Stimulation of immune responses to aid in prevention of bovine respiratory disease

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Bovine respiratory disease is a common disease of cattle with much economic impact on the Canadian beef industry. The disease most commonly occurs when calves are weaned, transported long distances, and mingled with calves from other sources. Thus, stress and viral infection are major risk factors that lead to development of bacterial pneumonia in cattle. The present research seeks to understand the mechanisms by which stress (modeled by glucocorticoids) interferes with immune responses in the respiratory tract of cattle, and how to develop interventions to prevent this suppression of the respiratory immune system. Such an intervention would be of value in preventing respiratory disease in beef cattle in feedlots, and may reduce the need for preventative use of antibiotics in beef production.