BVD-2 outbreak leads to high losses in cattle farms in Western Germany.

In November 2012, a dairy farmer in the district Kleve first observed a reduction in milk yield, respiratory symptoms, nasal discharge, fever, sporadic diarrhoea and sudden deaths in dairy cows and calves. In the following months, further farms were found infected with cattle showing similar clinical signs. An epidemiological investigation was carried out to identify the source of infection, the date of introduction, potential transmission pathways and to analyse the extent of the epidemic.

Schmallenberg virus antibody development and decline in a naturally infected dairy cattle herd in Germany, 2011-2014.

In late 2011, the novel insect-transmitted orthobunyavirus Schmallenberg virus (SBV) emerged in Central Europe. Since that year, a dairy cattle herd kept in the German region in which the virus was initially detected was continuously monitored. In order to evaluate the development of the within-herd seroprevalence, but also to assess the long-term persistence of antibodies against SBV in individual animals, blood samples of all cows older than 24 months were taken yearly after the respective vector season and serologically analyzed.

Bluetongue virus serotype 8 reemergence in Germany, 2007 and 2008.

Reemerging bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) in Germany was detected first in May 2007 in a sentinel cow and in February 2008 in an export heifer. Reemergence was confirmed by retesting the samples, experimental inoculation, fingerprinting analysis, and virus isolation. Overwintering of BTV-8 and continuous low-level infections are assumed.