Bovine viral diarrhea virus causes profound immunosuppression and significant reproductive losses, and eradication programs have transformed cattle welfare in participating countries.
BVD is one of the most welfare-significant cattle diseases because of its immunosuppressive effects that amplify virtually every other disease on the farm. Herds with uncontrolled BVD experience higher rates of respiratory disease, reproductive failure, and calf mortality than BVD-free herds. National eradication programs have demonstrated that BVD freedom is achievable at scale, dramatically reducing the welfare burden across entire cattle industries. The welfare argument for BVD eradication is compelling: eliminating this single pathogen reduces susceptibility to multiple other diseases simultaneously.