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Seroprevalence and factors associated with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection in dairy cattle in three milksheds in Ethiopia

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Abstract

This work was conducted to estimate the seroprevalence, to identify potential factors that influence seroprevalence of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), and to investigate the association between BVDV serostatus and occurrence of reproductive disorders in dairy cattle in three milksheds in Ethiopia. A total of 1379 serum samples were obtained from cattle randomly selected from 149 herds from three milksheds representing central, southern, and western Ethiopia. Sera samples were examined for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) antibodies using commercial competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Logistic regression analysis was employed to investigate associations between risk factors and the risk of BVDV seroprevalence, and BVDV serostatus and reproductive disorders. Seroreaction to BVDV antigens was detected in 32.6% of the 1379 cattle and 69.8% of the 149 herds sampled. Factors associated with BVDV seroplevalence were age, breed, and herd size (P < 0.05). Adult cattle ≥ 18 months old had 2.1 (95% CI 1.5, 3.1) times the odds of BVDV seroreaction than younger cattle. Holstein-Friesian (HF) local crosses (OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.3, 3.4) and HFs (OR = 1.3, 95% CI 0.9, 1.9) were more likely to be seropositive than Jersey and the odds of seropositivity in cattle in large herds with 11 or more animals were higher (OR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.3, 2.5) than the odds of BVDV seropositivity in smaller herds. Seroprevalence was not associated with geographical region (P > 0.05). Risk of reproductive disorders was not affected by BVDV serostatus, except for repeat breeding (P > 0.05). The present study demonstrated that BVDV has wide distribution in the country being detected in all the 15 conurbations and 69.8% of herds involved in the study.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, for sponsoring the study and National Veterinary Institute (NVI), Ethiopia, for allowing its laboratory facility. All government and privately owned farms included in the current study are highly appreciated. Mr. Emmor Nile is appreciated for his intellectual input in the development of BVDV seroprevalence distribution map of Ethiopia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Veterinary Medicine, Hawassa University, P.O. Box 05, Hawassa, Ethiopia

    Kassaye Aragaw & Kassahun Asmare

  2. College of Veterinary Medicine, Haramaya University, P.O. Box 138, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

    Berhanu Sibhat

  3. National Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 19, Bishoftu, Ethiopia

    Gelagay Ayelet

  4. Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 8146 dep., 0033, Oslo, Norway

    Eystein Skjerve

  5. College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, Ambo University, P.O. Box 19, Ambo, Ethiopia

    Endrias Z. Gebremedhin

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  1. Kassaye Aragaw
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  2. Berhanu Sibhat
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  5. Endrias Z. Gebremedhin
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  6. Kassahun Asmare
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Correspondence to Kassaye Aragaw.

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Aragaw, K., Sibhat, B., Ayelet, G. et al. Seroprevalence and factors associated with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection in dairy cattle in three milksheds in Ethiopia. Trop Anim Health Prod 50, 1821–1827 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-018-1624-5

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