Bovine Virus Diarrhea

Bovine virus diarrhea or bovine viral diarrhea (BVD)or bovine viral diarrhoea (UK English) is a disease of cattle which reduces productivity and increases death loss. It is caused by a Pestivirus from the family Flaviviridae. Classical swine fever (CSF) is also caused by a pestivirus. CSF and BVD are notifiable diseases and eradication programs are administered in many countries worldwide.

The molecular biology of pestiviruses shares many similarities and peculiarities with the human hepaciviruses. Pestiviruses have the ability to establish persistent infection during pregnancy. Persistent infection with pestiviruses often goes unnoticed; for BVDV frequently nonhomologous RNA recombination events lead to the appearance of genetically distinct viruses that are lethal to the host.

Read more about Bovine Virus Diarrhea:  Genetics, Diagnosis, Control

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