Vaccination in the eradication of bovine viral diarrhoea

摘要

The national bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) eradication programme has led to considerable reduction in the prevalence of the disease in Ireland.In terms of the number of persistently infected (PI) animals born last year, there were less than one quarterof the number of Pis found in 2013, the first year of the compulsory programme. The number of positive herds in the country is also declining year on year.' The rate of PI retention on farm has also decreased and is a welcome development as the countryedges closer to successful eradication of this costly disease, estimated to cost Irish farmers around E102m per annum.