Bovine viral diarrhoea virus creates persistently infected cattle that silently spread disease through herds, causing reproductive failure, immunosuppression, and significant welfare losses.
BVD causes diffuse welfare harm across infected herds. Reproductive failure — repeated early embryo losses and abortions — is distressing for cows experiencing perinatal loss. Calves born with congenital defects from BVD suffer from neurological dysfunction and skeletal abnormalities. PI cattle eventually develop mucosal disease — a fatal condition causing severe oral ulceration, profuse diarrhoea, and rapid deterioration. Immunosuppression caused by BVD increases susceptibility to respiratory and enteric diseases across the herd. The welfare case for BVD eradication is compelling: eliminating the virus removes a pervasive source of reproductive loss, immune compromise, and fatal disease from cattle populations, improving wellbeing at herd scale.