Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Cattle

Abstract

Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a cause of respiratory disease in cattle worldwide. It has an integral role in enzootic pneumonia in young dairy calves and summer pneumonia in nursing beef calves. Furthermore, bovine RSV infection can predispose calves to secondary bacterial infection by organisms such as Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, and Histophilus somni, resulting in bovine respiratory disease complex, the most prevalent cause of morbidity and mortality among feedlot cattle. Even in cases where animals do not succumb to bovine respiratory disease complex, there can be long-term losses in production performance. This includes reductions in feed efficiency and rate of gain in the feedlot, as well as reproductive performance, milk production, and longevity in the breeding herd. As a result, economic costs to the cattle industry from bovine respiratory disease have been estimated to approach $1 billion annually due to death losses, reduced performance, and costs of vaccinations and treatment modalities. Human and bovine RSV are closely related viruses with similarities in histopathologic lesions and mechanisms of immune modulation induced following infection. Therefore, where appropriate, we provide comparisons between RSV infections in humans and cattle. This review article discusses key aspects of RSV infection of cattle, including epidemiology and strain variability, clinical signs and diagnosis, experimental infection, gross and microscopic lesions, innate and adaptive immune responses, and vaccination strategies.

Animal models of respiratory syncytial virus infection

“…BRSV is a leading cause of respiratory disease in young calves, worldwide [113]. The epidemiology and pathogenesis of naturally occurring bRSV infections are similar to those of hRSV in children.…”

Estimation of nasal shedding and seroprevalence of organisms known to be associated with bovine respiratory disease in Australian live export cattle

“…Bovine respiratory syncytial virus is recognized as a common primary pathogen in respiratory disease in calves less than 6 months of age 6,58 and has also been reported in association with respiratory disease outbreaks in adult dairy cattle. 2,17,18 Bovine respiratory syncytial virus has not previously been detected in nasal swabs from beef feedlot cattle over the age of 4 months with 13,35,66,74 or without 22,24 clinical signs of respiratory disease.…”

Bovine respiratory syncytial virus and bovine coronavirus antibodies in bulk tank milk – risk factors and spatial analysis

“…However, bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) and bovine coronavirus (BCoV) are endemic and prevalent in the national herd (Gulliksen et al, 2009). The prevalence of these infections is considered high in most parts of the world, and they cause disease problems leading to reduced animal welfare, increased use of antibiotics and financial loss for the farmer (Valarcher and Taylor, 2007;Boileau and Kapil, 2010;Sacco et al, 2014). BRSV causes respiratory disease, most often in young animals, and bronchopneumonia due to secondary bacterial infection is common (Larsen, 2000).…”