A MAJOR breakthrough in controlling respiratory disease in feedlot cattle has been made following the commercial launch of a new vaccine developed by Intervet Australia. The product, Bovilis MH, has been researched and developed solely within Australia by Intervet, working in collaboration with CSIRO and the CRC for Beef Quality. Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is estimated to cost the Australian feedlot industry 60 million dollar a year in stock death and illness. Surveys suggest it causes between50-90% of all sickness in feedlots, making it by far the largest animal health-related productivity problem in the industry. BRD, which has been identified for more than 100 years, is particularly associated with stresses linked to the assembly and co-mingling of cattle of different origins through saleyards, transportation, and feedlot entry. Weaning, dietary and climatic changes also predispose cattle to the disease.
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