Clinical Case Review
Understanding Bovine Viral Diarrhea By: Dr. Dan Thomson, Production Animal Consultation
Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVD) is a pestivirus that causes abortion in cows, birth defects in calves and immune suppression in all types of cattle. This virus is closely related to viruses that cause hog cholera in swine and border disease in sheep. BVD is a reproductive disease that is passed numerous ways (mainly nose to nose contact) in beef herds. There are two genotypes of BVD virus: BVD I and BVD II. Within each genotype, there are two biotypes: cytopathic and noncytopathic. “Cyto” means cell and “pathic” means death.
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