The role of vaccination in the control of bovine respiratory virus disease

Abstract

Extract

The American terms “shipping fever” and “feedlot disease” tacitly acknowledge the influence of stock management practices on respiratory illness in cattle. It would thus seem logical to assume that changes instituted to increase productivity will be accompanied by the emergence of new patterns of disease. In this respect, the upper respiratory tract is a particularly responsive area owing to the facility with which variations in the microbial population may occur in response to biological selection pressures. Unfortunately, however, the composite nature of most respiratory infections makes the role of any one component in the overall disease picture difficult to assess and even more difficult to combat.