Merck's Intranasal Vaccine Protecting Calves Against BRD

Bovine Respiratory Disease or BRD is one of the most expensive health issue with cattle and calves. Merck Animal Health estimates BRD costs the cattle industry about 800 - 900 million dollars annually. Cattle producer now have access to a new unique product from Merck to treat BRD. Beef Cattle Technical Services Manager Dr. Brent Meyer said earlier this year Merck introduced their latest product Once PMH IN.

"It's the only intranasal vaccine that protects against both bacterial pathogens - Mannheimia and Pasteurella," Meyer said. "What's unique about this product is that avirulent live, meaning that it acts like natural infection. So its up tick in the nasal nicosia is very quick. It starts to work very rapidly."

While some vaccines are stressful to calves, especially young calves that are nursing, Meyer said this vaccine Once PMH IN has been proven by studies to be a low stress vaccine that provides a performance benefit. One study evaluated calves treated with Once PMH IN and a competitive product. Meyer said the study found calves treated with the intranasal product Once PMH IN were 22 pounds heavier at weaning.

Once PMH IN can be used on calves from one week of age up to feeder as well as adult cattle. Meyer said this is the only intranasal product on the market and it should help producers control BRD in any stage of production.

Internal parasites can also bring a heavy burden to cattle producers. One of the long standing cattle dewormer products from Merck is Safe-Guard. For more than 30 years Safe-Guard has offered producers a way to treat stomach and intestinal worms. While some products are dealing with resistance, Meyer said that's not the case in using Safe-Guard with calves or cows.

"It's there and its gone," Meyer said. "It goes into the gut, removes the worms and its gone. The other products - pour-ons, injectables, they can hang in there and have a longer duration of levels that the worms can start building up some immunity to, so that is what's unique about it. It's in the gut and clean 'em out right there and its done."