Heifer Raising—birth to Weaning 32) Pneumonia

Pneumonia is the second most common health problem in young calves, after diarrhea. Respiratory infections include all diseases affecting the entire respiratory tract. In contrast, pneumonia is a term that describes inflammation of the lungs only. Pneumonia is a disease that may vary from subclinical to acute and fatal. Depending on the severity of the infection, damage to the lungs can be temporary or permanent. Calves with chronic pneumonia seldom recover completely and should not be used as replacement animals. Most respiratory problems occur when the calf is between six and eight weeks of age. They are caused by the interaction of one or more microorganisms with stress (e.g., transport), housing (e.g., ventilation) and nutrition of the calf. Rate of morbidity (the incidence of the disease) is usually high, but the rate of mortality is variable. The major organisms implicated in outbreaks of calf pneumonia are summarized in Table 1. ORGANISMS