Bovine Respiratory Disease Diagnosis: What Progress Has Been Made in Clinical Diagnosis?

Abstract

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) complex is a worldwide health problem in cattle and is a major reason for antimicrobial use in young cattle. Several challenges may explain why it is difficult to make progress in the management of this disease. This article defines the limitation of BRD complex nomenclature, which may not easily distinguish upper versus lower respiratory tract infection and infectious bronchopneumonia versus other types of respiratory diseases. It then discusses the obstacles to clinical diagnosis and reviews the current knowledge of readily available diagnostic test to reach a diagnosis of infectious bronchopneumonia.