BVD positive

vinne

Anyone get positive bvd results, i had one a whitehead bull calf off a cow i bought . His reading was 34.102 what does that mean ?

whelan1

negatives normally read under 1, you will have to retest calf-blood- and blood test the mother

just do it

Ring the lab. A high positive result means it's a PI. A low positive result might mean it only has a transient infection i.e. doesn't actually have the virus but has been exposed to it. I don't know how high your test is, hence I say ring the lab.

Is it out any of the others sick?

yellow50HX

results of 1st lot came back yesterday, all clear. so far so good.

vinne

just do it wrote: »

Ring the lab. A high positive result means it's a PI. A low positive result might mean it only has a transient infection i.e. doesn't actually have the virus but has been exposed to it. I don't know how high your test is, hence I say ring the lab.

Is it out any of the others sick?

My reading was 34.102 ,none of the others sick and this calf is a fine strong bull

delaval

vinne wrote: »

My reading was 34.102 ,none of the others sick and this calf is a fine strong bull

The healthor vitality of the calf has no bearing on Bvd status. I've seen the most healthy calves being PI's.
We had a positive last week desoite the fact that the heifer tested negative last year. We did not re test as was pointless, we tag at birth so really no chance of it being T.I. Cow and calf both gone T.G.

Injuryprone

delaval wrote: »

Cow and calf both gone T.G.

Why did you get rid of the cow, if she was negative last year?

delaval

Injuryprone wrote: »

Why did you get rid of the cow, if she was negative last year?

Sorry wasn't clear calf gone for BVD lovely heifer heifer calved with mastitis so straight to factory (not for BVD). We are really confused as to why calf was positive as we tested all calves and maiden heifrers last year and all clear. I know preg heifer must have come in contact with PI some where. I can't fathom as all boundary double fenced.

whelan1

Content deleted by Original Poster

but that is the point of the testing, you can have an apparently healthy calf that has the disease.... a friend rang me the other day blabbing that you dont have to dispose of bvd positive animals that you could keep them and fatten them and send to the factory, in my mind if an animal shows up positive you should have it gone as soon as the confirmatory results come back

just do it

whelan1 wrote: »

but that is the point of the testing, you can have an apparently healthy calf that has the disease.... a friend rang me the other day blabbing that you dont have to dispose of bvd positive animals that you could keep them and fatten them and send to the factory, in my mind if an animal shows up positive you should have it gone as soon as the confirmatory results come back

+1.

This was well and truly debated last year and that was the overwhelming conclusion.

What if while he's still healthy he starts shedding while your cows are in early pregnancy? Disaster

greysides

Content deleted by Original Poster

When you challenge the conventionally accepted wisdom, especially where it has been scientifically tested and proven, you had better be very sure of your position.

Once the confirmatory testing is done the conclusion is as iron-cast as it can ever be. The experiences of those who have tried to rear to slaughter as well as those who didn't were discussed last year in country-wide meetings, and here 'on the boards', and 'the first loss is the best loss' was the attitude taken.

Those who have dealt with BVD infection first hand will be aware of the effect of removing PIs has on the health of their cohorts.

However, it is great to know that BVD has a fighting chance of surviving this eradication campaign given the weight of scientific research and eye-witness testimony put up against it. It would be a pity to lose an endemic Irish disease at a time when we have to import foreign diseases to stabilise the profitability of the agricultural economy.

prince lad

Would 2.6 be considered a high reading?

whelan1

prince lad wrote: »

Would 2.6 be considered a high reading?

all of mine have been under one, will check now on icbf what the reading was for the positive last year. just checked 1.192 was what my positive was last year

just do it

greysides wrote: »

However, it is great to know that BVD has a fighting chance of surviving this eradication campaign given the weight of scientific research and eye-witness testimony put up against it. It would be a pity to lose an endemic Irish disease at a time when we have to import foreign diseases to stabilise the profitability of the agricultural economy.

Sarcasm I hope?

Rovi

[MOD]

There was a fair bit of back-and-forth quoting and responding to a post now deleted by the Original Poster.
I've edited the Quote boxes in some posts above to reflect the deletion, and deleted a few other posts.

I hope what's left make sense

Let me know if anyone wants anything else changed or removed.

