For herds that are closed to other cattle, especially during the breeding season and early pregnancy, eradication may be an economic reality. The Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory is now offering a new test on skin biopsies or ear notches. In PI animals, the virus is found in high concentrations in the skin. Rather than using blood, veterinarians and ranchers may want to consider using ear notches from ear marking activities. This test has been found to be highly accurate in early research.
Traditional testing involves blood samples from all cattle in the herd.
Colostrum antibodies against the BVDV interfere with the test. The skin test should eliminate this problem. An Eradication Scheme Early eradication efforts were often unsatisfactory because only the cows and replacement heifers were tested. New research reveals that calves nursing pregnant cows during the breeding season are the most likely carriers. This is the reason that BVDV continued to be a problem in some herds even though all adult carriers had been eliminated.