Viruses and Impact Animal Production

Viruses are having a major impact on animal production all around the world. Viruses can affect just about any tissue in the body, including the intestines, lungs, liver, kidneys, uterus, ovaries, the spinal cord, the brain and even the skin.

When viruses infect animals, it can affect growth, performance, reproduction and even lead to death. Controlling harmful viruses, like influenza, infectious bronchitis virus, BRSV and others is key to producing healthy, high-performing animals. First, we need to understand what viruses are and how they work to affect animals.

A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism and lacks the ability to survive or reproduce for a long period of time outside of a host. Viruses are present in plants, animals, insects and the environment all around the world and can cause problems in the normal function and structure of animals and their bodies.

The control of viruses, using vaccines, enhanced biosecurity and antiviral medications, among other strategies, as well as adequate zinc nutrition has helped extend animal life expectancies, improve productivity, performance and reproduction.

How Do Animal Viruses Work?

Viruses are made of either a single or double strand of nucleic acids and are classified as either RNA or DNA with protections in the form of either a capsule or an envelope. Viruses can enter the body through ingestion, inhalation of air, across the skin, or through the reproductive tract at the time of breeding.

Once an animal becomes infected with a virus, the virus can inject its genetic material into the healthy cells of an animal. It is then able to make the cells work to replicate the virus into many viruses, which can then be shed and further spread to other animals or, in some rare cases, to the humans caring for them.

While viruses have been recognized for many years as an etiological agent of disease, there are some viruses that do not cause diseases right away. They will live dormant in the cells of an animal until a stress event occurs. This could be transportation stress, heat stress, cold stress or stress from high stocking densities. Stress could cause a virus to come back out of dormancy and start to produce clinical disease.

While viruses can sometimes lead to death, most viral infections don’t directly lead to the demise of an animal. Instead, they initiate a depression in the immune system, which then allows bacterial pathogens to come into the animal and lead to death from a bacterial infection. This is very common in feedlot cattle.

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