Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) Dan Laufenberg Amanda Wilding Chuck Nora

The Case  25 Original Angus Cattle  5 abortions,1 stillborn,2 ataxic, 2 early neonatal deaths  1 new purchased bred heifer brought in that died with high fever, diarrhea w/blood, sores in mouth

Herd  Cows became anorexic and had diarrhea after introduction of heifer  Cows were bought at sale and vaccinated by Mr. Lang himself without previous records

Timeline of Events Day 0 Vaccinated 25 Cows Introduced Heifer Abortions 1-3 Months Late-Term 4 months heifer dies Cows ain’t doin’ right

Mr. Lang Vaccination Program For Herd:  Killed BVD  Lepto  7-way Clostridia  Modified-live IBR/PI3 New Heifer’s Pre- Sale Vacc:  IBR/BVD/BRSV/PI3  Blackleg  Lepto  Entertoxemia C&D

Irrelevant Vaccinations/Diseases  Lepto  7-way Clostridia  Modified-live IBR/PI3IBR/BRSV/PI3  Entertoxemia C&D

Symptoms of BVD  High fever ( ° F)  Profuse diarrhea  Oral ulcers  Anorexia  Suppresses all immune function

Fetal Symptoms of BVD  Death of fetus if infected in the first 120 days of pregnancy  Abortion  Congenital malformations of nervous system and eyes; blindness and underdeveloped brains  Skeletal defects  Fetus does not recognize BVD therefore it is unable to fight the virus, resulting in death. Cow survives if vaccinated.

Conclusions  BVD would explain the abnormal abortions in Mr. Lang’s herd.  The new heifer must have been infected with BVD before her vaccinations (rendering them useless.)  The herd was improperly vaccinated. A necessary 3-week booster was not administered.

What Mr. Lang Should Do  Segregate all new animals  Follow vaccination instructions in the future  Promptly remove fetuses and placentas as they may carry the disease  Test animals; cull those with 4x elevated titers 30 days apart

Resources  db/bc-7005.htm db/bc-7005.htm  