Considerations for Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) Testing

Available diagnostic tests for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and the persistently infected (PI) BVDV carrier state are reviewed and presented in table format. The test of choice will depend on the age of animal being tested, whether the animal is alive or dead and whether the veterinarian is only interested in identifying PI animals or if transiently infected (TI) animals are also of interest. Economic considerations, including the likelihood of finding a PI animal in a given population (expected prevalence), cost of disease due to the presence of a PI animal and the economic risk of selling a PI animal to a customer, will impact the choice of BVD testing strategy. Potential advantages and disadvantages for the available laboratory tests and suggested tests for particular situations are presented in table format.