Bovine Herpesvirus 1 and IBR: Welfare Management and Eradication

IBR (infectious bovine rhinotracheitis) causes severe respiratory and reproductive disease — vaccination and eradication programs dramatically reduce welfare burden.

Key Facts

• Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) causes IBR (respiratory), IPV (genital), and encephalitis in calves
• IBR causes severe respiratory disease with fever, nasal discharge, and marked corneal cloudiness
• Abortigenic strains cause late-term abortion in pregnant cows
• BoHV-1 establishes latency — recovered cattle remain lifelong carriers that reactivate under stress
• Marker vaccines enable vaccination without compromising freedom status — supporting eradication programs

Welfare Considerations

IBR causes acute severe welfare suffering in affected cattle: the combination of high fever, painful nasal inflammation with profuse discharge, marked conjunctivitis causing crusted eyes, and respiratory compromise creates significant distress. The sudden abortion caused by abortigenic strains imposes welfare cost on both the cow and compromises herd reproductive performance. The latency of BoHV-1 means that bought-in carrier animals can trigger outbreaks in naive herds when the virus reactivates during transport or other stressors — a common source of welfare-damaging outbreaks. National eradication programs using DIVA-compatible marker vaccines are eliminating BoHV-1 from several European countries, demonstrating that prevention of all IBR-related welfare suffering is achievable at population scale.

What You Can Do

• Vaccinate all cattle against BoHV-1 using DIVA-compatible marker vaccines to support eradication
• Test all bought-in cattle for BoHV-1 antibody status before introducing to naive herds
• Implement IBR control protocols including blood testing and vaccination certification for bought-in animals
• Support national or regional IBR eradication programs with buy-in screening and vaccination compliance
• Report any suspected IBR outbreaks to your veterinarian immediately — early intervention limits welfare impact and spread