PROPOSAL OF A PROGRAM FOR CONTROL, SUPPRESSION AND ERADICATION OF BOVINE VIRAL DIARRHEA VIRUS INFECTION IN CATTLE HERDS IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) is a viral infection of cattle caused by Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus (BVDV). Th e most important source of infection is persistently infected and sick cattle, but also other susceptible species. BVDV infection, except for cattle, occurs in sheep, pigs, goats and wild ruminants. Th ese animals can be reservoirs of the virus, and thus the source of infection. Th e greatest economic losses caused by BVDV infection in cattle farming are the direct consequences of transplacental infection, as a result of foetal deaths, congenital malformations, neonatal and postnatal mortality, including mucosal diseases and slow growth and poor performance results of the surviving animals, as well as acute infections of respiratory and alimentary infections. Economic losses due to BVDV infection can be seen in a cattle herd even several years aft er the infection. Moreover, BVDV infection is considered as the third most important disease to cattle farming industry, immediately aft er rinderpest and the foot-and-mouth disease. Th e primary task of BVDV infection control is to prevent prenatal infection. Th is procedure includes the determination and elimination of persistently infected (PI) animals from the herd. Aft er the removal of these animals, great attention must be paid to introducing new animals into the herd and preventing the occurrence of transplacental infection. On the basis of existing data and real suppositions about the distribution of BVDV infection in the territory of Serbia, the great economic damages it causes, as 1* Corresponding author: tomy@niv.ns.ac.sr Arhiv veterinarske medicine, Vol. 8, No. 2, 35 53, 2015 Petrović T. et al.: Th e proposal of a program ...