Evaluation of the efficacy of a modified-live combination vaccine against bovine viral diarrhea virus types 1 and 2 challenge exposures in a one-year duration-of-immunity fetal protection study.

This study demonstrated that the modified-live bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) type 1 and 2 fractions of a multivalent vaccine protected pregnant heifers and their fetuses against virulent BVDV types 1 and 2 challenge exposures at 370 days after vaccination. All BVDV vaccinated heifers inoculated with either BVDV type 1 or 2 at approximately 62 to 94 days of gestation delivered fetuses or calves that were negative for BVDV by ear-notch immunohistochemistry and virus isolation and serum neutralization on a prenursing serum sample. In comparison, eight of nine and 10 of 10 fetuses or calves from non-BVDV-vaccinated heifers were considered persistently infected following exposure to BVDV type 1 and type 2, respectively.