Last mile in eradicating bovine viral diarrhea
Published: Thursday, Jul 4th 2024, 11:40
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On November 1, the Swiss Confederation will set off on the last mile to eradicate bovine viral diarrhea. Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) has already almost disappeared thanks to a great deal of effort. In the final phase, a BVD traffic light is to prevent transmission in animal traffic.
This is to last two years, as announced by the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) on Thursday. The FSVO, the cattle industry and the cantonal veterinary services are all pulling in the same direction.
From November 1, the BVD traffic light system will allow cattle farmers to purchase only animals from farms with a negligible BVD risk. The BVD risk can then be seen on the animal movement database or the electronically completed accompanying document.
According to the FSVO, bovine viral diarrhea leads to high losses in ruminants. The main source of infection is infected animals that were infected in the womb. After birth, these animals spread the virus for life.
In the affected stables, there may be an increase in stunted animals, fertility problems, abortions, reduced milk yield and delayed growth. BVD is not dangerous for humans.
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