Bovine viral diarrhea is a widespread and costly disease in cattle herds that causes significant animal suffering through immunosuppression, reproductive failure, and chronic illness.
BVD imposes severe welfare costs, particularly on persistently infected calves. These animals are born immunocompromised, suffer chronic ill-health, and if they develop mucosal disease, face a painful and fatal progression involving severe ulceration of the digestive tract. The suffering of persistently infected animals is compounded by the fact that they spread virus to herdmates, perpetuating disease. National eradication programs that identify and remove these animals have demonstrated both welfare and economic benefits.