Risk factors identified for respiratory disease

Dec 02, 2022

Calf health is a major focus for beef cow-calf producers and their veterinarians for good reason.

A recent paper in the journal, Translational Animal Science, highlights some of the findings from the western Canadian cow-calf surveillance network focusing on calf health issues. Dr. Cheryl Waldner and colleagues from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Calgary School of Veterinary Medicine and Big Sky Health Analytics in Vermilion, Alta., were the authors of the paper. The study used data from 89 western Canadian cow-calf herds to estimate the frequency of disease treatment in pre-weaned calves.

As we’ve seen in other studies, bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in calves has become the predominant reason for young calves to receive antibiotic treatments. Slightly more than half of the herds reported that they had treated at least one calf for BRD prior to two months of age.

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Video: What It Takes to Stop African Swine Fever - Dr. Jishu Shi

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Jishu Shi, Professor of Vaccine Immunology at Kansas State University, discusses African swine fever prevention and vaccine development. He explains why ASF differs from classical swine fever and swine influenza, how the disease threatens trade and pork production, why immunization safety remains a critical hurdle, and what producers can do now to reduce the risk of introduction. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Before a safe and efficacious vaccine for ASF can be commercialized, what we really have is prevention."

Meet the guest: Dr. Jishu Shi is Professor of Vaccine Immunology and the Dr. Wayne & Hilda Appleton Endowed Professor at Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He directs the Center on Biologics Development and Evaluation and the U.S.-China Center for Animal Health. A veterinarian and vaccine immunologist, Dr. Shi has focused on vaccines for pigs and has worked on African swine fever vaccine development, control, diagnostics, and international training since 2018. Learn more from Dr. Jishu Shi on The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, available on all major platforms.