I have just received the test results on my bull and he has passed for EC collection of semen however, he has BVD antibodies. I mentioned this to the AI centre and was told that this is a new test EC of course and the only problem would be if the antibody numbers were increasing ... or something.
I took my trusty 'bible' by Blowey and he says that at least 70% of the national herd carries BVD antibodies. If an animal has antibodies it will not either catch BVD/MD or give it to its unborn calf. If a female animal has no antibodies and it catches BVD when pregnant the calf can be DOA or deformed or possibly worst of all, can be a lifelong carrier a 'PI basically shedding the virus throughout the herd.
This means to me that to have antibodies is a distinct advantage! Another point too - if the female does not infect its young then surely a bull will not either, especially if he is not present at conception so why the test?
Any ideas?
Jo
BVD antibodies
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Duncan MacIntyre
- Posts: 2372
- Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2004 12:38 am
- Location: Isle of Bute, Scotland, UK
In a sense you are right Jo in that an animal with anibodies to BVD is not going to be a PI (persistently infected). If the level of antibodies was rising rather than falling it would suggest that contact with the infection was relatively recent so there might be concern that there was still some virus about.
Unless the animal has been vaccinated the presence of antibodies indicates that there has been some contact with the disease at some time. This could be in your herd but if there has been outside contact such as shows or through fences with neighbours the source is not necessarily in your herd. Bought in cattle are also a potential risk, with pregnant females beinggreatest risk because they may carry a PI If cattle contact BVD when they are immunologically competent they usually throw of the infection in a couple of weeks and form antibodies. The danger is that some of those getting infection will be at the stage of pregnancy when the foetus becomes a PI, is born live and spreads the virus for the rest of its life. In lerge herds there are enough animals for the disease to go round and round if nothing is done. Most dexter herds are so small that this is unlikely to happen but we have to remember that we do tend to move them around a lot with little regard for biosecurity.
Theoretically we should be islolating animals after they have been to shows etc etc but it would be expensive and complicated.
Unless the animal has been vaccinated the presence of antibodies indicates that there has been some contact with the disease at some time. This could be in your herd but if there has been outside contact such as shows or through fences with neighbours the source is not necessarily in your herd. Bought in cattle are also a potential risk, with pregnant females beinggreatest risk because they may carry a PI If cattle contact BVD when they are immunologically competent they usually throw of the infection in a couple of weeks and form antibodies. The danger is that some of those getting infection will be at the stage of pregnancy when the foetus becomes a PI, is born live and spreads the virus for the rest of its life. In lerge herds there are enough animals for the disease to go round and round if nothing is done. Most dexter herds are so small that this is unlikely to happen but we have to remember that we do tend to move them around a lot with little regard for biosecurity.
Theoretically we should be islolating animals after they have been to shows etc etc but it would be expensive and complicated.
Duncan MacIntyre
Burnside Dexters 00316
Burnside
Ascog
Isle of Bute
Burnside Dexters 00316
Burnside
Ascog
Isle of Bute
Many thanks for your info Duncan. The lad went to only one show last year and is homebred so I shall hope nothing appears in the rest of the herd. His first 2005 calf was 12 days late but is a healthy little heifer but we do have cattle next door
The poor fellow is now in an isolation box at Lindsay's AI centre waiting for further tests.
How long should an animal be isolated after a show? a few of my sheep were at one show last year and returned with orf, a particularly virulent form too. If I had kept them separate for 2 weeks it would have shown up but what else could they have caught!
Nevertheless, shows are our shop windows so needs must.
Sorry Sylvia I forget the actual disease name as 'BVD' is much easier however 'MD' is mucosal disease which is I think a progression of BVD ....My husband thought it must be 'bovine venereal disease'!! but it ain't. I should think there will be a flood of postings iin reply
and no, I'm not a civil servant - Jo
The poor fellow is now in an isolation box at Lindsay's AI centre waiting for further tests.
How long should an animal be isolated after a show? a few of my sheep were at one show last year and returned with orf, a particularly virulent form too. If I had kept them separate for 2 weeks it would have shown up but what else could they have caught!
Nevertheless, shows are our shop windows so needs must.
Sorry Sylvia I forget the actual disease name as 'BVD' is much easier however 'MD' is mucosal disease which is I think a progression of BVD ....My husband thought it must be 'bovine venereal disease'!! but it ain't. I should think there will be a flood of postings iin reply
and no, I'm not a civil servant - Jo