Major viral abortions in cattle in Ireland

Abstract

There was almost a 20% decrease in the amount of positive cases of BVD being reported in new-born animals from 2013 to 2014. The number of positive BVD herds also decreased but herds with one or more PI’s increased. This indicates that farmers are not implanting the removal of PI’s firmly enough. The policing of this programme is not strict enough and with the absence of penalties, Ireland will struggle to gain a BVD free status. IBR is seasonal and spreads during the winter months when animals are being housed. High frequency of herds exposed are to BoHV-1 in Ireland. IBR primarily causes respiratory infections in cattle, which then may lead to abortion. It is difficult to diagnose if IBR is responsible for this abortion. Therefore, the number of abortions due to IBR may be higher than previously documented. However, BoHV-1 remains the leading cause of respiratory infections in cattle in Ireland.