Welsh Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Eradication Scheme
In Wales, a voluntary scheme known as Gwaredu BVD was introduced in September 2017, aimed at helping cattle keepers identify and manage BVD in their herds. It included free screening and advice, and supported a decrease in the percentage of herds testing positive for BVD from 27% in 2018 to 23% in 2022. A mandatory scheme was introduced on 1 July 2024 to further accelerate BVD eradication efforts. From 1 July 2024, cattle keepers in Wales are obliged to carry out antibody screening for BVD annually through an approved laboratory.
From 1 July 2024, BVD Persistently Infected (PI) animals must also stay on the farm for life and can only move direct to slaughter. They must be housed indoors, must be isolated from the rest of the herd with separate feed and bedding status, and must not give rise to any appreciable risk of spreading BVD.
From 1 July 2026, movement restrictions will also apply to all Welsh cattle herds that have a herd BVD status of Not Negative following the annual screening, have animals with an unknown status, or have a PI. At this point, to permit the movement of an animal anywhere other than slaughter, it must have tested negative no more than 60 days before the movement. Removal of all PIs or animals with an unknown status to slaughter will lift this 60 day testing restriction. Read more about the scheme in Wales here, including managing PIs, and all about testing here...
Scottish BVD Eradication Scheme
The eradication scheme in Scotland has been operating since 2010 and has progressed through six defined phases.
Phase 1 encouraged farmers to screen their herds voluntarily for BVD. Government-funded testing offered to identify the disease’s prevalence and raise awareness. Phase 2 started in September 2012, and involved a switch to mandatory annual testing. All breeding herds were required to conduct an annual BVD test (blood or tissue). Results were uploaded to the Scottish Government’s database (ScotEID).
Phase 3 started in June 2013, and applied movement restrictions to animals which were Persistently Infected (PI). PIs had to be isolated and could not be sold except for slaughter. Phase 4 started January 2016 and aimed to increase pressure on herds with no clear BVD status or with PI animals. Further movement restrictions were imposed on ‘Not Negative’ herds. These herds faced limits on moving cattle off-farm and had to meet additional testing criteria.
Phase 5 started in July 2021. It involved enhanced controls in a drive toward final eradication, and included: mandatory investigation for herds which are ‘Not Negative’ for over a year; enhanced animal movement restrictions on ‘Positive’ herds; standardisation of tissue tag sampling through official ID tags; laboratory reporting to the national database within five working days; backtracking of PI animals to the herd of origin; movement restrictions while the herd’s annual check test results are being updated in the national database; and public disclosure of PI herd locations.
Phase 6 commenced on 1 July 2025, with increased obligations for non-breeding herds, modified restrictions for those holdings with PIs and relaxation on the use of management tags as sampling tags.
Specifically, as part of Phase 6, non-breeding herds, who currently only have an obligation to test any calves born within 40 days of birth, will have the same requirements as breeding herds when it comes to virus positive animals. This will require virus positive animals to be housed separately. If the animal is retained on the holding after 40 days the holding will be listed on ScotEID. For herds that have virus positive animals, restrictions to movements onto the holding will now only come into force after 40 days. This will allow for retesting and/or removal of the animal. It is advised that the retest is carried out at least 3 weeks after the first sample.
From 1 February 2026 further restrictions for non-compliant Compulsory BVD Investigation herds will come into force. For herds that have entered a CBI, if this is not completed within 13 months, their holding will be listed on ScotEID, and restrictions will be applied to all ON movements. Read more about the Phase 6 changes here…
A monthly EPIC (Centre of Expertise on Animal Disease Outbreaks) report on BVD eradication progress in Scotland is also available.
Northern Ireland BVD Eradication Programme
Northern Ireland’s programme has followed a structured, phased approach, coordinated by Animal Health and Welfare Northern Ireland (AHWNI) in partnership with DAERA.
Before 2016, a voluntary BVD testing scheme was implemented by AHWNI to encourage awareness and early action. Herds could opt in to tissue tag testing calves.
Compulsory Testing was introduced on 1 March 2016, making it mandatory to test all newborn calves, stillbirths, and abortions for BVD. Tissue tag testing became the standard method.
Movement restrictions for PIs came into effect in 2016, where movement of PIs off-farm was only allowed under controlled circumstances (e.g. to slaughter). Farmers were urged to cull PI animals promptly to prevent onward transmission.
In 2018, enforcement measures were introduced by DAERA to enhance the prevention of PI movements between herds as well as a voluntary industry initiative to prohibit PI cattle from entering the food chain. In 2019 BVD status requirements were introduced into the Farm Quality Assurance Scheme, whereby the retention of a BVD Positive animal was considered a non-conformance.
In 2025, phased herd movement restrictions came into effect, including movement restrictions for herds with positive or inconclusive cases, and herds with a significant number of animals with an unknown BVD status. In 2026, new ‘trojan’ animal restrictions will prevent breeding-age females moving off a farm for 41 weeks after any new BVD cases (with earlier de-restriction possible depending on test results); this is to reduce the risk of pregnant animals carrying in-utero infected calves moving infection between herds. Read more about BVD eradication in Northern Ireland here…
BVD control in England
Pre-2017, various voluntary industry-led schemes were in operation, including BVDFree England launched in 2016, which aimed to eradicate BVD via voluntary testing, database recording, and herd certification. It was a free-to-join, industry-led scheme with support from farming unions, vets, and processors, in which farmers agreed to tag and test all calves, use lab-confirmed results, and submit data to a central database.
From 2018-2021, government grants were available to support vet-led BVD testing and advisory visits; this included support via the Stamp It Out programme. However, testing and removal of PI animals remained voluntary.
The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway was launched by Defra in 2023. It aims to enhance livestock health and welfare by providing structured support and funding to farmers. Key components of Defra’s BVD control plans within the Pathway include funding for an annual veterinary visit during which the vet conducts diagnostic testing for endemic diseases including BVD. If BVD is detected during the initial review, farmers can access additional funding for a follow-up visit.
The Pathway aligns with existing industry-led schemes, such as BVDFree England and CHeCS-accredited health plans. Defra plans to expand the Pathway’s scope, including consultations on introducing mandatory veterinary visits as part of the review process. Such measures aim to strengthen disease surveillance and ensure comprehensive coverage across livestock sectors. Read more about BVD and the Pathway here…
National BVD eradication programme in Ireland
Since 2012, Ireland’s BVD control programme has evolved from a voluntary initiative to a comprehensive, statutory eradication strategy. Mandatory tissue tag testing for all newborn calves began in 2013, underpinned by financial supports for the removal of PI animals and gradual introduction of herd movement restrictions.
Over time, these measures have led to a significant reduction in BVD prevalence. In 2013, 0.66% of calves were identified as PI, and 11.3% of breeding herds had at least one positive case. By 2020, these figures had fallen to 0.03% of calves and 0.55% of breeding herds, respectively. Further progress was seen in 2024 with herd-level prevalence dropping to 0.32% of breeding and 0.2% of all herds.
Research and modelling have been central to guiding policy. Early studies quantified the economic impact of BVD and confirmed the cost-effectiveness of eradication. From 2015 onward, a model was developed to evaluate control strategies; this identified the importance of rapid PI removal and prompted the introduction of measures to address this issue. More recent work has used machine learning to identify at-risk herds and model post-eradication surveillance options like bulk tank milk and abattoir testing. Measures introduced in 2025 include more frequent notifications to nearby farms after positive or inconclusive cases within 400m of the farm boundary, and an increase in the financial incentive to pay for tissue testing tags. Read more about the Irish programme here…