home → articles → Herd Health | Email to a Friend

Respiratory Diseases

published: October 14th 2008
source: Novartis Animal Health

Disease description

The costliest health problem cattle producers face is bovine respiratory disease, or BRD. Disease is often a progression, with multiple causes.

These viruses and bacteria all play a role in the BRD syndrome, and even a mild infection with one pathogen can set the stage for another, weakening the animal’s immune system and making it more susceptible to serious infection:

• Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) causes upper respiratory tract infections. It is sometimes called “red nose” due to the lesions and inflammation of the muzzle and nostrils. IBR can cause serious cases of pneumonia when it is complicated by bacterial infection.
• Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) virus is associated with BRD and several other disease syndromes. Based on its genetic characteristics, the BVD virus is classified either as Type 1 or Type 2. Type 2 strains have been implicated in severe disease outbreaks where the animals show hemorrhagic symptoms and death loss approaches 100%.
• Bovine Respiratory Syncyntial Virus (BRSV) invades the cell lining of the trachea and lungs and is commonly found in BRD cases, alone or with other agents.
• Parainfluenza Type 3 (PI3) virus alone causes only a mild respiratory disease, but it is frequently isolated with other pathogens in severe cases.
• Haemophilus somnus is a bacteria that causes pneumonia and is more prevalent in stress situations where cattle are closely grouped, such as in feedlots or sale barns.
• Mannheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica and P. multocida are bacteria often implicated in shipping fever, a type of pneumonia common in freshly weaned calves.

Clinical signs

Mild to profuse discharge from the nose and eyes, coughing, high temperatures, lesions on the muzzle and nostrils, edema (fluid) in lower jaw and neck. Animals affected with severe respiratory disease have so much trouble breathing that they may be unable to eat or drink.

Reduced weight gain is a common and costly effect of BRD in stocker and feeder operations.

Disease prevention

Vaccination with a strong, effective broad-spectrum respiratory vaccine should be part of every cattle health program.

• Branding, pre-weaning and weaning are three opportunities to build respiratory protection in young calves and heifers.
• Animals arriving at the feedlot or stocker should also be vaccinated, depending on their health history.
• Vaccinating cows and heifers prior to breeding or at pregnancy-checking will also help ensure a healthier herd.

Vira Shield 6 + Somnus provides comprehensive, long-lasting protection against the leading respiratory pathogens IBR, Type 1 and Type 2 BVD, BRSV and PI3, as well as H. somnus. It is the only vaccine that contains NCP Types 1 and 2 plus cytopathic Type 1 for broad-spectrum BVD coverage. For producers who prefer a modified-live vaccine, Arsenal® 4.1 protects against a broad spectrum of respiratory viruses -- including protection against the BVD biotype most likely to cause a BVD-linked respiratory outbreak: noncytopathic (NCP).