SEROPREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS OF BOVINE RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS IN DAIRY AND BEEF CATTLE HERDS IN REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA

Abstract

Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) is one of the important causative agents of Bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) in cattle all over the world. The present study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of BRSV in dairy and beef cattle farms in Bulgaria. A total of 418 serum samples from 19 farms were tested using a commercial ELISA antibody test kit. The average rate of seroprevalence was 78.9 % indicating a high level of exposure to the virus. In dairy and beef farms the seropositivity of BRSV was found to be 81.8%, and 72.7%, respectively. Evaluation of some risk factors reveals that the BRSV antibody prevalence was related to age, herd size, import of animals and season. This study demonstrates that infection is one of the common reasons of respiratory diseases in cattle which may have a significant influence on health and performance.

Keywords

• Bovine respiratory syncytial virus
• seroprevalence
• dairy cattle
• beef cattle