Improving testing and treatment of respiratory disease in calves

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in young cattle, with estimates suggesting it costs the UK cattle industry £50 million a year (Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, 2024). This makes it essential that vets and farmers work together to improve welfare, as well as productivity.

Healthy animals are more productive and will achieve higher outputs such as daily live weight gain, lower age at first calving, higher milk yields, and feed conversion rates.

BRD is caused by a complex interaction between viruses, bacteria and mycoplasma pathogens, many of which live harmlessly in the respiratory tract of healthy cattle as commensal organisms (Campbell, 2022). The disease is often triggered during or after a stressful period by a viral infection and a subsequent infection of the airways with opportunistic bacteria. This combination of stress factors and infectious agents makes young cattle especially vulnerable.