[/MOD]

Injuryprone

delaval wrote: »

Sorry wasn't clear calf gone for BVD lovely heifer heifer calved with mastitis so straight to factory (not for BVD). We are really confused as to why calf was positive as we tested all calves and maiden heifrers last year and all clear. I know preg heifer must have come in contact with PI some where. I can't fathom as all boundary double fenced.

I'm the same. Had 1 PI calf last year. Dam was negative, so I tested the rest of the non-calving herd (maiden heifers, carry over cows etc) to check for the PI that she came in contact with. All tested clear. A lot of head scratching like yourself, but calf was definately positive, had her retested a couple of times.

Fast forward to this year, sent off the first batch last week and have 1 PI again (last years PI was in the first batch as well). Obviously whats infecting them is still around

greysides

just do it wrote: »

Sarcasm I hope?

Definitely '....the lowest form of wit'.

greysides

When you're trying to track down the source of infection for a PI, consider what was happening (stock-wise) at the time the mother got infected (during the second, third or fourth month of its' pregnancy) and where it was.
Also bear in mind that it doesn't take a PI to cause the infection that leads to the development of a PI. It can be a transiently-infected (TI) animal or the presence of the virus on an object that will carry it. It doesn't live long away from an animals body but may live long enough to be transferred.

Another possibility is that the animal that was the source died (young sick calf housed nearby?) or was sold by the time the investigation took place.

Some info here.

just do it

greysides wrote: »

Definitely '....the lowest form of wit'.

I suffer from the same, just can get lost when typed :D

vinne

Just wondering did anyone get a negative result on the second test if the first one was positive ?

greysides

Excerpt from the report on the 2012 voluntary programme:

- 83% of calves that had an initial positive result and were subject to re-test were found positive again and are considered to have been PI, while the remaining 17% were considered to have been transiently infected.

PureBred

My first year suckler farming and bad luck as my first calf's results were positive. Can somone confirm my thoughts on the following

- I have to wait 21days to restest as she may be a TI.

- She will do no harm mixing with the rest of the herd as none of them are 2-4 months in-calf. Any others she contacts may become infected but only as a TI and this will pass in 3-4 weeks and will be immune for life.

- If she comes back positive the second time she has to be culled and mother tested.

- If she is negative I have to test the rest to find where it is coming from.

- I can test other animals including mother myself using tags and send to lab myself.

Any thoughts/corrections? Just want to make sure it's all clear in the head.

Muckit

I got a text message confirming a negative result, but should I get a letter back aswel?

Thanks

bogman_bass

Here's a question.

I was in the volentary phase last year. I had all negitive results.
now if i was to get a positive result from a calf out of a cow that had no positive calf last year would the dam need to be tested? surely there is no point becasue if she herself was a PI she would have had a positive calf last year yes?

whelan1

Muckit wrote: »

I got a text message confirming a negative result, but should I get a letter back aswel?

Thanks

no, its either a text or a letter

whelan1

PureBred wrote: »

My first year suckler farming and bad luck as my first calf's results were positive. Can somone confirm my thoughts on the following

- I have to wait 21days to restest as she may be a TI.

- She will do no harm mixing with the rest of the herd as none of them are 2-4 months in-calf. Any others she contacts may become infected but only as a TI and this will pass in 3-4 weeks and will be immune for life.

- If she comes back positive the second time she has to be culled and mother tested.

- If she is negative I have to test the rest to find where it is coming from.

- I can test other animals including mother myself using tags and send to lab myself.

Any thoughts/corrections? Just want to make sure it's all clear in the head.

you test the dam and the calf again...see what happens- both to be blooded

Manoffeeling

I don't mean to be stupid, but are calves put down if they are carriers?

whelan1

Manoffeeling wrote: »

I don't mean to be stupid, but are calves put down if they are carriers?

yes

kevthegaff

say if a calf or cow comes back high, can u take the blood sample yourself or do u have to get a vet out

greysides

PureBred wrote: »

- I have to wait 21 days to re-test as she may be a TI.

CORRECT. 3-4 weeks.

- She will do no harm mixing with the rest of the herd as none of them are 2-4 months in-calf. Any others she contacts may become infected but only as a TI and this will pass in 3-4 weeks and will be immune for life.

