Prevalence of bovine herpesvirus 1 antibodies and risk factors in dairy cattle of Iran’s central desert

Bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV 1) is a major bovine pathogen spreading worldwide and causing extensive damage to the livestock industry. BoHV causes respiratory, genital, and neurological disorders. A cross-sectional study was performed for the first time to estimate the seroreactivity to BoHV 1 and related risk factors among Iran’s central desert dairy cattle. A total of 800 blood samples was randomly collected from 76 unvaccinated herds. Samples were tested with an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) commercial kit to detect BoHV 1 antibodies. The logistic regression model was used to analyze the data. BoHV 1 seroreactivity at animal and herd levels was 50% and 65%, respectively. Herd size was recognized as a risk factor (OR = 2.65, CI = 1.61–4.37) for seroreactivity to BoHV using GLM ( p < 0.05). The high prevalence of BoHV 1 antibodies in the study area indicates the need to implement educational programs on the importance of the disease and design methods to control and prevent virus distribution.