Economics of BVD

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Economics of BVD

• Is it worth controlling?

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BVD Control

• There are significant costs associated with BVD
  control
• Testing Costs
• Finding the PI
• Annual Monitoring
• Protection Costs
• Vaccination
• Culling Costs

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Why bother? Cost of TI
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What about the PIs?
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LIC Data
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LIC Data
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Which one is the PI?!
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Economic Analysis

• Infected herd loss of 35/cow c.f. non-infected
  herd
• Control costs
• 1 spent prevents 2.23 of loss
• i.e. costs of test, vaccines, fences

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Worldwide Control

• Many European countries have launched whole
  country or regional BVD control schemes
• Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark
• Switzerland
• Holland, UK, France (Regional)
• New Zealand, USA, Australia, Ireland (Early
  stages)

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BVD SURVEY

• What have we found?

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Testing

• In conjunction with Pfizer we
• Used a bulk milk sample to check HERD LEVEL
  EXPOSURE to BVD
• Randomly selected herds from PD visits
• 25 farms included in this presentation

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Results

• Low Herds 16
• Moderate Herds 56
• High Herds 28

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Percentages
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What do these results mean?

• High
• Majority of cows have been exposed to BVDv
• Active or very recent infection
• Approx 40 of these herds will have a PI
• Remember the PI could be in the youngstock!

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What do these results mean?

• Moderate
• Herd has been exposed to BVDv
• Some cows immune, some not
• Unlikely but possible to have a PI
• Recheck pre-breeding most economical way to rule
  out any active herd infection
• Screen batches of replacements to ensure herd is
  clean

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What do these results mean?

• Low
• No evidence of exposure to BVDv
• NO HERD IMMUNITY
• Test 1/2 times per year to ensure BVD free
• BIOSECURITY critical
• Is Vaccination an option?

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Category Results
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HIGH Group Empty Rate
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Moderate Group Empty Rate
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Low Group Empty Rate