Infectious Disease Management

BVD (Bovine Viral Diarrhoea) is a complicated virus with a misleading name – diarrhoea is not that commonly seen in infected cows and diarrhoea is certainly not the reason that this disease costs the UK cattle industries an estimated £50-75m per year.

BVD suppresses the immune system of infected animals. These animals are then less able to fight off infections such as mastitis or pneumonia. As a result, a whole host of disease situations may become much more serious on a farm where BVD is also active.

IBR is the most obvious clinical disease associated with infection by Bovine Herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1).

It is a disease of the upper respiratory tract, which varies in severity depending on the strain of virus involved and other factors that may influence the immune status of the animal.

In severe cases, damage to the upper airways may lead to pneumonia and sometimes death. BoHV-1 infection has also been associated with infertility, abortion, high temperatures and milk drop.

Schmallenberg is a viral disease affecting cattle, sheep and goats.

In adult cattle the disease has been associated with symptoms including milk drop, fever, loss of appetite, diarrhoea and late abortion or birth defects in calves, lambs and kids.

The disease (SBV) is not notifiable and there are currently no implications to trade or movement barriers.

Sheep are particularly susceptible to fluke. Infection can cause serious illness and even death. However, fluke is often over-looked in cattle because the signs are very subtle and clinical disease is rare.

Fluke infection has been recognised for generations, but evolving problems in cattle demand we look afresh at how liver fluke might be undermining herd performance.

Over the past years there has been an alarming increase in the incidence of liver fluke. This has coincided with a greater geographic distribution beyond the traditional at-risk, high rainfall areas.