Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Alpaca health · Infectious diseases

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) in Alpacas

Updated 2026-10-02By the Dreamcatcher Alpacas editorial team6 peer-reviewed references
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Book a vet visit soon

Not usually an emergency, but it needs a diagnosis and a plan.

A cattle virus that also circulates in alpacas. Persistently infected (PI) crias shed huge amounts of virus all their lives and silently infect the herd.

Category
Infectious diseases
Urgency
Book a vet visit soon
Also called
BVD, Pestivirus

Signs & symptoms

  • Abortions and stillbirths
  • Weak, poor-doing crias that fail to thrive
  • Chronic diarrhea, respiratory infections, ill-thrift
  • Many infected adults show no signs

Related symptom guides: Alpaca Diarrhea (Loose Stool), Cria Not Gaining Weight.

What causes it?

BVDV (mainly type 1b in North American camelids). A female infected in early pregnancy can give birth to a PI cria that never clears the virus.

Risk factors

  • Contact with cattle or with camelids from untested herds
  • Shows, breeding outside the farm, mixing herds
  • Shared trailers and equipment

How vets diagnose it

PCR or virus testing of blood or ear-notch samples; crias should be tested and any positive animal retested a few weeks later to identify PI animals.

Treatment

No specific treatment. PI animals must be removed from the herd; acutely infected animals get supportive care.

Prevention

  • Test all new arrivals and all crias born on the farm
  • Test before breeding outside your farm
  • Avoid fence-line contact with cattle

Background

Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD), bovine viral diarrhoea (UK English) or mucosal disease, previously referred to as bovine virus diarrhea (BVD), is an economically significant disease of cattle that is found in the majority of countries throughout the world. Worldwide reviews of the economically assessed production losses and intervention programs (e.g. eradication programs, vaccination strategies and biosecurity measures) incurred by BVD infection have been published. The causative agent, bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), is a member of the genus Orthopestivirus of the family Pestiviridae.From Wikipedia — “Bovine viral diarrhea”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Research & references

PubMed lists 49 peer-reviewed papers on this topic in camelids. The most relevant include:

  1. Analysis of the genome sequence of an alpaca coronavirus. Jin L, Cebra CK, Baker RJ et al. Virology, 2007. PubMed 17459444 · DOI · Free full textOpen access · cited 57×
  2. Update on llama medicine. Viral diseases. Mattson DE The Veterinary clinics of North America. Food animal practice, 1994. PubMed 7953966 · cited 24×
  3. Infectious diseases of New-World camelids (NWC). Thedford TR, Johnson LW The Veterinary clinics of North America. Food animal practice, 1989. PubMed 2647231 · DOI · cited 25×
  4. A Critical Review of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus: Spotlights on Host Plasticity and Potential Spillover Events. Rana EA, Prodhan MA, Aleri JW et al. Viruses, 2025. PubMed 41012649 · DOI · Free full textOpen access · cited 8×
  5. Molecular Epidemiology and Control Strategies for BVDV: A Global Systematic Review From 2000 to 2025. Rana EA, Gogoi-Tiwari J, Aleri J et al. Veterinary medicine international, 2025. PubMed 41268023 · DOI · Free full textOpen access · cited 11×
  6. Antigenic variability in bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) isolates from alpaca (Vicugna pacos), llama (Lama glama) and bovines in Chile. Aguirre IM, Quezada MP, Celedón MO Veterinary microbiology, 2014. PubMed 24388627 · DOI · cited 7×

Frequently asked questions

What is bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) in alpacas?
A cattle virus that also circulates in alpacas. Persistently infected (PI) crias shed huge amounts of virus all their lives and silently infect the herd.
What are the signs of bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV)?
Abortions and stillbirths, weak, poor-doing crias that fail to thrive, chronic diarrhea, respiratory infections, ill-thrift and many infected adults show no signs.
How do you prevent bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV)?
Test all new arrivals and all crias born on the farm. Test before breeding outside your farm. Avoid fence-line contact with cattle.
Is bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) an emergency?
Book a vet visit soon. Not usually an emergency, but it needs a diagnosis and a plan.

This page is educational and does not replace advice from a veterinarian who has examined your animals. Camelid medicine uses many drugs “extra-label”, so dosing must come from your vet. In an emergency, call your vet first. Read our disclaimer · How we write and review content.