18 Cattle Die in Pärnu County BRSV Outbreak

Eighteen cattle have died in a severe outbreak of bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) on a farm in Pärnu County, Estonia, as reported by Pärnu Postimees. Laboratory tests confirmed the cases, which emerged late last month.

Gerlin Järvela, head of animal health and welfare at the Agriculture and Food Board (PTA), thanked the farmer for promptly reporting the outbreak, allowing the agency to send samples to a lab and rule out foot-and-mouth disease and bluetongue disease.

BRSV has previously been detected in Estonia, but this outbreak was marked by an unusually acute and severe course of illness. The livestock had not been vaccinated against the virus. Symptoms include lethargy, depression, refusal to eat, followed by high fever, watery eyes, and pneumonia.

Järvela noted that BRSV is not considered highly dangerous compared to foot-and-mouth disease, for which the agency would immediately notify the public and implement control measures. However, livestock owners should closely monitor herd health and consult a veterinarian if animals become ill.

BRSV is a pneumovirus closely related to human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and is a common cause of respiratory disease in cattle, especially calves. A total of 18 adult heifers and cows died in the outbreak.