Live Marker Vaccine Lowers IBR Rates

UK - Results from a national bulk milk and blood sampling service show that 72% of herds tested positive for exposure to infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR).
calendar icon 28 October 2008
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According to Farmers Weekly Interactive, for dairy herds this can mean to a reduction in milk yield of up to 173 litres a cow or more than £4500 for a 100-cow herd.

The news agency says that an increasing number of cattle are now routinely vaccinated for IBR, and Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health has just announced the replacement of the UK's leading IBR vaccine - Bovilis IBR - with Bovilis IBR Marker Live, Europe's number one IBR vaccine.

The live marker vaccine offers the same level of effective IBR protection as the non-marker vaccine, but delivers some additional benefits, explains vet Rosemary Booth from the company.

Farmers Weekly says that as with the non-marker vaccine, it can be administered intra-nasally (IN) or intra-muscularly (IM). The IN route can be use in animals from only two weeks of age. Stock then need re-vaccinating every six months.

Marker vaccines mean that animals can be traded more freely with Europe, where many countries have IBR eradication programmes. Marker technology makes it possible to identify an animal that has antibodies as a result of vaccination, as opposed to one with antibodies picked up through natural infection or disease exposure at some point, Ms Booth adds. If a UK producer wants to work towards eradicating IBR in a herd, marker technology is a must.

TheCattleSite News Desk

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