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Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis is an acute virus disease that principally affects the upper respiratory tract and can lead to fatal pneumonia.

In adult cows infection is associated with a severe and prolonged drop in milk yield, reduced fertility and abortions. The virus is usually shed in secretions from the respiratory tract but can also be spread in the semen of infected bulls.

Once an animal has become infected it remains so, despite the development of an effective immune response and thereafter these animals can shed virus at any time in their lives when stressed. Movement of such animals into a herd is often the source of new infections.

Vaccination is an effective means of control, but this does not stop infected animals from shedding the virus at a later date. The diagnostic test used on blood samples is an antibody ELISA which detects the animal's response to previous infection.

This test cannot differentiate between antibodies stimulated by the 'wild' IBR virus from those stimulated by the live vaccines licensed for use in the UK. For this reason vaccination using the vaccines currently available is not an option when seeking to eradicate the disease from a herd.

IBR marker vaccines can be used in infected herds as an aid to an eradication programme e.g. where the long term objective is to achieve freedom after all infected cows have left the herd in the course of their productive life rather than through immediate culling.

There are 3 marker vaccines currently available in GB: Rispoval IBR-Marker Inactivated (Pfizer), Rispoval IBR-Marker Live (Pfizer) and Bovilis IBR Marker (Intervet). Rispoval IBR-Marker Live and Bovilis IBR Marker are live virus vaccines whereas Rispoval IBR-Marker Inactivated is a killed (inactivated) virus vaccine. Rispoval IBR-Marker Inactivated and Rispoval IBR-Marker Live require a primary course of two vaccinations and 6-monthly booster vaccinations. For animals >3 months of age a single dose of Bovilis IBR Marker Live vaccine is required followed by 6-monthly booster vaccinations. Glycoprotein E (gE) is the protein deleted from the marker vaccine virus but present in the virus of natural infection and conventional vaccines. Therefore, by examining blood for the presence of antibody to gE the positive animals are only those that have been exposed to natural infection or conventional vaccines.

No test can differentiate between conventionally vaccinated and naturally infected cattle. Be aware that multivalent pneumonia vaccines may include a conventional IBR virus component; it is very important to avoid inadvertently administering a conventional IBR virus vaccine in this way.  

Despite the effect this disease has on animal health and productivity its main significance is as a barrier to the export of live cattle to other regions or countries within Europe which have already eradicated the disease.

In future, in order to gain access to these markets, herds will have to be able to prove freedom from IBR.