Since it is not possible to distinguish seropositive and seronegative calves without a blood test, all calves should be vaccinated. Over 140 BVDV vaccines are licensed in the United States, most of which are produced from a Type 1 strain. Currently, four to five vaccines contain a Type 2 strain. Type 1 vaccines are effective in protecting cattle against Type 1 BVDV and provide partial protection against some Type 2 viruses. To provide a broader range of protection, some producers are using a rotational vaccination schedule - alternating use of vaccines produced from different strains of BVDV types one and two.
Vaccines are available as modified live or killed.
Modified live vaccines generally provide better cross protection against strains of BVD than killed vaccines. All vaccines should be used according to the manufacturer's instructions. The groups most susceptible to BVDV are seronegative animals, calves that did not ingest sufficient colostrum, and cattle under environmental or disease-related stress. PI cattle are the primary source of infection as they continuously shed large amounts of virus in their feces, saliva, and nasal discharge. Producers can identify PI animals with a blood test and cull them to decrease the amount of BVD virus circulating on the dairy.