1
|
Strain S, Verner S, Campbell E, Hodnik JJ, Santman-Berends IMGA. The Northern Ireland Control Programmes for Infectious Cattle Diseases Not Regulated by the EU. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:694197. [PMID: 34513968 PMCID: PMC8427759 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.694197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The disease control programmes for Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD), Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), Johne's Disease (JD), Leptospirosis and Neosporosis are described including the approved diagnostic tools, diagnostic quality systems, and the role of vaccination (where appropriate). This paper describes the control programmes within NI, the challenges relating them, as well as assessing their impact and effectiveness, taking into consideration the quality of data available and number of herds participating. With the NI agricultural industry experiencing increasing financial pressures and post Brexit changes, the necessity of working to maximise the performance of bovine disease control programmes at the individual farm level as well as at the regional level is increasingly important. The programmes described fall into two categories with two distinct aims. Two managed by Animal Health & Welfare NI (AHWNI), the BVD eradication and JD Dairy Control programmes seek to eradicate or control infection at the regional level. A further 5 programmes, covering BVD, JD, IBR, Leptospirosis and Neosporosis, are managed by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) and focus on facilitating eradication or control at the individual herd level. These latter programmes conform to the Cattle Health Certification Standards (UK) (CHeCS) which is a UK self-regulatory body set up to ensure consistency between different disease control schemes across herds. The largest of all the programmes described is the AHWNI BVD Eradication Programme which has led to significant reductions in infection incidence. Compliance with it has been high with more than 97% of all cattle alive at the end of 2020 having a BVD test status. The rolling annual incidence of BVD virus positive calves has fallen by 56% since the start of the compulsory programme in 2016. This decrease has occurred largely through industry initiatives to deal with BVD positives, including the voluntary culling of persistently infected (PI) animals by herd owners, a voluntary abattoir ban on the slaughter of BVD virus (BVDv) positive animals, and the inclusion of retention of a BVDv positive animal as a non-conformance in the industry-run Farm Quality Assurance Scheme.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sam Strain
- Animal Health and Welfare Northern Ireland, Dungannon, United Kingdom
| | - Sharon Verner
- Animal Health and Welfare Northern Ireland, Dungannon, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Campbell
- Veterinary Sciences Division, Disease Surveillance and Investigation Branch, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Jaka Jakob Hodnik
- Clinic for Reproduction and Large Animals-Section for Ruminants, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Graham D, More SJ, O'Sullivan P, Lane E, Barrett D, Lozano JM, Thulke HH, Verner S, Guelbenzu M. The Irish Programme to Eradicate Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus-Organization, Challenges, and Progress. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:674557. [PMID: 34141734 PMCID: PMC8204052 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.674557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
A mandatory national Irish bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) eradication programme, coordinated by Animal Health Ireland, commenced in 2013. Key decisions and programme review are undertaken by a cross-industry Implementation Group (BVDIG) supported by a Technical Working Group. Ear notch tissue is collected from all new-born calves using modified official identity tags, supplemented by additional blood sampling, including for confirmatory testing of calves with initial positive results and testing of their dams. Testing is delivered by private laboratories in conjunction with the National Reference Laboratory, with all results reported to a central database. This database manages key elements of the programme, issuing results to herdowners by short message service messaging supplemented by letters; assigning and exchanging animal-level statuses with government databases of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to enable legislated restrictions on animal movements; assigning negative herd status based on test results; generating regular reports for programme management and evaluation and providing herd-specific dashboards for a range of users. Legislation supporting the programme has been in place throughout but has not thus far mandated the slaughter of persistently infected (PI) calves. A key challenge in the early years, highlighted by modeling, was the retention of PI animals by some herd owners. This has largely been resolved by measures including graduated financial supports to encourage their early removal, herd-level movement restrictions, ongoing programme communications and the input of private veterinary practitioners (PVPs). A framework for funded investigations by PVPs in positive herds was developed to identify plausible sources of infection, to resolve the status of all animals in the herd and to agree up to three measures to prevent re-introduction of the virus. The prevalence of PI calves in 2013 was 0.66%, within 11.3% of herds, reducing in each subsequent year, to 0.03 and 0.55%, respectively, at the end of 2020. Recent regulatory changes within the European Union for the first time make provision for official approval of national eradication programmes, or recognition of BVD freedom, and planning is underway to seek approval and, in due course, recognition of freedom within this framework by 2023.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Graham
- Animal Health Ireland, Carrick on Shannon, Ireland
| | - Simon J More
- Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis, UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Elizabeth Lane
- Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis, UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,Animal Health Division, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Damien Barrett
- Surveillance, Animal By-products and TSEs (SAT) Division Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Celbridge, Ireland
| | - Jose-Maria Lozano
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Celbridge, Ireland
| | - Hans-Hermann Thulke
- Department of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sharon Verner
- Animal Health and Welfare NI, Unit 49, Dungannon Enterprise Centre, Dungannon, United Kingdom
