Figure 1. Spread of IBR in non-vaccinating suckler herd following reactivation and shedding of virus from carrier to naïve (susceptible) animals. Adapted from: Animal Health Ireland

Control of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis

Infected animals excrete high quantities of virus during primary infection. BoHV-1 is mainly spread directly by close contact between animals (Figure 1). It can also be shed from the reproductive...

Over the fence contact is another biosecurity risk.

Livestock Workshops: eradication of disease

BVD virus is in the Flaviviridae family. There are two genotypes, BVD 1 and 2. BVD 1 occurs in the UK, and there are two biotypes: cytopathic and non-cytopathic. Most persistently infected calves have...

Figure 3. Bovine tuberculosis screening. Vet injecting a cow with tuberculin during an intradermal comparative tuberculin test. This is the standard test used to screen cattle for bovine tuberculosis.

Bovine tuberculosis: slow progress

The current surveillance programme is adequate for detecting infected herds, but inadequate for detecting infectious animals. The skin test (SICCT; Figures 2 and 3) and gamma interferon tests...