BVD Guidance

Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) is one of the most economically damaging cattle diseases in Scotland, causing abortion, infertility, poor performance, and death. To tackle this, the Scottish Government has been supporting an ambitious, industry-led scheme to eradicate BVD, in collaboration with the livestock industry, veterinary profession, scientists, and government partners.

You can check the BVD status of animals and holdings on the ScotEID website. Registered users have access to detailed results for their own herds, while general users can view basic status information.
Lookup BVD status for a holding/animal (help page)

Since its launch in 2010, the scheme has helped reduce BVD prevalence and protect cattle health across Scotland. To build on this progress, Phase 6 of the eradication scheme begins on 1 July 2025, introducing key changes for all herd types.

What’s Changing from 1 July 2025

  • Persistently Infected (PI) animals on non-breeding holdings
    • Must be separately housed from the first positive test.
    • If still present after 40 days, the CPH will be listed on the PI locator on ScotEID
  • ON movement restrictions
    • A 40 day period is allowed after the upload of a BVD Positive antigen/virus result, before ON movement restrictions are imposed. This period allows time for retesting of the PI by the vet, and/or removal of the animal.
    • It is advised that the retest is carried out at least 3 weeks after the first sample was taken. Note: PI animals must continue to be housed separately from the first test.
  • BVD sample tags
    • BVD sampling from birth can now be carried out using management tags
    • It is recommended to use official tags wherever possible.

From 1 February 2026

  • Non-compliant Compulsory BVD Investigation (CBI) herds
    • Herds that do not complete their CBI within 13 months will be publicly listed on ScotEID
    • Movement restrictions will be applied to all “ON” movements.
  • Protecting your herd from the BVD risk of calves from Trojan* cows
    • If a cow that may be in-calf moves into a herd, her calf must be BVD antigen/virus tested within 40 days (and the result uploaded to ScotEID).
    *A trojan cow is a pregnant animal that is not itself persistently infected (PI) with BVD virus, but which is carrying a PI calf.

Key Points to remember from earlier BVD eradication phases

  • Herds continuously BVD Not Negative for more than 15 months must complete a Compulsory BVD Investigation.
  • Retesting of PI animals must be carried out by a vet.
  • Animals deemed “risky” must have a BVD Negative status before moving out of a breeding herd.
  • Assumed negative status for dams of calves which have tested negative.
  • Restrictions on 'not negative' herds.
  • Testing requirement for animals entering herds from untested herds.
  • A ban on knowingly selling/moving cattle infected with BVD virus (positive animal), unless direct to slaughter.
  • Restrictions on untested herds/animals.

Non-breeding herd declaration Official guidance on the BVD eradication programme:

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) also has a page on BVD which contains some useful information