Live virus vaccines against bovine and porcine diseases were examined for the presence of adventitious pestivirus RNA or pestiviruses by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Pestivirus RNA was detected in the live virus vaccines against Akabane disease, Ibaraki disease, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, porcine parvovirus infection, transmissible gastroenteritis and Japanese encephalitis. Pestivirus RNA or pestivirus in the fetal bovine serum used to grow the host cells used to prepare the bovine and swine viral vaccines is a likely source of the contamination. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the PCR products suggests that modified live virus vaccines being used for immunization of cattle against bovine viral diarrhoea was not responsible for the contamination of the vaccines examined.