Bovine Pneumonia: Individual Animal Approach

Question 1

When are cows most susceptible to bovine respiratory disease

Answer 1

first 6-9 months

Question 2

Subjective clinical signs of BRD

Answer 2

Dull / depressed
BCS (is his acute or chronic)
Increased respiratory rate (tachypnoea)
Increased respiratory effort (hyperpnoea)
Ocular discharge
Nasal discharge
Mouth breathing (dyspnoea)
Coughing

Question 3

Objective clinical sign of BRD

Answer 3

Increased temperature (pyrexia)
Harsh lung sounds / adventitious noise
Noise from URT

Question 4

List some Viral BRD agents

Answer 4

IBR (Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis)
PI3 (Parainfluenza virus)
RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus)
(BVD) (Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus)

Question 5

List some Bacterial BRD agents

Answer 5

Mannheimia haemolytica
Pasteurella multocida
Histophilus somni
Mycoplasma dispar
Mycoplasma bovis

Question 6

List some parasitic BRD agents

Answer 6

Dictyocaulus viviparus

Question 7

Diagnosis of BRD

Answer 7

Based on history, clinical signs and recorded level of morbidity

Serology of > 6 cases (paired samples 3 weeks apart)

Pathogen culture and/or identification
- Nasopharyngeal/ocular swabs
- Bronchoalveolar lavage

Postmortem examination
- +/- Virus identification
- +/- Bacteriology
- +/- Histopathology

Question 8

Chronic “Cuffing” (Mycoplasmal) Pneumonia is caused by

Answer 8

Various (low grade) mycoplasmas

Question 9

Chronic “Cuffing” (Mycoplasmal) Pneumonia has what kind of onset

Answer 9

Insidious

Question 10

Clinical signs of mild Cuffing pneumonia

Answer 10

Occasional cough
Tachypnoea

Question 11

Clinical signs of severe Cuffing pneumonia

Answer 11

Frequent cough
Tachypnoea (>60 breaths/min)
Hyperpnoea (Deeper breaths)
Decreased Exercise tolerance
Decreased Growth rate
Adventitious sounds over cranioventral lung fields
Pyrexia (<39.5°C, 103°F)

Question 12

Mortality and Morbidity of Cuffing pneumonia

Answer 12

Morbidity up to 100%
Mortality - rare to get deaths

Question 13

Prognosis of cuffing pneumonia

Answer 13

May resolve in mild cases without treatment
predispose to secondary bacterial infection

Question 14

Mycoplasma bovis pneumonia does what to tissues

Answer 14

Necrotising pneumonia
Joint lesions present in ~50% of calves

Question 15

Acute Enzootic (Viral) Pneumonia: Clinical Signs

Answer 15

Dull
Anorexic
Tachypnoeic (up to 100 breaths/min)
Hyperpnoeic
Pyrexia (39.5- 41.0°C, 103-106 °F)
Nasal discharge
Frequent coughing
Fluid sounds and crackles over cranioventral lung areas
Progressive ill thrift and weight loss
“Respiratory Cripples” – (Chronic suppurative pneumonia)

Question 16

Pasteurellosis: “Transit” / “Shipping Fever” predominantly affects?

Answer 16

Especially a problem of weaned suckled calves
Peak incidence September-December
Most outbreaks within 4 weeks of housing (STRESS)C

Question 17

Pathogens causing Paterurellosis

Answer 17

Mannheimia haemolytica
Pasteurella multocida

Question 18

Pathogenicity of Mannheima haemolytica

Answer 18

Initiating agent of pneumonic pasteurellosis
Pneumonia reproduced in experimental studies
Present in nasal cavity of healthy carriers
Mixing of carriers and susceptible animals precipitates pneumonia

Question 19

How to diagnose Pasteruellosis

Answer 19

Diagnosis by history and culture
Broncho-alveolar lavage
- Lung lesions at postmortem examination
- Tonsillar and nasal isolates

Question 20

Pneumonic Pasteurellosis- Clinical Signs

Answer 20

Dull
Anorexic
Tachypnoeic (60-100 breaths/min)
Hyperpnoeic
Pyrexia (up to 42°C, 108°F) and nasal discharge
Adventitious lung sounds and coughing are not as marked as in enzootic pneumonia, and may be absent

Question 21

Treatment for BRD

Answer 21

Antimicrobials
- Oxytetracycline
- Amoxycillin+/- clavulanic acid
- Tylosin
- Enrofloxacin (Baytril)
- Marbofloxacin (Marbocyl)

NSAIDS
- Flunixin, Ketoprofen, Carprofen, Meloxicam, Tolfenamic acid

Corticosteroids
Antihistamines
Fluids/Diuretics
Clenbuterol
TLC <3

Question 22

Which animals to treat with antimicrobials

Answer 22

Obviously ‘sick’ animals, plus?…..
Threshold temperatures (39.6 °C) (Scott 1995)
Labour intensive and not widely practised

Question 23

Chronic suppurative pneumonia

Answer 23

Inevitable end point in many cases
Reduced weight gain / fail to gain weight
Repeated bouts of ‘acute’ pneumonia
Treatment often unsuccessful: CULL