Animal health organisations launch cross-border BVD awareness campaign

BVD is of particularly high prevalence in counties Monaghan, Armagh, Tyrone and Fermanagh, according to the AHI and the AHWNI who have recently launched a cross-border campaign

The AHI and the AHWNI want to increase awareness of the highly contagious viral disease as it weakens animals’ immune systems, causing reproductive losses and long-term herd health problems that can quickly spread. File photo

The new cross-border Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) campaign was officially launched this week.

Animal Health Ireland (AHI) and Animal Health and Welfare Northern Ireland (AHWNI) have officially launched the new campaign, intending to address the increased BVD prevalence in counties on both sides of the border.

AHWNI have said in Northern Ireland higher levels of the disease have been seen in hotspot areas in counties Armagh, Tyrone and Fermanagh. In the Republic of Ireland, the most affected area at present is Co Monaghan, according to AHI.

The organisations want to increase awareness of the highly contagious viral disease as it weakens animals’ immune systems, causing reproductive losses and long-term herd health problems that can quickly spread. It can also be very costly to farmers.

To increase awareness and encourage farmers to do all they can to protect their herds from infection with the BVD virus, there are three main points that AHI and AHWNI want to communicate to farmers.

The three main points are:

• Keep It Out – select new stock carefully, isolate and discuss with your vet whether you should be vaccinating the herd. 
• Stamp It Out – cull positives quickly, clean and disinfect, and keep protective clothing and equipment hygiene expectations high when visitors are coming onto your farm. 
• Fence It Out – manage your boundaries well to avoid contact with neighbouring cattle — plan to get maintenance work done when the weather permits.

Through efforts made on both sides of the border, herd restrictions are helping to contain the virus by limiting the movement of animals out of breakdown herds. However, both organisations say that further actions need to be implemented to accelerate progress toward eradication.

Posters and information are being distributed to livestock markets, and veterinary practitioners, and farmers are welcome to contact the AHWNI and AHI helpdesks to discuss their BVD situation.

The two organisations will also run farmer information sessions in the areas in early 2026 to help support farmers in limiting the spread of BVD.

Both organisations continue to provide strategic supports to livestock producers and processors by providing the knowledge, education and co-ordination required to establish effective control programmes for non-regulated diseases of livestock.