Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) causes painful respiratory and reproductive disease in cattle, with vaccination programs central to both prevention and welfare protection.
IBR causes significant suffering through severe rhinitis with painful inflamed nasal mucosa, high fever, and respiratory difficulty. Affected animals are clearly distressed, showing reduced feed intake and evident discomfort. The reproductive consequences of abortion and infertility add to the welfare burden for affected cows. The propensity of the virus to establish latency and reactivate during stress creates ongoing welfare concern in infected herds. Vaccination prevents clinical disease and reduces viral shedding, protecting both vaccinated animals and their contacts from suffering.