Re: [Alpacasite] Anyone giving BVD vaccine?

Hi Steve,

I'ld like to go a step further on the BVD with you. I disagree with "PI cows can live & reproduce for many years." From my research, only a small percentage of PI calves attain this, a greater percentage dies before one year. Unfortunately, PI calves are a permanent carrier of the virus and shed the virus thru tears, saliva, urine & feces. To be PI, cattle were infected (approximately) between 40 to 120 days of gestation. Cows infected later in gestation are not PI, but may be born with other defects. Thousands of viruses are shed from a PI animal and easily. It might have been Dr. Carr that wrote about taking extra care & biosecurity measures on our farms and reminded us the importance of hand washing and cleaning your boots between pastures & farms.

I don't have the new Dr. Evans' book. If you have time, could you summarize what he has updated about BVD for me?

Neil wondered about vaccines. ARF is studying this and it looks like we should remain on the conservative side at this time. There are killed virus and modified life virus formulas for cattle, but we don't have enough information regarding alpacas. Personally, I hope to not add another vaccine to our alpacas. Plus, the modified life vaccine can only be used in healthy, nonpregnant cattle. I believe with proper testing and definitely testing cria that die, biosecurity, etc., we can keep a handle on this disease. From the information that I've read, it can't be stressed enough to test cria that died. It's been noted that alpacas can be easy aborters & we've all heard about a "poor doer" cria. Until we test, we can't be 100% sure that BVD wasn't involved. I wonder, shouldn't we include aborted fetuses for testing too?

I plan to start testing with my 2006 cria. There are a handful of tests available to us to determine the antibodies, viral RNA/viral antigens. The Alpacas Magazine explained them clearly; virus isolation, PCR, ELISA, IHC. The tests appear to be reliable, BVD is a virus, will replicate nicely in the ole' culture dish and if we're concerned about a false positive, just repeat the test. A small percentage of animals acutely infected, but not PI, may give false positive results for a period post acute infection. I honestly feel that we should test next year and also test the gals coming here for breeding. I'm not in a panic over this, I haven't had any animals that show clinical signs, no poor doers, no lower birth weights, etc. To me, testing is security. And I wouldn't be surprised if testing becomes a requirement on our show/health certificates in the future.

Well guys, hope I haven't bored you to tears. Good luck with your cria Steve :)
Enjoy the weekend,
Chris

Chris Mills
Outback Alpacas
507 Peck Rd.
Spencerport, NY 14559
585.392.3639
kusisqa@rochester.rr.com

----- Original Message -----
From: sprucealpacas@aol.com
To: Alpacasite@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, December 10, 2005 6:39 AM
Subject: Re: [Alpacasite] Anyone giving BVD vaccine?

Neil
Unless you have tested your herd, I don't think you can make the statement
"No BVD here." It is a fallacy that all PI crias are sick. A PI cria born on
our farm in September is almost 3 months old now (no longer on my farm but
at a horse farm where it can be studied) and she is the "picture of health".
Never had diarrhea or a temperature, never lethargic; races around the field
like a race horse. It is only because another cria was sick that we tested
the herd for BVD and identified this girl as PI. PI cows can live and
reproduce for many years.

You refer to shows as your exposure risk. There are many ways to be
exposed. Probably the best is outside breedings, especially when a cria is at side.

As far as vaccines, Dr Evans has been vaccinating herds for years. See page
120 of his new book. He first identified BVD in 1988

Steve McCarthy
Spruce Ridge Farm
Old Chatham, NY
www.spruceridgefarm.com

In a message dated 12/9/2005 10:14:24 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
mpcpneilp@aol.com writes:

Since we are on the topic of vaccines, here's a question for the list.

I've been asked off-list twice in the last week if I am giving BVD
vaccine. I'm not, at least not yet.

Fortunately, since I'm still in the process of building facilities at
our new farm I haven't been to a show since MAPACA. No BVD here! I
don't have to worry about BVD again until March, when I hope to have
the new farm finished, be moved in, and have the time to show again.

So, the question is, who out there is using BVD vaccine. What is your
experience? Does the vaccine provide any protection in alpacas? Any
adverse reactions to the vaccine?

Neil
A Paca Fun Farm
Mt. Airy, Maryland
Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland
www.apacafunfarm.com

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