BVD is a major viral disease of cattle causing reproductive losses, immunosuppression, and the creation of persistently infected animals, with eradication programs in several countries showing remarkable welfare benefits.
BVD imposes welfare costs on multiple levels: PI cattle experience chronic illness and typically develop mucosal disease, a fatal condition causing severe gastrointestinal symptoms before death at 2-3 years of age; non-PI cattle exposed to BVD suffer immunosuppression that makes them more susceptible to other infections; reproductive losses mean calves that would have been born alive are lost. The existence of PI animals as long-lived virus reservoirs creates a maintenance mechanism for continuous herd reinfection, making eradication impossible without identifying and removing them. National eradication programs demonstrate that coordinated effort can eliminate BVD from entire countries, dramatically improving collective cattle welfare at scale. The economic case for eradication is also strong, making this an area where welfare and financial interests align well.