Bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) causes significant welfare harm in cattle herds. National eradication programmes offer major welfare benefits alongside economic gains.
BVD causes multi-faceted welfare harm. Calves born PI never thrive and experience chronic immune failure. Infected herds suffer increased calf deaths, respiratory and enteric disease, and reproductive losses. The welfare case for mandatory eradication is strong - Scotland's programme demonstrated that elimination is achievable and that animal and financial benefits align. Voluntary approaches leave endemic disease persisting unnecessarily.