The number of herds infected with bovine viral diarrhea has decreased by approximately 8% since this time last year.
In week 15 of 2026, ending 12 April, there were 104 positive herds recorded by Animal Health Ireland (AHI).
This is down from the 113 herds recorded in the same week in 2025.
Of the 1,387,691 calves tested so far in 2026, 99.26% have come back negative.
Meanwhile, 9,896 (0.71%) returned as blank, and only one returned inconclusive.
“The BVD Elimination Program has one focus: achieving freedom from BVD as quickly as possible,” said Dr. Maria Gilbenzo, Director of the BVD Program at AHI.
“Over the course of the programme, we have gone from 11% of breeding herds affected to nearly 100 herds at this point in 2026, and the trend this year is really encouraging.
“Farmers, with the support of AHI, vets, industry and government, have made huge strides in tackling a highly contagious disease that has been costing the national herd more than one hundred million euros every year. This effort is testament to the collective effort, responsibility and perseverance across the sector.”
Preventing the spread
However, maintaining high standards of biosecurity is crucial to ensuring that the disease does not spread.
It’s easy to give up on biosecurity once you get calves Out to the grass This month, there will be a lot of other jobs on your mind during the good weather.
But in reality, relaxing measures during the grazing season could be disastrous and leave your herd exposed.
At this time of year, it is important to maintain boundary management.
Ideally, you should try to avoid grazing cows and calves near the border, especially early in pregnancy.
If you are located within 400 meters of a confirmed case of RA, it is essential to make biosecurity a first priority this grazing season, as your herd will have a one in seven chance of becoming positive next year.
Even if you don’t share borders, you still need to ensure biosecurity is adhered to.
Another aspect of biosecurity that goes wrong after birth is the cleaning and disinfection procedures in place for visitors such as IVF technicians, and shoes must be clean and dipped in disinfectant upon arrival.
It may also be worth considering installing Tire sterilization pool At the entrance to the courtyard.
This may seem like an extravagance, but when you consider how many farmyards the milk truck and contractors have been in this summer, it makes sense to install one.
These precautions aren’t just for the likes of RA either, with tuberculosis and Johne’s disease still a concern on farms.
At this time of year, a lot of farms also share farm equipment, whether it’s slurry tanks, cow boxes, or just calving cranes.
Doing so may seem harmless, but you are once again exposing your biosecurity procedures. If machines do need to be borrowed, they must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before use.
Late calves
It’s been 12 weeks since February 1, but some farms still have a few late calves left.
Any late calves should receive the same treatment as previous calves in terms of biosecurity and health.
They should be marked as soon as possible after birth. However, it is also important to ensure that they are dry to reduce the appearance of ‘blank’ marks.
They must then be isolated from any pregnant cows until a negative test result is confirmed.
Remember, the longer calves infected with BVD (BVD+) remain on the farm, the greater the risk of infection spreading, both within the herd and to neighboring farms.
