Authors:
John and Susan Merrell
Gateway Farm Alpacas, Scio, Oregon, United States

Date of Publication:
unknown

Publication:
Gateway Farm Alpacas

Excerpt:
In 2005 a serious ailment was identified in alpacas for the first time.  Bovine Viral Diarrhea Viruses (BVDV) is able to compromise the immune system of an unborn fetus, resulting in an animal that is “persistantly infected” shedding huge amounts of virus and endangering entire herds.  This illness has led to significant changes across the alpaca industry, including changes in show rules and an increased awareness of infection control on individual farms.

The following is from notes taken during a presentation by Dr Tara Timpson DVM at the SOJAA meeting February 18th 2006.

Read the rest of the article: http://www.gatewayalpacas.com/alpacas/health-and-wellness/bvdv.htm