Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is a common disease syndrome in calves reared in the UK, costing the industry an estimated £60m annually, through lower growth rates, treatments and mortality. The incidence at slaughter of lung pathology can be over 70%, whilst clinical signs may be much lower, suggesting that many cases go undetected. In this Clinical Forum, Dr Richard Murray reviews BRD and discusses the practical aspects of its control with a panel of leading cattle practitioners and researchers.

No abstract

Letters infection in utero. The first showed a torticollis and the other two displayed joint fixation of one or all joints, which is referred to as arthrogryposis. Joint fixation was always symmetric. The double fore/ hindlegs involvement was observed in the most severe case and only the hindlimbs were involved in the second. In addition, in one case, the cross-sectional area of the lumbar spinal cord was dramatically reduced (micromyelia) and the ependymal canal was duplicated (myelodysplasia). These field and laboratory observations suggest that SBV was circulating in Belgium during the summer 2012 despite a very high herd immunity. Further studies will be conducted to determine whether we are observing the last cases of this epizootic or if the above calves announce a transition to endemicity.

No abstract