Bovine Viral Diarrhea

Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) virus is a troublesome disease complex that affects both dairy and beef cattle. Bovine viral diarrhea virus consists of hundreds of different strains, making bovine viral diarrhea difficult to control and economically disastrous for producers. Bovine viral diarrhea virus causes costly respiratory and reproductive diseases. The most economically devastating impact of bovine viral diarrhea is the birth of persistently infected animals from dams infected with noncytophathic BVD 40 to 120 days into gestation. Diagnosis of bovine viral diarrhea can be challenging, because the number of strains continues to increase due to genetic mutation.

To prevent losses caused by bovine viral diarrhea virus, every producer should follow proper biosecurity measures to prevent its introduction into the herd, use screening methods to detect persistently infected animals and use a potent, effective, broad-spectrum vaccine to help protect cattle from bovine viral diarrhea pathogens.

Learn more about bovine viral diarrhea in beef cattle.

Learn more about bovine viral diarrhea in dairy cattle.