Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) is a highly prevalent cattle disease causing reproductive failure, immunosuppression, and the creation of persistently infected (PI) animals that perpetuate infection within and between herds.
BVD imposes a chronic welfare burden on affected herds. PI calves, while often appearing healthy for their first year, eventually succumb to mucosal disease — a painful, progressive, and invariably fatal condition. The immunosuppressive effect of BVD infection means other respiratory and digestive diseases are more severe and harder to treat in BVD-positive herds. Eradication through systematic testing, removal of PI animals, and strict biosecurity offers a permanent welfare improvement that also eliminates ongoing economic losses. Countries with successful eradication programmes demonstrate that coordinated, industry-wide approaches can eliminate this preventable source of suffering from cattle populations.