Hammad Ur Rehman and Prof Dr Aamir Ghafoor
Institute of Microbiology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore Pakistan Livestock industry plays a significant role in the subsistence of millions of rural and urban families.
Due to increasing population, demand for livestock industry for milk and dairy products is also continuously increasing.
Outbreaks in animals are continuous threat to livestock industry in terms of economic impact of the disease.
War on contagious diseases was over in the last century but humans are still facing challenges of pandemic, emerging and re-emerging of diseases, many of which are due to animals.
Our country is facing huge economic losses due to reproductive and respiratory issues in dairy animals.
Bovine rhinotracheitis is one of the most important disease responsible for these losses which is caused by bovine herpes virus (BoHV-1).
The virus is responsible for many clinical signs but severity of disease depends upon the virulence of this virus.
The development of latency is a characteristic feature of this virus due to which it is difficult to recognize carrier animals. These undetected carrier animals are continuous threat for other neighboring animals.
Although mortality level is low but due to secondary infection of other bacterial agents, the situation may worsen.
Despite of low mortality, this disease endangers the economic situation of the country due to decreased milk production and may affect the international trade of livestock.
Recently, our study has been published in Pakistan veterinary journal which showed that this virus has been circulating in dairy industry of Pakistan.
The research was conducted under supervision of Prof. Dr. Aamir Ghafoor, Prof Dr Masood Rabbani, Dr. Amjad Riaz, Dr. Farhat Nazir Awan and Dr. Sohail Raza.
The livestock sector of Pakistan should have to initiate different control strategies to control this disease and reduce the economic losses caused by this disease.
