Complimentary Commercial Content from Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health
Despite 70 years of information and education on bovine viral diarrhea virus, the disease continues to tear at herd health and profits. Persistently infected calves are one of the greatest threats facing the cattle industry, yet many producers don’t know they’re in the herd.
A PI calf is an animal that acquires bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) from its mother in utero. An infected calf can often go its whole life without showing visible signs, while still shedding BVDV and exposing the rest of the herd to the virus.” – John Davidson, DVM, DABVP
Source: BEEF, May 1, 2021. Link. A PI prevention program starts and ends with vaccination. “Some of the costliest BVDV PI incidents that I’ve seen have been where a well-intentioned producer has cattle with an unknown history on one side of a fence line and unvaccinated pregnant cows on the other, not aware that fence line contact between pregnant cows and PI calves was what eventually led to more BVDV PI cattle,” said Dr. Davidson.
Also see: Study shows test results for PI BVDV calves not affected by age, Animal Health Digest, March 9, 2021. Link.
Also see: Smaller producers still unfamiliar with BVD, Animal Health Digest, April 18, 2016, Link.
INSIGHTS: Animal health pros . . .
- We have the diagnostics
- We have the vaccines
- We have the capabilities
- We CANNOT become complacent ensuring producers follow through on BVD prevention methods