National Reference Laboratory for Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD)
Institute of Diagnostic Virology
Bovine Viral Diarrhea/Mucosal Disease (BVD/MD) is one of the most important infectious diseases of cattle worldwide. While acute infections in non-pregnant animals in most cases are clinically inapparent – exceptions are isolated peracute courses of disease with a haemorrhagic syndrome -, infection of seronegative pregnant cows leads to embryo retention, abortion, malformations and the birth of persistently infected calves which are persistent virus excretors and thus responsible for the maintenance of infection chains. A late onset type of BVD is Mucosal Disease which has a fatal outcome and develops when two persistently viremic animals carry BVD viruses of both biotypes (cp and ncp BVDV). Two different genotypes are distinguished (Type I and II), further subtyping is possible.
In Germany, BVD/MD became notifiable on 3 November 2004. With the establishment of the NRL for BVD/MD by decree of the Federal Ministry for Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture (BMVEL) on 15 July 2004, a contact for federal and state veterinary authorities, especially for questions relating to diagnostics, was created.
The mandatory principles of a nationwide control of BVD are defined in the regulation for the protection of cattle from infection with the bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV regulation) of 11 December 2008, Federal Law Gazette 2008, Part I, No. 59, p. 2461. It became effective on Jan. 1, 2011.
Overview of services
- Contact for federal and state authorities for questions relating to BVD/MD diagnostics and control
- Antigen, genome, and antibody detection for verification of unclear results
- Characterization of virus isolates
- Supply of reference material (virus, sera, cell lines)
- Control, standardization, and improvement of test methods
- Organization of qualification measures, e.g. for staff of veterinary diagnostic authorities
- Organization of national ring trials
- Participation in EU ring trials
- Participation in working groups and research projects of the European Union
- Research on BVD
Overview of methods
- Virus or antigen detection by cell culture isolation and ELISA
- Genome detection by RT-PCR
- Antibody detection by neutralization test and ELISA
Other diagnostic and research activities
- Calicivirus infections in leporids (administrative assistance in diagnostics, commercially unavailable diagnostics, pathogen characterization, in vitro culture, vaccine development, pathogenesis)
- Recombinant proteins for diagnostics (PCV2, Avian Influenza)
BVD ring trials
After the NRL had first participated in a national ring trial in 2006, the second national ring trial on BVD diagnostics was carried out in 2011. A total of 53 public, private, university and industrial laboratories participated, among them also laboratories from Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, Sweden, and France.
To details of the BVD ring trials 2011 and 2006
Relevant legislation
- Regulation on notifiable animal diseases
- Regulation for the protection of cattle from infection with the bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV regulation)
- Announcement of the official collection of test methods for bovine viral diarrhea