Cattle Respiratory Disease Prevention

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the most economically significant and welfare-relevant disease in beef and dairy cattle, and prevention through vaccination and management is more effective than treatment.

Key Facts

BRD accounts for 70-80% of all feedlot cattle illnesses and 40-50% of all feedlot cattle deaths
The BRD complex involves multiple bacterial and viral pathogens that interact synergistically
Stress from transport, weaning, and commingling suppresses immune function and creates BRD vulnerability windows
Vaccination against IBR, BVDV, BRSV, and PI3 before these stress events significantly reduces disease incidence
Metaphylaxis - treating all newly received cattle with antibiotics - remains common but raises AMR concerns

Welfare Considerations

BRD causes acute respiratory distress - affected cattle struggle to breathe, are febrile, anorexic, and in pain. Chronic forms lead to permanent lung damage and reduced productivity. The welfare case for prevention over treatment is strong: vaccinated, well-managed cattle experience less disease, less treatment stress, and better long-term outcomes. Reducing antibiotic metaphylaxis through improved prevention strategies is both a welfare and antimicrobial resistance priority.

What You Can Do

If farming beef cattle, work with your vet on a comprehensive BRD prevention vaccination program
Minimize commingling stress by limiting the number of source farms for purchased cattle
Provide adequate processing facilities and low-stress handling to reduce transport-related immune suppression
Monitor daily for early BRD signs - early treatment is more effective and requires less antibiotic use
Support research into BRD vaccines that reduce reliance on metaphylactic antibiotic treatment