PARTIALLY CORRECT. The BVD virus can cause early embryonic death in animals less than 2-4 months in-calf. Abortion/stillbirths/deformities can be caused in animals further on in pregnancy. While the infection is transient if it coincides with other challenges (pneumonia, mastitis, infectious lameness) then those diseases will be made more severe. This spread will be more dangerous to other calves than healthy adults. Even as a TI the presence of the virus may start a chain of spread that may later lead to the development of a PI. If the calf is actually a PI the viral load spread is much, much larger and its' consequences likely to be more severe.
It would be far wiser to isolate both calf and mother (suckler cow). Maybe it would be possible to leave them out?


- If she comes back positive the second time she has to be culled and mother tested.

It is the practice to retest the calf and test it's mother at the same time.

There is no compunction to slaughter the calf but it makes no sense to try to rear such a time-bomb that is actively working against everything good you are trying to achieve.

- If she is negative I have to test the rest to find where it is coming from.

FALSE. There is no compunction to do that, just to follow the protocol. If you follow the protocols it should take care of the problem. If you have problems that could be attributable to BVD you may consider it advantageous to take action to speed up it's elimination from your farm.

- I can test other animals including mother myself using tags and send to lab myself.

YES. You need to make arrangements to get the necessary tags but it is possible/allowed for.

FAQs on several topics available at the link below:

http://www.animalhealthireland.ie/page.php?id=115

greysides

bogman_bass wrote: »

Here's a question.

I was in the voluntary phase last year. I had all negative results.
now if i was to get a positive result from a calf out of a cow that had no positive calf last year would the dam need to be tested? surely there is no point because if she herself was a PI she would have had a positive calf last year yes?

Top marks for an awkward to answer question.

Here's an equally awkward answer.

What you are saying is technically correct....... in an ideal world. In the world we live in where protocols have to be followed it may be much simpler just to follow the protocol rather than be dealing with the generation of some sort of non-compliance report. Also in the real world, no test is ever 100% accurate. If she were my cow I'd have her tested because, for the cost involved, it's not worth the risk of leaving a PI undiscovered after all the other expense that's been incurred. Belt and braces approach.

If that answer wasn't the one you were hoping for, (;)) then all I can suggest is to ring AHI and follow their advice.

There! It was much better question than was the answer!

greysides

kevthegaff wrote: »

say if a calf or cow comes back high, can u take the blood sample yourself or do u have to get a vet out

Part of the taking of the sample, particularly from the cow, is the certification of the identity of the animal it is taken from. The vet provides for a neutral certifier. I'm not sure labs would accept a blood sample that didn't come from a vet.

A repeat tissue sample can be DNA tested to ensure it is from the original animal. I'm not sure whether this is routinely done or not, it may well be.

Injuryprone

bogman_bass wrote: »

Here's a question.

I was in the volentary phase last year. I had all negitive results.
now if i was to get a positive result from a calf out of a cow that had no positive calf last year would the dam need to be tested? surely there is no point becasue if she herself was a PI she would have had a positive calf last year yes?

I've had this situation happen. I've had both a cow produce a PI last year who had a negative calf this year and have 2 cows who had negative calves last year have PIs this year. While I did test the cow last year, the test results never got onto the system. According to the AHI correspondance, all cows have now been classified INDINEG and don't have to be tested.

PureBred

Thanks greysides for clearing that up.

Got a letter out and says I can tissue sample calf and mother myself or get vet to blood sample. Will do it in 3 weeks. Will isolate them until then.

vinne

vinne wrote: »

Anyone get positive bvd results, i had one a whitehead bull calf off a cow i bought . His reading was 34.102 what does that mean ?

Just to say i blooded this calf again and happy days result was negative

just do it

vinne wrote: »

Just to say i blooded this calf again and happy days result was negative

Good stuff vinnie. And did you test the cow? How do you think the calf was exposed to the virus? Nearly creates more questions than answers!!

mf240

:eek::D:pac:

Nobody shout at me but.......

vinne

Ya tested cow she was okey, vet thinks cow may have exposed to the virus at the early stages of the pregnancy

just do it

vinne wrote: »

Ya tested cow she was okey, vet thinks cow may have exposed to the virus at the early stages of the pregnancy

Good stuff, hopefully that's it then. Presumably you've had negatives sense which would give some comfort. Did you ever find out if the initial result was low, medium or high?

vinne

the reading was 30.34

Farmer Pudsey

PureBred wrote: »

Thanks greysides for clearing that up.

