Farm Animals

Cattle BVD Eradication and Welfare

Bovine viral diarrhoea causes immunosuppression, reproductive failure and significant welfare harm, with national eradication programs underway in several countries.

Key Facts

BVD persistently infected cattle shed virus continuously, infecting herd-mates
Mucosal disease in PI cattle causes severe suffering and is invariably fatal
BVD causes reproductive losses, reduced immunity and secondary disease vulnerability
Scotland has completed eradication and England has a voluntary control program
Testing and culling PI animals breaks the transmission chain effectively

Welfare Considerations

BVD causes significant welfare harm at multiple levels - acute disease in naive animals, severe mucosal disease in PI cattle, and secondary immune compromise enabling other infections. Eradication programs that identify and remove PI animals prevent ongoing suffering at population scale. Vaccination protects naive animals before eradication is complete.

What You Can Do

Participate in national BVD eradication or control programs
Test incoming cattle to prevent BVD introduction
Vaccinate naive cattle in areas with ongoing BVD circulation