It’s a story we have been told over and over. Yet, we still see BVD sneak into herds. One of the most common ways it spreads is with persistently infected (PI) calves. Chris Chase, DVM, says the biggest issue with BVD is in herds that haven’t been testing calves with an ear-notch program and where biosecurity is not great.
Monitoring for BVD is very important because when the calves are weaned, if there is a PI among them, it doesn’t matter how good the vaccination program is. – Chris Chase, DVM, Ph.D.
Source: Angus Beef Bulletin Extra, March 21, 2019. Link.
I don’t care which brand of vaccine it is, when it comes to trying to protect your cattle in the face of a PI animal, on any given day there will be some calf that will be vulnerable to this disease” – Chris Chase, DVM, Ph.D.
INSIGHTS: Cattlemen shouldn’t become complacent just because things have been going well for a while. It is our role as animal health pros to continually educate, promote PI testing and help cattle producers understand BVD. The education must be comprehensive at any location involving all personnel and family members.