THERAPEUTIC AND PREVENTIVE EFFICACY OF AN EXPERIMENTAL IMMUNOTHERAPEUTIC DRUG “ANTIPESTIVIR” ON CALVES DURING THE NEONATAL PERIOD

Abstract
Bovine viral diarrhea (BVDV) is widespread on farms in the Republic of Belarus. The virus
can cause a persistent form of infection, in which this viral agent causes syndromic pathology, often
in combination with other infectious agents, and the disease develops into a pneumoenteritis
syndrome manifesting in the neonatal period. Belarusian scientists have developed an experimental immunotherapeutic drug “Antipestivir” based on the recombinant E. coli strain whose genome
includes the BVDV virus gene constructs. Incorporating this drug into the standard treatment regimen
for calf pneumoenteritis reduces the severity of clinical signs in the neonatal period and helps to
achieve the more rapid recovery by shortening the clinical stage of the disease by 1.2–3.2 days,
completely preventing the development of infection severe forms. Based on the results of this study,
the veterinary immunotherapeutic drug “Antipestivir” can be considered an effective treatment option
for calves with pneumoenteritis.

Keywords: calves, immunotherapy, “Antipestivir”, bovine viral diarrhea virus, treatment,
prevention, pneumoenteritis