BVD screening in Wales surpasses 7,000 herd mark

The welfare and financial consequences of the disease are significant, with an approximate cost of £15,000 per year for dairy herds
The welfare and financial consequences of the disease are significant, with an approximate cost of £15,000 per year for dairy herds

A national programme aiming to eradicate bovine virus diarrhea (BVD) from the Welsh national herd has reached 7,000 of the 11,000 herds in Wales.

BVD is a highly contagious disease in cattle that causes immunosuppression and reproductive failure.

The disease can reduce fertility, increase incidences of abortion and cause pneumonia in affected stock, creating drastic, long-lasting personal and financial effects on all affected farms.

The Gwaredu BVD, a £10 million three year voluntary screening programme, has announced positive progress in battling the disease.

It is available to all Welsh cattle farms, and is managed by Coleg Sir Gâr’s Agriculture Research Centre in partnership with the Royal Veterinary College.

BVD screening is undertaken at the same time as TB testing to provide the necessary support and guidance to ensure farmers can correctly and quickly identify herds infected with BVD.

Support is also be available to find the persistently infected (PI) animals from infected herds.

John Griffiths, manager of the Agriculture Research Centre at Coleg Sir Gâr’s Gelli Aur campus, said: “We’re announcing that 7,000 of the 11,000 cattle herds in Wales have now been screened, and we’re really proud of this achievement, as we aim to eradicate the disease from Wales.

“Farmers are now much more aware of the implications of the disease, and have discovered just how quick and easy it is to get screened. Working together with farmers and vets we can beat BVD.”

Financial consequences

The welfare and financial consequences of the disease are significant, with an approximate cost of £4,500 per year for the average beef herd, and £15,000 for dairy herds as a result of poor fertility, reduced milk yields, low daily live weight gains, fever, diarrhoea and respiratory problems.

Screening is free, and the programme also provides up to £500 for livestock farmers to work with their vet.

However, this funding will run out in 2020 when testing is likely to be compulsory, so a new campaign is being launched to reach farmers to help put a stop the disease spreading.

Eradicating BVD is a priority of the Wales Animal Health and Welfare Framework Group, and is funded by the Welsh Government’s Rural Development Programme.