Assessment of concurrent infection with bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) and Mycobacterium bovis: a herd-level risk factor analysis from Northern Ireland

Publication date: Available online 26 April 2017 Source:Preventive Veterinary Medicine Author(s): A.W. Byrne, M. Guelbenzu-Gonzalo, S.A.J. Strain, S. McBride, J. Graham, A. Lahuerta-Marin, R. Harwood, D.A. Graham, S. McDowell Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) is a significant pathogen of cattle, leading to severe economic and animal-welfare impacts. Furthermore, the pathogen has been associated with impacting the progression or spread of other pathogens (e.g. Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis (bTB)). During this study we investigated (i) risk factors for BVDV at a herd-level and (ii) whether there was any association between BVDV and herd-level bTB risk. The data for this study were gathered from a voluntary BVDV control programme in Northern Ireland (2013–2015) based on the identification of virus positive animals through tissue tag testing of calves. We assigned a herd-level BVDV status to 2,827 participating herds, where a herd was assumed “infected” if one or more animals tested positive for BVDV. Two model suites were developed. Firstly, we assessed risk factors for BVDV herd status using multivariable logit random-effects modelling, aggregating to the calendar year level (2013–2015; n=4,828; model 1). Secondly, we aggregated data across the three years of the study to give an overall status for the whole study period (n=2,827; logistic model 2). Risk factors included year, herd-type, herd size, number of births, inward ...
Source: Preventive Veterinary Medicine - Category: Veterinary Research Source Type: research