Herd-level risk factors for bovine viral diarrhea virus infection in dairy herds from Southern Brazil.
A cross-sectional study was carried out to identify risk factors for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection in 300 randomly selected dairy herds which were tested for antibodies in bulk tank milk (BTM) using a commercial indirect ELISA kit (SVANOVA). Results from the analysis were interpreted according to the Swedish BVDV control scheme. The testing revealed 129 (43%) BTM BVDV antibody-positive herds. Use of artificial insemination (AI) and herd size were significantly associated with BVDV serological status (P<0.05). Dairy herds that use AI had 2.82 increased odds of BVDV-seropositivity (95% CI: 1.02-7.24). Since the semen used in the studied population come from known selected sires, it was hypothesized that AI technicians should represent an important risk factor because the increasing number of visitors in the farm can introduce the virus through the clothes, shoes and contaminated equipment.
Laboratório de Virologia, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9090, CEP 91540-000 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
L L
LL
Almeida
I C S
IC
Miranda
H E
HE
Hein
W Santiago
WS
Neto
E F
EF
Costa
F S
FS
Marks
C R
CR
Rodenbusch
C W
CW
Canal
L G
LG
Corbellini
D000818:Animals; D001912:Bovine Virus Diarrhea-Mucosal Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002417:Cattle; D001908:Diarrhea Viruses, Bovine Viral; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000662:veterinary; D008892:Milk / Q000821:virology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
BVDV; Biosecurity; Bulk tank milk; Epidemiology; Prevalence; Risk factor