Bovine respiratory disease probably costs the North American beef industry $500 million a year.
Its prevalence in feedlots is the main reason calves receive a dose of antibiotics upon arrival to prevent sickness, but that practice is coming under intense scrutiny with the rise of antimicrobial resistance.
“Antibiotics are primarily used to treat and prevent BRD,” Trevor Alexander of Agriculture Canada said during the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency annual conference held in Calgary June 16.
Approximately 25 to 50 percent of cattle entering feedlots are treated with an antibiotic to mitigate BRD.”
Read Also
Sask. ag group wants strychnine back
The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan has written to the federal government asking for emergency use of strychnine to control gophers
Researchers are looking at alternative treatments such as administering probiotics or a disinfectant such as nitric oxide.
Cattle entering feedlots seem most susceptible to respiratory problems within the first 60 days, Alexander said.
The disease is often linked to stress from weaning, marketing, transportation, a change in feed and commingling with new animals. The immune system is weakened, leading to more serious complications like pneumonia.
Instead of giving a standard shot of long acting antibiotics, researchers are considering probiotics, which are typically associated with gastrointestinal health.
Past studies show they could inhibit the growth of BRD pathogens such as Mannheima haemolytica. Under specific conditions, this bacteria can proliferate in the upper respiratory tract and spread to the lungs.
Other research is working on injecting a solution of nitric acid into the nasal passages of feedlot cattle.
Edouard Timsit, assistant professor in cattle health at the University of Calgary’s faculty of veterinary medicine, said the solution is injected into the nose. High concentrations of the solution can kill bacteria, fungi and viruses.
barbara.duckworth@producer.com
