Join the BVDV Blood Drive!

Dr Enoch Bergman, Swans Veterinary Services

It’s that time of year again!

Meat & Livestock Australia has extended ASHEEP & BEEF’s Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) project focusing on annual heifer pre-mating screening for exposure to BVDV (Bovine Pestivirus). We’re now able to run this PDS for an additional three years!

Above: AI-generated image. No cattle were taught to drive, no windscreens dissolved.

Please get involved and help you and your neighbours rid your properties of BVDV! Through the PDS we are offering free blood testing for replacement heifers in the Esperance region prior to mating. Within the project, Swans Veterinary Services will collect blood samples from 5% or a minimum of 6 of your replacement heifers, preferably a couple of months prior to joining.

The testing and interpretation is completely free and the travel to get Swans Vets to come out and collect the samples is either free or heavily subsidised. Reach out to Swans Veterinary Services @ 08 9071 5777 for more information. We are organising “blood drives” to ensure that all costs are covered for involved producers by sharing travel allowing it to be completely subsidised by the project. Call up to get on the list!

We are entering into the third year of ASHEEP & BEEF’s Meat & Livestock Australia Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) project focusing on demonstrating the value of implementing “Annual Heifer Pre-Mating Screening for Exposure to BVDV (Bovine Pestivirus)”. Within the project, Swans Veterinary Services will collect blood samples from 5% or a minimum of 6 of your replacement heifers, preferably a couple of months prior to joining. Get involved! Read on to understand both the why and the how.

BVDV is the most economically significant infectious disease of cattle within the Esperance district in my opinion. If you don’t know your BVDV status, now is the time to find out. With assistance from MLA in funding this Producer Demonstration Site project, with assistance from IDEXX to subsidise the cost of testing, and with some free vaccine for participants from Zoetis, now is the perfect time to investigate BVDV within your herd.

BVDV is spread almost exclusively by Persistently Infected (PI) animals, who were infected with the virus in utero and who shed enormous amounts of virus their entire lives. They suppress the immune systems of animals they live with as well as leading to poor pregnancy rates and higher abortion rates. By simply blood testing a small proportion of your replacement heifers, we can accurately identify groups of heifers that have been exposed to a PI, (or wherein a PI still remains) vs. groups without any immunity to BVDV (conclusive proof that none of the replacement heifers are a PI). If a group of heifers has a PI within its numbers, it can be a serious risk to other management groups on your property and conversely if they have no immunity, should other management groups on your property still harbour a PI, they could be at risk. By screening your replacement heifers prior to joining, as is the thrust of this project, you can invest in the best strategy to progress towards BVDV freedom. By screening them annually, you will be in control of your property’s BVDV status and will be able to maintain BVD freedom. Get involved! Make sure your property, like the majority of the properties in the Esperance district, is BVDV Free!

Cheers!

Enoch, ASHEEP & BEEF, and Swans Veterinary Services

Dr Enoch Bergman collecting a blood sample for BVDV testing from a heifer.