BOVINE VIRAL DIARRHOEA VIRUS-TOWARD A PI-FREE FUTURE?

摘要

Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) is one of the most important endemic viral pathogens of Irish cattle, having been present in the national herd for a considerable period (Gunn et al. 1987, O'Neill et al. 2009). Surveys of beef and dairy farmers andof animal health experts conducted by Animal Health Ireland (AHI) consistently highlighted BVD as a priority (More et al. 2010). In response, AHI convened a technical working group which developed an information leaflet (Anon 2009) setting out a standard approach to BVDV at the herd level. This has been widely disseminated both in hard copy and through a series of roadshows and is supported by a range of web-based materials (www.animalhealthireland.ie/bvd.php). The next step is to consider a national eradication programme. Looking across Europe, BVDV is notifiable in eight countries, a number of which have successfully implemented such programmes (Lindberg et al. 2006, Houe et al. 2006). Persistently infected animals (PI), created by in utero infection during the first trimester of pregnancy, play a central role in the epidemiology of infection, and their identification and removal is the central plank of such programmes. Additional components include risk-based biosecurity measures (Lindberg and Alenius 1999) and monitoring to track progress toward agreed goals and to allow rapid detection and intervention in herds where infection is reintroduced.