Viral aetiologies for bovine respiratory disease

Authors: Orr D, Hansen M, Motha J
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 45, Issue 1, pp 40, Feb 1997
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Cattle, Livestock, Production animal, Ruminant
Subject Terms: Viral, Syndrome, Wasting disease/disorder, Infectious disease, Alimentary system/gastroenterology, Respiratory system, Disease/defect
Article class: Correspondence

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Abstract: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a major health problem of cattle all over the world. Financial losses arise-from the loss in production, cost of treatment and mortality. Incidence varies with seasons, the highest occurring in autumn and winter. Virus infections such as infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), parainfluenza 3 (P13) and bovine respiratory syncytial (BRS) viruses have all been incriminated as causes for BRD. It has been suggested that bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) virus may also contribute to BRD because of its immunosuppressive effects, thus increasing the susceptibility of the host to other respiratory pathogens. A preliminary serological investigation was carried out to determine the viruses responsible for BRD in the Waikato and Taranaki areas. For this purpose, 31 paired serum samples collected during autumn from eight dairy herds were tested. All eight herds were experiencing BRD at the time the first serum samples were collected, and the second samples were collected 10-20 days later. All serum samples were tested for IBR, P13, BRS and BVD virus antibodies using either the serum neutralisation test (SNT) or ELISA. In the SNT, if there was a fourfold increase in the neutralising antibody titre or in the ELISA a 0.2 increase in the optical density reading between the first and the second sample, the herd was considered to be recently infected with the appropriate virus. The results showed that…

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