BVD is expensive! It is estimated to cost New Zealand $150 million per year

Once you’ve eliminated BVD from inside your farm by monitoring for it and culling PI cattle, keeping BVD out requires that you prevent new PIs from being created through:

1. Biosecurity
2. Vaccination

1. BIOSECURITY FOR BVD: KEY IS TO PREVENT PI CONTACT WITH YOUR HERD

• Direct (when PIs and naïve animals come close enough to touch)
• Indirect (via shared facilities/equipment between PIs and naïve animals because the virus survives in body fluids for several days)

Consider all routes for possible PI contact:

• In
  • Virus test purchased/leased animals (including service bulls) before they arrive
  • Keep NAIT and MINDA records up-to-date
  • Secure/double wire boundary fences
  • Ask contractors to clean clothes/boots & equipment
  • Spell yards for 7 days between groups of animals with unknown BVD status and your herd
• Out
  • Beware of “Trojan” cows vaccinate pregnant cattle before they go away to grazing and/or virus test your calves each year
  • Ask grazier to run groups of cattle separately (paddock between groups at all times)
    • Spell yards for 7 days between groups
    • Clean / disinfect shared equipment
• Over
  • Secure property boundaries consider double-fencing to ensure several metres between neighbouring animals and your own animals.
  • Manage roadside paddocks so animals don’t have over-the-fence contact with cattle walking along the road

Continue to monitor bulk milk and calves each year to gauge how well your biosecurity plan is working

2. USE BOVILIS® BVD VACCINE TO SUPPORT YOUR BIOSECURITY PLAN

• Reduces severity of transient infections
• Prevents PIs forming inside pregnant cows (protects the fetus)
  • For 6 months following initial vaccination series (sensitiser + booster)
  • For 12 months following a third dose
• Only vaccine which has been demonstrated to prevent PIs from forming for an entire year
• Vaccinate animals which are at risk of PI contact. Example:
  • pregnant animals sent away to grazing (to protect the fetus)
  • Young-stock & adult cattle at risk
• Vaccinate all service bulls (sensitiser & booster) every year, no matter what

REFERENCES

1. Heuer C, Healy A, Zerbini C. (2007). Economic effect of exposure to bovine viral diarrhoea virus on dairy herds in New Zealand. Journal of Dairy Science. 90:5428-38.
2. Gates, MC. (2021). Managing BVD in New Zealand Cattle Herds: Updated Recommendations. Conference Proceedings of the Sheep and Beef Cattle Veterinarians and the Deer Veterinarians Branches of the NZVA. pp 63-66.

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