Bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD)
Advice on the requirements of Scotland’s BVD eradication scheme and details of the screening programme.
BVD status for individual animals and herds
Scotland’s BVD eradication scheme is based on BVD herd status.
Due to the flexibility of the scheme, keepers of breeding herds can meet their obligation for annual update of the herd status by testing the herd (check testing) or testing individual animals (all calf or whole herd screening).
Cattle can therefore obtain their individual BVD status from an individual event, e.g. a BVD virus test or giving birth to a negative calf, or from the herd to which they currently belong.
Herd status
BVD Negative
If a breeding herd is BVD Negative, all animals in the herd are low risk and treated as BVD Negative even if they don’t have their own individual BVD status. A BVD Negative breeding herd can move animals off the holding regardless of their individual status.
BVD Not Negative
If a breeding herd is BVD Not Negative, movements out of the herd are restricted. Animals can only move off the holding if they are going directly to slaughter or if they have an individual BVD status of Negative (either tested negative or Assumed Negative for females that have given birth to a Negative calf). Animals can be licensed off the holding but this only applies in exceptional circumstances, e.g. extreme welfare problems.
A breeding herd can be BVD Not Negative for various reasons, e.g. being overdue in renewing the annual BVD herd status OR having untested “risky” (Not Negative) animals on the holding OR status set by the approved laboratory due to incomplete BVD results for calves born in the past 12 months. If it is not obvious why the herd is BVD Not Negative, keepers and their vets should contact the ScotEID Helpline for assistance. Regaining Negative status usually requires some BVD testing and may also need a certificate from an approved vet.
BVD Positive
If a breeding herd is BVD Positive, it is under two sets of movement restrictions. The Not Negative herd restrictions apply, and in addition, moves on to the holding are restricted. The “on move” restriction comes in to effect 40 days after the BVD positive result has been reported by the approved laboratory. The delay of 40 days is intended to allow keepers to take action on the BVD Positive animal(s). If the animals remain in the herd and are still BVD Positive after 40 days, no animals are allowed to move on. Animals can be licensed on to the holding in exceptional circumstances, e.g. if they have strayed or had moved off for veterinary treatment.
A breeding herd has the administrative status of BVD Positive when one or more BVD Positive animals are present on the holding. As soon as the BVD Positive animals have been tested Negative and/or removed, the herd is recategorised as BVD Not Negative.
Individual BVD status
To make status checking as simple as possible, we recommend that markets and/or potential buyers check the individual status of each animal. For speed and accuracy, markets can use the ScotEID web service. This can be integrated in to the market’s own IT system in the same way the Scotch Eligibility (SPECC) checker web service is currently used.
The individual BVD categories are as follows:
|
ScotEID category |
BVD status |
Status achieved by |
movement restrictions |
|
1 |
Negative |
Individual blood or tissue test |
none |
|
2 |
Negative |
Assumed Negative (dam of a Negative calf) OR untested but part of a Negative herd |
none |
|
3 |
Not Negative |
Born on a Non-Breeding holding and not tested OR moved off a Not Negative herd without individual status OR calf of a 'Trojan cow' and not tested OR 'risky' animal from outside Scotland |
If on a breeding herd it requires BVD testing within 40 days |
|
4 |
BVD Positive |
Tested positive OR the calf of a BVD Positive dam. |
Cannot move anywhere except direct to slaughter |
|
0 |
Untested |
No individual status but originally came from a Negative herd or low risk origin, e.g. CHeCS accredited herd |
none |
Contact
ScotEID - the BVD database and helpline