Table 1.

Model parameters set to represent BVD in Irish suckler herds

Parameter	Setting	Comment
Epidemiological parameters:
Prevalence of antibody positive herds	0.75	Estimated by AHI, range thought likely to be 0.65-0.85*.
Prevalence of herds with one or more PI	0.25	Estimated by AHI, range thought likely to be 0.15-0.35*.
Risk of virus entry to a farm in any one year	0.19	Based on beef finisher model (see text)
Proportion of heifers becoming transiently infected if naive herd infected.	0.75	0.75 in Gunn et al.[11]
Proportion of cows becoming transiently infected if naive herd infected.	0.75	0.75 in Gunn et al.[11]
Financial parameters:
Sale value of normal male calf (€)	450	[12].
Sale value of normal female calf (€)	396	Relative to male weight in Gunn et al.[11]
Costs of immunosuppression effects (€/calf at risk)	3.06	Based on Gunn et al.[11]
Opportunity cost of farm labour (€/hour)	8.28	[12].
Replacement heifer cost (€)	1019	[12].
Value of cull cow (€)	793	[12].
Veterinary charges (€/hour or visit)	63	Estimate supplied by AHI
Other minor assumptions converted from £ to €	1.1322	Currency conversion factor

*Figures were derived primarily from unpublished data provided from a number of sources.