Practical BLV eradication measures for commercial dairy farms

Abstract

The presentation is intended to provide the dairy veterinarian with a process by which Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV) can be eradicated from a dairy herd. The article will cover both bios­ecurity measures to limit horizontal transfer of BLV within a herd as well as testing procedures to identify BLV positive ani­mals and sort by their likelihood of infecting others in the herd. There will also be a discussion as to why BLV-free status may become more desirable in our modern society, and how the large animal veterinarian is well positioned to lead eradication efforts.