Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) diagnostics

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) or pneumonia, is one of the most common & costly diseases in global bovine production. The disease has a high morbidity & mortality rate, which presents significant economic costs and an animal welfare challenge to the industry.

At the open day Kerrie Duffy spoke to attendees about the research being done around Bovine Respiratory Disease

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) or pneumonia, is one of the most common and costly diseases in global bovine production. It develops from numerous contributing factors, stemming from the complex interaction concerning the:

• health status of the animal
• environment - housing, transport
• infectious agents.

The disease has a high morbidity and mortality rate, which presents significant economic costs and an animal welfare challenge to the beef industry.

Multiple opportunistic agents of viral and bacterial origins cause BRD by manipulating and suppressing the animal’s immune system. Typically, this is initialised and established by a primary viral infection and subsequently leads to a secondary bacterial infection. The main tools used to attempt to reduce the impact of BRD have been vaccines and broad-spectrum antibiotics; however, the large-scale use of antibiotics to treat infectious diseases has coincided with an increase of antibiotic resistance. Multi drug resistance has been observed in BRD associated bacteria such as Pasteurella multocida, highlighting the necessity to fully characterise BRD pathogens in order to develop alternatives to antimicrobials such as vaccines. Rapid detection and identification of animal health pathogens is essential in the efficient and timely treatment of disease outbreaks.

Early diagnosis of BRD is vital to maintaining the overall health of the animal and reducing the likelihood of severe disease or even death. The sequencing technologies from Oxford Nanopore and Illumina provide early molecular knowledge on the species of virus and/or bacteria infecting the herd, meaning the veterinarian can provide appropriate and precise treatment for the specific pathogenic agent in circulation.

Presently, using this technology, rapid gains can be achieved in tracking disease progression, identifying the pathogens involved, and mapping pathogen interactions with the host. Precise, targeted diagnosis of BRD agents may also lead to the development of novel vaccines, thus reducing antibiotic usage. The prominent concern of antimicrobial resistance amongst BRD associated bacteria warrants further research and development into novel diagnostics such as these tools utilised in Teagasc, Grange. In addition, monitoring for emerging pathogens of interest that may become BRD associated agents is vital for early response and treatment strategies to these new pathogens.