Severe adverse impact of Bovine viral diarrhea on cattle production: a comprehensive approach to control

Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) is caused by a pestivirus known as BVDV and is one of the most important infectious diseases of cattle, with a huge economic impact worldwide. The most important source of infection are persistently infected (PI) and diseased cattle. In addition to cattle infection, BVDV infection has been diagnosed in sheep, goats, pigs and wild ruminants (roe deer, deer, bison), as reservoirs of the virus and sources of infection in cattle herds. The consequences of BVDV infections are abortions in pregnant animals, poor female conception, mummification and congenital malformations of fetuses, respiratory problems, transplacental infections and fetal death, neonatal and postnatal mortality, mucosal diseases, slowed growth and poorer performance of surviving animals. Hemorrhagic syndrome (with thrombocytopenia and hemorrhage) is caused exclusively by non-cytopathogenic (NCP) BVDV genotype 2, i.e. virulent strains. The basis of the control program is the prevention of intrauterine infection by identifying and removing PI animals from the cattle herd. The high prevalence of BVDV in cattle worldwide and in Serbia is a danger and causes extremely high economic losses, preventing international trade in breeding and fattening cattle with EU countries, primarily due to uneven approaches or lack of control programs. There are suggestions that the control of the disease in Serbia could be based on a voluntary BVDV eradication program at the herd level, based on four phases, which includes frequent diagnostic tests, removal of PI animals from the herd and introduction of strict biosecurity measures. Certification and register of herds with BVDV free status could be done through the Veterinary Administration.