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Updated: Aug 25, 2026

Safety Precautions and Operating Procedures in an (A)BSL-4 Laboratory: 3. Aerobiology
Published on: October 3, 2016
Biosecurity and biocontainment of bovine viral diarrhea virus
David R Smith1, Dale M Grotelueschen
1Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, P.O. Box 830907, 124 VDC, Fair St. and E. Campus Loop, Lincoln, NE 68583-0907, USA. dsmith8@unl.edu
Abstract:
Infection of cattle with BVDV results in a variety of clinical illnesses costly to the cattle industry worldwide. The reservoir and primary source of transmission is cattle born PI with BVDV after transplacental infection in early gestation. It is a challenge to determine with certainty whether or not BVDV is circulating among a herd of cattle. If the virus is present in a herd,then biocontainment strategies are used to eliminate the virus by testing to removing PI cattle, preventing exposure of pregnant cattle to the virus, and increasing resistance to infection using vaccination. If it is clear that the virus is not present in a herd then, biosecurity actions must be taken to prevent introducing the virus into the herd.
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