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Alpay G, Toker EB, Yeşilbağ K. Persistent BVD virus infections in offspring from imported heifers. Trop Anim Health Prod 2018; 51:297-302. [DOI: 10.1007/s11250-018-1685-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
|
4
|
Charoenlarp W, Frankena K, Strain SAJ, Guelbenzu-Gonzalo M, Graham J, Byrne AW. Spatial and risk factor analysis of bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) virus after the first-year compulsory phase of BVD eradication programme in Northern Ireland. Prev Vet Med 2018; 157:34-43. [PMID: 30086847 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2018.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) causes bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD), which is a contagious pathogen that can have a significant economic impact on cattle industries. In Northern Ireland (NI), the compulsory phase of a BVD eradication programme was implemented in 2016. The aim of this retrospective population based study was to utilize herd-level data after the first year of the compulsory phase (March 2016-March 2017) to determine the spatial distribution and variation of BVDV, to identify clusters of infection, and to quantify some risk factors associated with BVD in NI. Global spatial clustering (autocorrelation) and local spatial hot-spot analyses were used to specify the clustering areas (hot- and cold-spot). A suite of multivariable logistic analyses was performed to estimate the associations of spatial and non-spatial factors (relating to herd characteristics) with the risk of being a BVDV positive herd. Final models were compared by evaluating the model fit and the ability to account for spatial autocorrelation in the study area. There were 17,186 herds included in the analysis. The herd-level prevalence of BVDV was 11.31%. Significant spatial clustering of BVDV positive herds was presented in the central region of NI. A mixed effects logistic model, with a spatial random effect term, was considered the best model. The final model showed that a positive BVDV status during the voluntary phase prior to the compulsory phase started (OR = 2.25; CI 95% = 1.85-2.73), larger herd size (OR = 6.19; CI 95% = 5.22-7.34 for herd size > 100 animals) and a larger number of positive nearest neighbours within 4 km radius (OR = 1.24; CI 95% = 1.05-1.47 for 8-9 neighbours and OR = 1.41; CI 95% = 1.20-1.65 for 10-12 neighbours) were significantly related to the risk of a herd being tested positive for BVDV. The clear spatial pattern from the local spatial clustering analyses could be used for targeted surveillance and control measures by focusing on the central region of NI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- W Charoenlarp
- Department of Livestock Development, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
| | - K Frankena
- Adaptation Physiology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - S A J Strain
- Animal Health and Welfare Northern Ireland, Dungannon Business Cube 5, Coalisland Rd, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, BT71 6JT, United Kingdom
| | - M Guelbenzu-Gonzalo
- Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Veterinary Science Division, Stormont, Belfast, BT43SD, United Kingdom; Animal Health Ireland, Carrick-on-Shannon, Leitrim, Ireland
| | - J Graham
- Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Veterinary Science Division, Stormont, Belfast, BT43SD, United Kingdom
| | - A W Byrne
- Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Veterinary Science Division, Stormont, Belfast, BT43SD, United Kingdom; School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Abstract
Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) is one of the most important infectious diseases of cattle with respect to animal health and economic impact. Its stealthy nature, prolonged transient infections, and the presence of persistently infected (PI) animals as efficient reservoirs were responsible for its ubiquitous presence in cattle populations worldwide. Whereas it was initially thought that the infection was impossible to control, effective systematic control strategies have emerged over the last 25 years. The common denominators of all successful control programs were systematic control, removal of PI animals, movement controls for infected herds, strict biosecurity, and surveillance. Scandinavian countries, Austria, and Switzerland successfully implemented these control programs without using vaccination. Vaccination as an optional and additional control tool was used by e.g., Germany, Belgium, Ireland, and Scotland. The economic benefits of BVD control programs had been assessed in different studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Volker Moennig
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Bünteweg 17, D-30559 Hannover, Germany.
| | - Paul Becher
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Bünteweg 17, D-30559 Hannover, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Yeşilbağ K, Alpay G, Becher P. Variability and Global Distribution of Subgenotypes of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus. Viruses 2017; 9:v9060128. [PMID: 28587150 PMCID: PMC5490805 DOI: 10.3390/v9060128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is a globally-distributed agent responsible for numerous clinical syndromes that lead to major economic losses. Two species, BVDV-1 and BVDV-2, discriminated on the basis of genetic and antigenic differences, are classified in the genus Pestivirus within the Flaviviridae family and distributed on all of the continents. BVDV-1 can be segregated into at least twenty-one subgenotypes (1a–1u), while four subgenotypes have been described for BVDV-2 (2a–2d). With respect to published sequences, the number of virus isolates described for BVDV-1 (88.2%) is considerably higher than for BVDV-2 (11.8%). The most frequently-reported BVDV-1 subgenotype are 1b, followed by 1a and 1c. The highest number of various BVDV subgenotypes has been documented in European countries, indicating greater genetic diversity of the virus on this continent. Current segregation of BVDV field isolates and the designation of subgenotypes are not harmonized. While the species BVDV-1 and BVDV-2 can be clearly differentiated independently from the portion of the genome being compared, analysis of different genomic regions can result in inconsistent assignment of some BVDV isolates to defined subgenotypes. To avoid non-conformities the authors recommend the development of a harmonized system for subdivision of BVDV isolates into defined subgenotypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kadir Yeşilbağ
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Uludag University, TR-16059 Bursa, Turkey.
| | - Gizem Alpay
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Uludag University, TR-16059 Bursa, Turkey.
| | - Paul Becher
- Institute for Virology, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Veterinary Medicine, D-30559 Hannover, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|