Sorting Through BVDV Vaccine Issues

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is a popular topic today, particularly BVDV vaccines. Several questions about BVDV vaccines have arisen, according to Brett Terhaar, DVM, a technical services veterinarian for AgriLabs.

One point of discussion is whether BVDV vaccine strains should be rotated, says Terhaar, who, in addition to his technical services responsibilities, also is involved in research and development for AgriLabs.

The second is the idea that a good BVDV vaccine program should include both cytopathic (CP) and noncytopathic (NCP) BVDV strains in the vaccine, he says.

What About Rotating Vaccines?

The reasoning behind the recommendation to rotate BVDV vaccines between different vaccine strains is to give your herd exposure to an antigenic spectrum of BVD virus, Terhaar says. This would be a genotype issue, he explains.

"When the genetic diversity of BVD is being discussed, it is often likened to a swarm of bees, he says. BVD viruses, like bees, are diverse, and are not all exactly alike genetically. Terhaar says that most esearchers have categorized BVD virus strains found in cattle into the following four groups: 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b. These are referred to as genotypes, he explains.

The reality is that the BVDV vaccines we are using are not identical to the field strain (wild type) of BVD viruses that our livestock will come in contact with, he says. Genotypes and Vaccines Terhaar provides the following broad, general statements about swarms, genotypes, and BVDV vaccines:

1) If you vaccinate with a vaccine containing a single genotype of BVD virus (a type 1 virus, for example), you can expect at least some protection from other genotypes (such as type 2). This also is known as cross-protection.

2) The protection will be enhanced or more reliable if the vaccine strain used is in the same broad genotype group (type 1 or 2)as the wild type BVD virus to which the animal is exposed. This means better protection is provided in a calf vaccinated with a type 1 when it comes into contact with a wild type 1 virus than when it comes into contact with a wild type 2 virus.

3) When fetal infection and protection from persistent infection is considered, statement number 2, above, becomes even more critical.

4) No vaccine will protect all fetuses from infection from all strains of BVD viruses.

5) Having a type 1 and a type 2 BVD virus in a vaccine program is essential to broad protection.

6) If you use a BVDV vaccine that contains both a type 1 and a type 2 strain to provide antigenic diversity and get the broadest antigenic spread in a vaccine program, there is no scientifically justified reason to rotate vaccines. This is AgriLabs position and has been since the launch of its Titanium BVDV vaccine, Terhaar says. Titanium vaccine contains both type 1 and type 2 BVDV antigens.

Cytopathic vs.Non-Cytopathic BVDV Vaccine?

Another topic circulating in the field relates to the idea that to have a complete BVD vaccine program you must have non-cytopathic (NCP) and cytopathic (CP) virus strains present in the BVDV vaccine. NCP and CP are distinctions made at the laboratory level relating to whether the virus in the vaccine is cell-killing (CP) or non-cell killing (NCP), referring to lab tissue cultures and doesnt necessarily pertain to its disease-causing ability in the animal, Terhaar explains.

Most U.S. animal vaccine companies do not use NCP viruses in vaccine production, according to Terhaar. The primary reason the industry does not use NCP viruses in vaccine production is safety, whether it be in production at the plant, shedding by vaccinates, or causing persistently infected BVD calves by the accidental exposure of an NCP vaccine strain to a pregnant animal, he says.