Assessment of occurrence and diagnostic methods of viral diseases in cattle – viral diarrhoea (BVD), infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), rabies, enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL), and spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) – was carried out for the first time in Lithuania. It was established that viruses of rabies, infectious rhinotraheitis and viral diarrhoea are most widespread in the country. It was determined that occurrence of rabies in cattle is parallel with the infection of wildlife with rabies virus. Analysis of eradication programme of enzootic bovine leucosis was done. It revealed that only combined application of diagnostic and preventive measures allowed reducing the cattle infection up to 0.2%. Though bovine spongiform encephalopathy has not been recorded in Lithuania, it is feasible to implement its diagnostic and prevention programme. An overall financial analysis of expenditures on BSE and viral diseases diagnostics and control was for the first time done in Lithuania. It showed that BSE and EBL occupied the leading positions in the structure of expenditures on viral diseases. In 2001, expenditures on BSE investigations accounted for 76.68% and in 2004 for 86.74% of the total. Expenditures on EBL investigations relatively reduced from 86.98% in 2000 to 8.47% in 2004. During the time under consideration, expenditures on investigations of other viral diseases changed but little. It was determined that consistent and wide-scale preventive vaccination created... [to full text]