Stress causes disease. Researchers know it, animal behaviourists preach it and livestock producers live it.
Researchers at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan have made a breakthrough measuring the types and levels of stress that cause economically damaging disease.
In a $165,000 study that lasted three years and ended last fall, scientist Palok Aich discovered biomarkers that will allow researchers to quantify stress levels. That could allow producers to make choices about managing stress on their livestock.
“We have identified proteins and metabolites that confirm stress …. Whether through handling, mixing with other animals, new feeds and such, stress occurs. These biomarkers will give us the tools to measure individual instances and the amount of stress they cause and the effect each has on disease infections,” Aich said.
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Diseases or immune system breakdowns cost North American livestock producers hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
“If we can identify which practices create disease-causing stress and eliminate them, then we will indeed have something significant for farmers,” he said.
Until now stress was measured by the presence of the hormone cortisol.
All kinds of stress create cortisol, said Joe Stookey, a professor of animal behaviour at the U of S’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine.
“It could be estrous, the animal could be hungry, it could shipping. Whether or not a single source of stress might cause disease has always been hard to tell. (The presence of cortisol) is one of the best measures researchers have had. If this works out, it will be an important tool in understanding the role of stress in production agriculture.”
Stookey said the research could tell producers how long livestock can be shipped or which are safest animal housing or feed strategies.
Using metabolites to indicate which types of stress are present and to what degree they might affect an animal is a far more accurate method of evaluation, said Aich.
End product metabolites are the small molecules that are left behind when the body breaks down or metabolizes something. Unlike proteins or hormones, metabolites are stable and point fairly accurately to what was metabolized and the processes that were at work at that time.
Aich’s research shows patterns of compounds, including metabolites and proteins, which he hopes to be able to link to particular stress sources and disease outcomes.
“We still have work to be done to put this work into practice. However, this is a significant step and we hope to get funding from the province and federal government that will let us make this happen,” he said.
Aich said VIDO has the facilities to do the work and with the co-operation of local auction markets and livestock producers, he said his discovery could yield significant benefits for producers.
“Now we need money to hire a technician and pay for some lab time to put this research to a practical test. This research is still very low in cost compared to the potential benefit,” he said.
“You know the tip of the iceberg? Well, we are just about to the tip. We have a lot of data to evaluate and work to do, but every major tool we use today had to start someplace and this is a starting place,” said Aich.
