New BVD measures ‘crucial’ for tackling virus spread says union

And abiding by the rules will not only help reduce the incidence of the disease but help avoid even stricter herd restrictions being introduced next year, the Animal Health and Welfare NI (AHWNI) has warned.

Under new measures introduced by DAERA Minister Andrew Muir, from February 1 herd level movement restrictions will be applied to herds containing animals that have a positive or inconclusive BVD test result.

There will be ‘grace periods’ available for the first 12 months and herd keepers can avoid restrictions entirely if they take prompt action to remove or retest the positive or inconclusive animals within these timeframes.

Then from June 1 movement restrictions will also be applied to herds with animals of unknown BVD status. This will be introduced in three stages, with the threshold number of unknown status animals reducing over a 16-month period.

Keepers who are compliant with the testing requirements of existing legislation will not be impacted.

Cattle born before March 1, 2016, will also now need to be tested for BVD if they do not have a negative or indirect negative BVD status.

The Minister has rules that from February next year additional movement restrictions will be placed on all breeding age females within herds containing animals that test positive for BVD.

UFU deputy president Glenn Cuddy said the changes were crucial in supporting the NI livestock industry to eradicate the disease once and for all.

“To date, we have already made huge gains but these measures will enable us to continue this positive work to achieve our end goal, benefiting family farms, improving animal health and welfare and our local environment.

“Swift identification and removal of persistently infected (PI) cattle is key to eradicating BVD and it is positive to see this being reflected within the legislation. The new measures announced by the DAERA Minister will help us to quickly remove infected animals, reducing the risk of further transmission.

“We encourage all livestock farmers to make themselves aware of the new BVD measures. It’s important that we all support the implementation of these changes to eradicate BVD locally and as quickly as possible.”

AHWNI said the key focus of the BVD Programme was to encourage herd owners to take action to prevent the virus circulating in their herds and to protect herds that are free from BVD currently.

While the gains seen in the BVD programme were maintained last year, progress has stalled with the new measure needed to bring about the decrease in incidence rates that stakeholders need to see, it said.

The AHWNI outlined a six-point plan for farmers to follow:

1. Check BVD vaccination plans.

BVD vaccination should be considered in your herd if you purchase cattle, graze cattle where neighbouring cattle are in adjacent fields, or if your herd could be at risk of BVD introduction due to people coming on to your farm with contaminated clothing or equipment.

Decreasing BVD virus prevalence leads to an accompanying decrease in natural immunity (due to reduced exposure), that may leave some herds at greater risk of a larger breakdown. Vaccination programmes should only be stopped following a discussion with your private vet about ongoing risks.

2. Take ear tissue tag samples from calves as soon as possible after birth.

It is important to obtain ear tissue tag samples for BVD testing as soon as a newborn calf is dry. The samples should be kept in a fridge for no more than seven days before dispatch to an approved laboratory.

3. Deal with BVD Positive and Inconclusive cattle promptly.

Isolate BVD Positive and Inconclusive animals as quickly as possible. Decide whether to cull or retest any BVD Inconclusive cattle and consider immediate culling of BVD Positive cattle.

If retesting, arrange for your vet to take blood samples three weeks after the initial sample was taken (ie, three weeks from the date that the tag was inserted in the calf’s ear or from when an initial blood sample was taken).

From February 1, herd restrictions will be applied following a 28-day grace period after an animal has a BVD Positive (BVDP) or BVD Inconclusive (BVDI) virus test result.

From May 1, herd restrictions will be applied following a seven-day grace period after an animal has a BVDP or BVDI virus test result.

From February 1, 2026, herd restrictions will be applied immediately when an animal has a BVDP or BVDI virus test result.

Herd restrictions will prohibit cattle movements into or out of a herd and its associated herds.

Restrictions will be lifted when two conditions are met:

(i) 21 days have passed since the last BVDP or BVDI animal has been removed from the herd and associated herds (that is, the BVDP or BVDI animal has either been culled or re-tested with a BVD Negative result).

(ii) All animals in the herd and associated herds, except untested animals less than 31 days old, have a negative BVD status (BVDN or INDINEG status).

BVD Programme Stakeholder

Farmers should clean and disinfect the isolation pen, as well as any yards, crushes or trailers where the BVDP animal has been, in order to reduce viral contamination (that could be passed to other animals) in the environment.

4. Review biosecurity.

Reduce the risk of selling BVD infected cattle. Aim not to sell any female that may have been in calf at the time of the birth of a BVDP calf, until her calf has been born and tested with a Negative result for BVD.

Aim to purchase cattle from herds that have not had BVD infection in the last year. Aim to reduce the risk of buying in Transiently Infected animals or a ‘Trojan’ female that could be carrying a BVD Persistently Infected calf. Purchasing cattle from BVD-free herds could help your herd to gain BVD-free status in the future.

Keep cattle away from neighbouring herds. Avoid grazing cattle on land where cattle from other herds are in adjacent fields unless there is double fencing (with a gap of at least three metres) or stock-proof hedging.

5. Sample and test cattle that do not have a BVD status.

Sample and test cattle that have not had a Negative status calf registered against them (BVDUs), that have been imported without a valid BVD test; or that were born before the start of the compulsory scheme (March 1, 2016).

From June 1, herd restrictions will be applied to herds with >20 BVDU animals over 30 days of age.

From December 1, herd restrictions will be applied to herds with >10 BVDU animals over 30 days of age.

From June 1, 2026, herd restrictions will be applied to herds with >5 BVDU animals over 30 days of age.

Restrictions on herds with BVDUs will be applied following 28 days’ notice and will be lifted immediately on confirmation of a negative BVD result for all cattle more than 30 days old. (Note that cattle with a ‘BVD Unknown’ (BVDU) status are restricted individually from moving to markets, other farms and abattoirs.)

6. Be aware of industry measures to control BVD.

The voluntary abattoir ban on the slaughter of BVD Positive cattle remains in place. Retention of BVD Positive cattle is an ongoing non-conformance in the Farm Quality Assurance Scheme.

AHWNI continues to be a source of advice on the control of the BVD virus for all stakeholders in the programme.