Cattle Viral RT-PCR Panel: FMD, LSD, BVD, Bluetongue and IBR

A cattle viral RT-PCR panel tests for five viruses in one booking: foot-and-mouth disease, lumpy skin disease, BVD, bluetongue and IBR. It helps because these illnesses can look alike in a sick cow or buffalo. Your vet decides when the panel is needed, takes the sample and reads the result together with the animal's signs.

Why do these five viruses look so alike?

A cow or buffalo with fever, less milk and a poor appetite could be fighting any of several viruses. Sores in the mouth, drooling and lameness can come from more than one disease. Runny eyes, a wet nose and lumps on the skin add to the confusion. Even an experienced vet often cannot name the virus from the signs alone, especially in the first days of an illness.

Guessing wastes time and can send the whole herd in the wrong direction. A lab result gives your vet firmer ground to stand on.

What does the panel look for?

Each virus has its own habits and its own test:

• Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD): blisters in the mouth and on the feet, drooling and lameness. It spreads very easily between animals. See FMD Virus RT-PCR.
• Lumpy skin disease (LSD): fever and firm lumps on the skin. Biting insects can carry the virus. See Lumpy Skin Disease Virus (LSDV) RT-PCR.
• BVD (bovine viral diarrhoea): fever, loose motions and problems in pregnancy. A calf infected before birth can keep shedding the virus without looking ill. See BVD Virus RT-PCR.
• Bluetongue: spread by tiny biting midges. Cattle may show only mild signs, which makes it easy to miss. See Bluetongue Virus RT-PCR.
• IBR (infectious bovine rhinotracheitis): an infection of the breathing passages with cough, nasal discharge and red eyes. See IBR (BoHV-1) RT-PCR.

The Cattle Viral RT-PCR Panel is built around these five viruses. The exact list is confirmed when you book.

What is RT-PCR, and why use a panel?

RT-PCR means real-time PCR. It is a lab method that looks for the genetic material of a germ in a sample and copies even a tiny trace of it many times, so that it can be measured.

A panel covers several viruses in one booking, so the vet does not have to pick a single suspect and test it first. Depending on the signs, more than one type of sample may be needed. The lab advises you when you book.

Who takes the sample, and what is taken?

The right sample depends on the signs. It may be a swab from the nose or mouth, fluid or tissue from a blister, a piece from a skin lump, or blood. Your vet usually takes it, because a vet knows where to sample, handles a sick animal safely and keeps the sample clean.

A sample taken from the wrong place, or too late in the illness, may miss the virus. Ask your vet which sample suits the signs and the stage of the illness.

Whom should you tell about FMD or LSD?

FMD and lumpy skin disease are notifiable diseases. If you suspect either one, owners should tell their veterinarian or the animal husbandry department without waiting for a lab report. Ask your vet how to keep a sick animal apart from the rest of the herd in the meantime. A test result by itself does not stop a disease from spreading.

What does a result mean?

A positive result means the virus was found in that sample. A negative result does not always rule a disease out, because a sample taken late, from the wrong place or in too small an amount can miss the virus.

A registered veterinarian reads the result with the animal's signs, its history and the condition of the herd, and may repeat the test, take a different sample or add other tests. Please call a vet promptly for a sick animal. Never hold back urgent care while you wait for a report.

Read next

If foot-and-mouth disease is your main worry, Foot-and-Mouth Disease: Sample and Notification Guide for Farmers explains the sample and the notification step in more detail. For skin lumps and fever in dairy animals, Lumpy Skin Disease: Testing for Dairy Farmers looks at lumpy skin disease from a farmer's point of view.

Testing in Bhopal

Your vet usually takes the swab, fluid or blood, and sample collection anywhere in Bhopal is free. Call or WhatsApp +91 88175 01118 to talk through the signs. Farms in other districts can send samples by courier, bus parcel or through their vet to the lab at C-200, C Sector, Shahpura, which confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.