The Veterinary Record, Vol 154, Issue 15, 463-467
Copyright © 2004 by British Veterinary Association

Indirect transmission of bovine viral diarrhoea virus at calving and during the postparturient period

¹ Swedish Dairy Association, Research and Development, S-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
² Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, PO Box 8146 Dep, N-0033 Oslo, Norway
³ Department of Ruminant Medicine and Veterinary Epidemiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7019, S-75007 Uppsala, Sweden

Two trials were designed to investigate whether bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) could be transmitted after the birth of persistently infected calves, even if they were removed immediately after birth. In trial 1, 11 calves were actively exposed to fetal fluids and uterine lochia collected from cows that had delivered calves persistently infected with type 1 BVDV One calf that was exposed to a sample taken on the day of calving seroconverted. In trial 2, six calves were housed in stables where persistently infected calves were being born and then removed immediately from their dams and from the stable unit within two to three hours. One of four calves in close contact with the cows after delivery seroconverted and one of two calves housed within the same stable unit became infected.