Prevalence of Pasteurella multocida and other respiratory pathogens in the nasal tract of Scottish calves.
The prevalence of Pasteurella multocida, a cause of bovine respiratory disease, was studied in a random sample of beef suckler and dairy farms throughout Scotland, by means of a cross-sectional survey. A total of 637 calves from 68 farms from six geographical regions of Scotland were sampled between February and June 2008. Deep nasal swabs were taken, and samples that were culture-positive for P multocida were confirmed by PCR. Prevalence of P multocida was 17 per cent (105 of 616 calves); 47 per cent of farms had at least one positive animal. A higher prevalence was detected in dairy calves than beef calves (P=0.04). It was found that P multocida was associated with Mycoplasma-like organisms (P=0.06) and bovine parainfluenza type 3 virus (BPI-3) (P=0.04), detected by culture and quantitative PCR of nasal swabs, respectively. Detection of P multocida was not associated with bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1) or bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV). Mycoplasma-like organisms, BPI-3, BRSV, BoHV-1 and BVDV were detected in 58, 17, four, 0 and eight calves, on 25, five, two, 0 and five of the 68 farms, respectively.
Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, near Edinburgh EH26 0PZ.
E J
EJ
Hotchkiss
M P
MP
Dagleish
K
K
Willoughby
I J
IJ
McKendrick
J
J
Finlayson
R N
RN
Zadoks
E
E
Newsome
F
F
Brulisauer
G J
GJ
Gunn
J C
JC
Hodgson
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D048090:Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003612:Dairying; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D010326:Pasteurella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016979:Pasteurella multocida / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015995:Prevalence; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology