BVDV can affect the reproductive, respiratory and digestive systems, with possibly the greatest loss impacting reproduction. Because PI cows are a constant source of virus shedding, infection spreads to other cows, resulting in increased days open and decreased milk production.

A new technology is helping to identify what viruses or bacteria are causing early bovine respiratory disease (BRD) – thanks to a timelier, more accurate and less-invasive diagnostic test. Deep nasal pharyngeal swab collections, combined with updated molecular diagnostics in the form of real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction technology, is one of the newest diagnostic advances in dairy animal health.

Dairy producers battle daily with the devastating performance and economic effects of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in their herds. According to the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS), respiratory disease (commonly known as pneumonia) is the most important disease in calves older than 30 days. It results in an average loss of $15 per calf per year. While the battle continues, dairy producers have made significant improvements in respiratory disease management. Following the 2007 NAHMS survey, we polled dairy producers from 23 states about respiratory calf care. The survey represented more than 775,000 calves from 174 operations.