virus is spread through direct con- with oral ulcers; teric systems. tact with the manure, urine, blood, mucus, • Elevated temperatures of 104º to 106º The signs of BVDV infection are ones and semen of infected animals. It can also F, with increased heart and repiratory associated with many other diseases and be transmitted by indirect contact, for ex- rates, which usually return to normal “run the gamut from clinically inapparent ample, with contaminated feed or housing in one to two days before diarrhea to clinically severe,” says Dr. Julia L. facilities. occurs. Ridpath of the National Animal Disease Signs of Infection Infection Routes Center, ARS/USDA in Ames, Iowa. BVD is a disease of high morbidity, but According to The Merck Veterinary Adds Dr. Robert Tremblay of the relatively low mortality. Manual, cattle of all ages are susceptible Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and As noted earlier, most of the clinical (continued) Rural Affairs, “Almost all of the diseases caused by the BVD virus also Transmission of BVDV and Development of Persistent Infection (PI) have other causes. Labo- ratory tests are needed to Adult or Calf Pregnant Female be sure that BVDV is causing the problem.” Because BVD can be difficult—if not impos- BVDV sible—to diagnose with- out laboratory testing, it is important that dairy producers understand the route of infection and course of disease in or- der to prevent its intro- Subclinical Clinical BVD duction and to also in- 70% to 90% of all Varies from mild to crease the herd’s resis- infections severe (death) tance. Background Bovine Viral Diarrhea Early gestation (~ 30 to 125 days) (BVD) refers to a group Early gestation (< 40 days) of cattle diseases caused Abortion, or calf persistently infected Fetal death, up 50% loss by the Bovine Viral Di- Repeat breeding arrhea Virus (BVDV). (immunotolerant) First recognized in the Mid gestation (~ 90 to 160 days) 1940s in Canada and the Abortion, or calf develops United States, BVD is BVDV congenital abnormalities now common through- out the world. The virus Late gestation (160 days to birth) has been identified in Abortion may occur, or normal calf both domestic and wild with antibodies (immunity) ruminants, including HERD MANAGEMENT (continued from page 1) ber of outcomes, which depend upon the A 50% mortality rate has been docu- to BVD, but the disease is most common virus strain and the age of the fetus. mented in the first year of life for PI ani- in young animals (from eight to 24 months If infection occurs early in pregnancy mals, and most will die before reaching of age. Calves can receive antibody pro- (less than 40 days), fetal death or abortion the age of two. The majority of these deaths tection through colostrum, but those lev- is the most predictable outcome. Infection are caused by mucosal disease, a severe els decline over time. Infection then comes in mid-gestation can result in full-term illness which causes its victims to rapidly through contact with older cattle or from calves born with congential defects of the waste away. Mucosal disease only occurs persistently infected, clinically normal car- eyes and nervous system. Finally, if infec- in PI animals that have been exposed to a riers. tion of the dam occurs in late gestation, cytopathic strain of BVDV. Signs of infec- Subclinical infection. The BVD virus antibody formation will occur, but calves tion include a high fever, watery diarrhea usually attacks the immune and reproduc- appear otherwise normal when born. containing blood, lesions throughout the tive systems in a subtle manner with no There is also a window of opportunity digestive tract and mouth, depression, obviously expressed signs of disease. From in which calves acquire a persistent infec- weakness, decreased milk production, and 70% to 90% of all infections are subclini- tion (PI) of the BVD virus. Persistently failure to eat. Because there is no cure, cal, with no visible indicators other than a infected clinically normal carriers of death is imminent, occurring in several slight fever or decreased milk production. BVDV appear to be the main source of days to several weeks. Acute infection. Dairy cattle can contract infection for other cattle.These PI animals Identifying PI animals can be challeng- an acute BVDV infection as calves or will carry the virus in their blood, nasal ing for several reasons. First, calves can- adults. mucus, saliva, manure and urine for the not be tested for BVDV-PI in utero. Sec- Signs of an acute infection include el- rest of their lives, and shed several million ond, you cannot identify them just by ob- evated temperature, diarrhea, ulcers in the viral particles a day. servation. While some will look stunted mouth, signs of pneumonia, and abortion Persistent infection occurs when the or be “poor doers,” others appear quite as early as one month after exposure. BVD virus crosses the dam’s placenta at normal. Acutely infected cattle begin shedding the 30 to 125 days gestation and infects the The standard blood test used to identify virus three to 14 days after infection and fetus. At this early stage of pregnancy, the PI animals can only be used on calves that will continue to shed for one to six days. fetal immune system is too underdeveloped are three months of age or older. Blood Although there is no treatment for to mount an immune response against the samples taken earlier than three months BVDV infection, producers can aid in the invading virus. As a result, the fetus fails will produce false test results because of recovery by providing electrolytes to coun- to produce BVD antibodies and does not antibodies transferred to the calf through teract the dehydration caused by diarrhea develop immunity against the invading the dam’s colostrum. Since persistently and by treating animals with antibacterial viral strain. This condition is referred to infected calves begin shedding the BVD agents to prevent secondary infections. as immunotolerance, or acceptance of the virus at birth, the three-month waiting pe- Infection of pregnant females and de- virus as a normal part of the body. riod gives the virus considerable time to velopment of persistent infection. Infection BVD-PI animals occur in every 100 to spread throughout the herd before the PI in pregnant females can result in a num- 1,000 births. calf can be culled. Control Strategies for BVDV How Herd Owners Can Protect Themselves From BVD Although BVD is a formidable oppo- How Herd Owners Can Protect Themselves From BVD nent for any dairy producer, there are ef- Dr. Richard Tremblay of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural fective methods to prevent or control the Affairs offers these recommendations to effectively increase the resistance of spread of infection and to also increase the the herd and reduce the risk of exposure to BVDV. herd’s resistance to the virus. Prevent the introduction of infected animals by: Prevention should always be the first • bringing in only animals from uninfected herds; goal of any on-farm BVD-PI program. You • bringing in only animals from herds with a known effective vaccination can accomplish this goal, by following program; standard herd health management practices • avoiding the purchase of animals from sales barns; and adopting measures specific to dealing • testing new animals for persistent infection in advance of introduction; with the BVD virus. and isolating new animals for 30 days before allowing contact with Vaccination is an important component animals on-farm. of a BVD management program. Initial immunization is successful in most calves Increase the resistance of the herd to BVD by: at four to six months of age, when their • vaccinating strategically as directed by the herd veterinarian and the immunity developed from colostrum be- product label; • maximizing colostrum consumption by newborn calves; and gins to decline. • reducing stress on cattle caused by other diseases, poor nutrition, Consult with your herd veterinarian to uncomfortable housing or poor air quality. develop a program for your dairy. He or she will be able to help you identify which Decrease exposure to BVD by: of the killed or modified live vaccines is • preventing manure contamination of hair coat, feed and water; best suited for your herd.