Description of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis outbreaks in West Virginia beef herds

Abstract

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) is the most important ocular disease of cattle. Prevention and control of the disease can prove challenging, and the list of potential etiologic agents has expanded in recent years. Little has been recently published characterizing IBK outbreaks at the herd level. This case series investigation was conducted to describe the disease characteristics and management practices in herds affected by IBK outbreaks in 1 practice area in West Virginia in 2019. Seven producers were interviewed: 6 cowcalf producers and 1 stocker producer. Producers were asked questions pertaining to disease severity and management, such as herd health protocols and husbandry. In addition, organisms from each of the herds were identified by culture and/or PCR. Results revealed a range of disease incidence as well as similarities and differences in management practices among herds. The interpretability of results is limited due to small sample size and data collection method; however, results suggest that some herds in the area where producerswere interviewed experienced severe IBK outbreaks, and that some management practices relevant to IBK were similar between herds. Results also suggest that further study to identify poorly characterized IBK risk factors is warranted.