Got a letter out and says I can tissue sample calf and mother myself or get vet to blood sample. Will do it in 3 weeks. Will isolate them until then.

I notice that a lot of farmers Blood test the second time using the vet why not save money and tissue test themselves. Why give the vet 50 yoyo's

just do it

vinne wrote: »

the reading was 30.34

And did you find out if this is a low, medium or high reading? Presumably because it turned out to be a TI it was a low reading??

whelan1

vinne wrote: »

the reading was 30.34

i thought a reading over 1 was positive

whelan1

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

I notice that a lot of farmers Blood test the second time using the vet why not save money and tissue test themselves. Why give the vet 50 yoyo's

yes fine if vet is out for something else but can be costly, last friday i ordered a few sets ao replacement tags-again- and a bvd tag to put in a cow whose calf died and the sample was empty.Tags arrived yesterday a box for the one bvd tag:eek: and the replacement tags in a seperate envelope, so dumbo here paid 2 postages for tags from the same place, i ordered both tags in the one phone call

moy83

whelan1 wrote: »

yes fine if vet is out for something else but can be costly, last friday i ordered a few sets ao replacement tags-again- and a bvd tag to put in a cow whose calf died and the sample was empty.Tags arrived yesterday a box for the one bvd tag:eek: and the replacement tags in a seperate envelope, so dumbo here paid 2 postages for tags from the same place, i ordered both tags in the one phone call

I did the same before Christmas and asked on the phone could I just pay the one postage but she said the system wouldnt allow that for the different type tags :rolleyes: Good for them I suppose

just do it

I'd imagine it's automated as much as possible and because the bvd tags are different they're on a different line. More efficient for them to treat them separately operationally and less prone to human error mixing tags from different lines/ runs.

whelan1

just do it wrote: »

I'd imagine it's automated as much as possible and because the bvd tags are different they're on a different line. More efficient for them to treat them separately operationally and less prone to human error mixing tags from different lines/ runs.

but why send 1 bvd tag-green one- in a box that holds 15 tags? would an envelope not make sense

moy83

just do it wrote: »

I'd imagine it's automated as much as possible and because the bvd tags are different they're on a different line. More efficient for them to treat them separately operationally and less prone to human error mixing tags from different lines/ runs.

Im sure you're right but if they were paying postage twice it would be automated so that it would be more cost effective on them

SKIPPY150

Just got a letter from AHI about a positive calf. The test value result given in the letter is 0.51 . I know I have to wait for the three weeks to test her and her mother but wondering in other peoples experiences is this calf likely to come clear on the retest

mahoney_j

Just wondering if the dept have a way of seeing how many of the bvd positive calves have been culled.Have one or 2 freinds in the suckler game who have positive calves but are adamant they wont get rid of them.Now they are cracking calves (limousion and charlaois)but i presume there are many more like that.These 2 guys are going to keep these till at least the end of the summer to see how they go and if still healthy they will finish them.Now i can see why they wont cull them but surely these ainmals should be exempt from qa bonus and paid a much reduced price at slaughter regardless of grade.If this is going on on a national scale we will never be bvd free

Farmer Pudsey

mahoney_j wrote: »

Just wondering if the dept have a way of seeing how many of the bvd positive calves have been culled.Have one or 2 freinds in the suckler game who have positive calves but are adamant they wont get rid of them.Now they are cracking calves (limousion and charlaois)but i presume there are many more like that.These 2 guys are going to keep these till at least the end of the summer to see how they go and if still healthy they will finish them.Now i can see why they wont cull them but surely these ainmals should be exempt from qa bonus and paid a much reduced price at slaughter regardless of grade.If this is going on on a national scale we will never be bvd free

These guys are stupid they are risking there own heard and everybodys. These PI calves will be in contact with cows that will be incalf during the critical part of the gestation period. But when was it any different in Ireland. You always had gombeen men. Any farmer that refuses to cull should not be allowed to sell anything in the mart.