IGENITY^® for dairy

IGENITY^® — BVD-PI Testing

IGENITY can now identify BVD-PI cattle, in addition to a comprehensive DNA analysis.

Financial Impact of BVD Virus

The BVD virus has a significant impact on all segments of the industry through reproductive losses; gain-limiting diseases such as diarrhea; respiratory illness; mucosal ulcers; and death. One study showed that a single cow persistently infected with BVD can cost producers $65 per cow per lactation.¹ The potential cost of BVD is alarming. PI animals will infect others they come into contact with; therefore, losses will most likely be multiplied by the number of cows in a herd or cattle in a pen.

Persistently Infected Cattle

PI cattle become infected before they are born and shed huge amounts of BVD virus throughout their lives.² Shedding occurs in many body secretions, including urine, saliva, respiratory secretions and manure. Any animals that come in contact with those secretions are exposed to the live virus. An infected newborn calf that may appear normal can be infected with the virus for its entire life. More importantly, it can spread the virus to all the other cattle it contacts.

BVD-PI Testing

BVD-PI status needs to be determined on every animal present in a herd. Just one animal can spread the virus to the entire population.

Testing for BVD-PI cattle makes sense. Using IGENITY, producers can collect a single tissue sample from each animal and gain information beyond BVD status to help make important selection, management, and marketing decisions.