A new calculator has been developed, based on published results from 46 veterinary research studies, which is designed to give Australian cattle producers clear “dollars and cents” answers to the question of whether it is worth vaccinating their herd for Pestivirus.

The calculator will be available for producers to enter their own variables and to return answers specific to their own herd and operations at Beef 2024.

Pestivirus is one of the most prevalent viruses affecting the health and well-being of cattle worldwide.

In Australia research indicates up to 90 percent of herds have a history of exposure to Pestivirus.

Also known as Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV), Pestivirus is highly contagious and can cause severe respiratory and intestinal diseases, spontaneous abortions and low birth rates.

Some infected calves survive to birth and remain infected for life.

Referred to as PI’s (Persistently Infected), these animals shed massive amounts of virus to other cattle.

Previous analysis published by Meat & Livestock Australia has ranked Pestivirus among the most costly diseases in Australia.

To provide a more comprehensive picture of the full costs pestivirus can bring to a herd and industry more broadly, animal health company Zoetis, which produces the Pestigard vaccine in Australia, has developed calculators based on a published meta-analysis of 46 previous veterinary studies on the disease conducted across the world, including Australia.

“The main reason the meta analysis was conducted was to answer the kind of questions that producers are wanting answers to, in terms of the impact of vaccinations,” Toowoomba-based veterinarian Dr Lee Taylor from Zoetis Australia said.

The calculator allows producers to enter variables specific to their own herds and circumstances, to produce an objective “dollars and cents” answer to the question of what the costs of vaccinating their herd against Pestivirus will be, versus the cost of impacts.

Analysis of the 46 research studies where Pestivirus is active in herds both across Australia and other parts of the world demonstrated average findings including a 5 percent increase in pregnancy rates in vaccinated herds, a 40 percent decrease in average abortion rates and an 80pc+ reduction in foetal infection rate.

An example, working on a market price of 350c/kg for animals with an average liveweight of 350kg demonstrated a $77,000 Return on Investment (ROI) for a 1000 head herd.

“Representatives from Zoetis will be at Beef 2024 and happy to go through the calculator with any interested producers,” Dr Taylor said.

Dr Taylor said one objection producers raise to vaccinating is that they will end up with a naive herd.

“If I get in there and actually manage the disease (with vaccinations) it will die out of my herd and then my herd is no longer exposed and I’ll be completely reliant on vaccination.

“But what that doesn’t take into account is that actually is part of the normal biology of the disease, it will come into the herd, you will get a big smash, everything gets exposed.

“It is only the very, very big herds where the disease will continually tick along basically because they’re made up of multiple small herds.

“So your average beef producer with a 500 head herd, for example, they’re very unlikely to have the disease continually in their herd, it will come and go.

“And it tends to come and go with the cattle cycle, either drought or poor prices or changes in prices or breed, anything that triggers a buying event, increases their risk of buying it back into their herd basically.”

Zoetis at Beef 2024

Zoetis will have a team of personnel at Beef 2024, with stands on the Nutrien, Elders and Total Rural commercial trade sites, as well as a dedicated Zoetis Genetics presence (site E32) in the Exhibition Hall genetics precinct.

All will be manned by staff able to discuss the value in including Rhinogard IBR in vaccination programs.

In addition, the Immune Ready program will be outlined by Australian Cattle Veterinarian speakers during seminars being staged as part of Droughtmaster and Braford breed events.