Bovine respiratory disease: management and treatment

Figure 1. Risk factors for bovine respiratory disease. Assessing the cost of each individual case is very difficult as a large proportion of the costs associated with BRD are hidden. The direct cost of dead animals, their disposal, medicines, extra labour and veterinary input are easy to quantify, but producers often turn a blind eye to the impact on liveweight gain, feed conversion efficiency and the long-term cost of irreversible lung damage. BRD has long been recognised as a multifactorial disease, with multiple causative agents and management factors involved in outbreaks. Controlling BRD therefore requires a multi-faceted approach to reduce the challenge while maximising immunity. Treatment can be effective in reducing losses, but the most cost-effective way to manage BRD has to be through concerted preventive measures.