Okie Dokie Cattle Data

Pregnancy & PI-BVD Testing


Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus  (BVD or BVDV)

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus   (BVD or BVDV)

Stop the spread of bovine viral diarrhea virus through early detection and aggressive intervention.

 Testing is the ONLY way to identify cattle persistently infected with BVDV

 The what, why and how of BVD

Bovine viral diarrhea virus is a member of the genus Pestivirus within the family Flaviviridae.  It is a single-stranded enveloped RNA virus that crosses the placenta in pregnant cows that are infected between days 30 and 150 of gestation, causing reproductive losses due to abortions, stillborn calves or calves that die early in life.  Calves that survive are immunodeficient to and persistently infected (PI) with the virus.

Persistently infected cattle are the main source of BVDV transmission.  PI calves shed large amounts of the virus every day of their life, infecting other animals in the herd.  These carrier animals often die of mucosal disease within the first two years of life, however some may live longer.

 

Everyday of their life they can infect other animals in the herd, often overwhelming the immunity of animals that have been previously vaccinated. 

PI-BVH Testing of animals greater than 3 months old may also be done on blood.  However, ear notches provide the most accurate results.

*Okie Dokie Cattle Data recommends immediate isolation of any positive PIBVD animal & retesting with a new ear notch in 2 weeks.

When To Test...

Cow-calf Operations - test all animals at birth

Stocker/Backgrounder Operations - test all purchased additions when acquired

 Use an Ear Notch Tool to collect a sample from the ear of your cattle.  Drop in a container {don't forget to label it} and send them in to us here at Okie Dokie Cattle Data.

 

 (Carmelo taking an ear notch sample)

Properly Labeled Vial with Ear Tag Number