Clinical signs of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea

BVDV infection can result in a wide spectrum of clinical disease varying from sub-clinical infection to fatal disease.

Different clinical signs can be seen simultaneously in a herd. The most common clinical signs are:

• Infertility or abortion
• Diarrhoea
• Mucosal disease
• Respiratory signs

From an economical aspect, the biggest losses from BVDV are from infection around the time of insemination and during pregnancy. The effects are dependent on the time of gestation that infection occurs.

Infection from approximately nine days prior to service until 120 days of gestation may result in:

• Failure to conceive
• Early embryonic death
• Foetal loss
• Persistently infected calves

Erosions on the muzzle from BVDV infection

A neonatal calf showing neurological signs as a result of BVD infection in utero