11.3.3: BVD Flashcards
What is the causative agent of BVD? What types of BVD are there?
- BVD is caused by a pestivirus
- There is antigenic variation of the viral surface protein, producing 2 types.
- Majority of UK cases: Type 1
- Type 2 seen in Europe and US.
- Both forms can by cytopathic or non-cytopathic.
What are clinical signs of Type 1 BVD?
- Acute infection -> mild systemic illness, immunosuppression, reduced reproductive performance
- Persistently infected animals show mucosal disease
What the clinical signs of Type 2 BVDv?
True/false: transient infection with BVD can lead to immunosuppresion.
True
This is why have a PI calf, who is constantly shedding BVDv, can make other non PI calves more vulnerable to respiratory and enteric infections.
What is the effect of BVD infection in the non-pregnant animal?
What is the effect of BVD in the pregnant animal?
1
2
3
4
If a persistently infected animal has a calf, this calf will be:
a) normal
b) a PI animal
b) Persistently infected mothers produce persistently infected calves
True/false: if a persistently infected calf is identified, the calf’s mother must also be culled as she is a PI animal too.
False
She might be, but we need to check. She may just have been transiently infected during pregnancy and hence produced a PI calf.
Most PI calves come from transiently infected mothers, rather than PI dams.
Clinical signs of a persistently infected animal
They may be clinically normal!
What are the clinical signs of an animal with mucosal disease caused by BVD? How might you differentiate this from FMD?
What happens if a bull is transiently infected with BVD?
- The virus may induce temporary infertility
- During this time the virus may be detected in semen
- This is a transmission risk to cows
Describe how a bull could be antibody positive, antigen negative on bloods and yet be shedding BVD
Bull can be persistently infected but virus hides in testes (immune priviledged site). This is rare. (These are ‘Trojan horse’ bulls).
* Bull is infected in-utero (even after calf immune system has formed) and virus infected testis
* Therefore the bull will be born antibody positive and antigen negative on bloods
* BVD can be detected and spread in semen