The benefits of early calf vaccination against BRD

摘要

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the most common disease entity in calves aged greater than one month of age, Neonates (calves less than one month of age) are also affected; after diarrhoea and septicaemia, BRD accounts for 11% of mortality in thisage group.1 The high incidence of this disease complex is far from a new phenomenon and yet there is little evidence of significant decline.2 BRD control is most effective when implemented in advance of occurrence of disease, A holistic preventative programme including a tailored vaccination strategy is more likely to yield satisfactory and comprehensive protection3. The question is - are we acting in time to control pneumonia in Irish herds?Vaccination early in a calf's life can play an integral part in keeping the present and future impact of BRD to a minimum, However, vaccination alone cannot carry the responsibility of disease control. Management of the environment, nutrition, husbandrypractises and control of concurrent disease all contribute to immune competence of the calf while keeping stress and the challenge of infection to a realistic level. As with successful vaccination strategies in any species, population immunity not individual animal protection should be the aim. Timing of vaccination is also key; before the period of risk rather than implementation when disease is already established.