EDITORIAL

published: 25 February 2022

doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.854844

Editorial: Evolving Prospects of

Bovine Respiratory Diseases and
Management in Feedlot Cattle
Annamaria Pratelli 1* and Barbara Padalino 2
1
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy, 2 Division of Animal Sciences, Department of
Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Master Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Keywords: bovine, respiratory diseases, health, management, prevention, welfare

Editorial on the Research Topic

Evolving Prospects of Bovine Respiratory Diseases and Management in Feedlot Cattle

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is one of the major economical and welfare concerns for the
cattle industry worldwide (1). BRD incidence varies enormously according to farm management,
prophylaxis measures, involved pathogens, and animal-related predisposing factors since all
of them play a decisive role in the development and severity of the disease (2, 3). The
Research Topic consequently aims to broaden the current knowledge on BRD etiology, on its
pathogenetic mechanisms, on possible hazards related to breeding and transport practices, on
immunopathological implications, on new technologies for the diagnosis, on possible prophylaxis
and treatment, as well as on risk factors and on emerging antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Due to
the multifactorial etiology of the syndrome, the articles encompass within this Research Topic have
all a multidisciplinary approach.
Among microorganisms involved in BRD, Pasteurella multocida plays a primary role. An
Edited and reviewed by:
Michael Kogut,
interesting study by Zhan et al. elucidated the toxicity targets of P. multocida serogroup A providing
Agricultural Research Service (USDA), fundamental information on the pathogenic mechanism and on the antimicrobial drugs resistance
United States of this pathogen of BRD. Similarly, Mannheimia haemolytica is involved in BRD onset. Severe
*Correspondence:
infections are often characterized by dysregulated inflammatory responses in the lungs, where
Annamaria Pratelli IL-17A plays a key role in the inflammatory response activating innate and adaptive immune cells
[email protected] and exacerbating lung congestion. Two independent studies carried out by Slate et al. supported
the hypothesis that IL-17A signaling may contribute to lung immunopathology and that further
Specialty section: understanding of this inflammatory pathway during BRD could expand therapeutic intervention
This article was submitted to strategies for managing BRD.
Veterinary Infectious Diseases, Notoriously, bovine coronavirus (BCoV) is one of the most common agents involved in BRD.
a section of the journal
In the study reported by Kiser and Neibergs several positional candidate genes were identified in
Frontiers in Veterinary Science
association with BRD and BCoV in dairy calves and feedlot cattle in the USA. This study allows to
Received: 14 January 2022 better elucidate the etiology of the disease and allows the identification of loci to be considered
Accepted: 17 January 2022
for genomic selection, suggesting that selection may reduce susceptibility to BCoV infection
Published: 25 February 2022
and BRD. Oliveira et al. also demonstrated that in addition to the common pathogens, other
Citation: microorganisms may contribute to the onset of the syndrome. Immunohistochemical assays on
Pratelli A and Padalino B (2022)
formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded pulmonary sections have identified, among the other, malignant
Editorial: Evolving Prospects of Bovine
Respiratory Diseases and
catarrhal fever virus (MCFV), as well as Mycoplasma bovis, in single or mixed infections, as the most
Management in Feedlot Cattle. frequent pathogen, expanding the list of primary agents in the development of BRD. Moreover, a
Front. Vet. Sci. 9:854844. retrospective study on fatal calf pneumonia in Italy during 2009–2019, allows the identification of
doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.854844 M. bovis either as the single agent or as a concurrent agent with pathogens correlated with BRD,

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Pratelli and Padalino Editorial: Prospects of Bovine Respiratory Diseases

turning the spotlight on M. bovis infection and on control macrolides MIC data of respiratory bacteria of beef cattle.
measures to apply for the prevention of lethal pneumonia Overall, the AMR phenotypes were corroborated by the presence
outbreaks in dairy herds (Fanelli et al.). of AMR genes. Prevalence and epidemiology of AMR was
A 1-year cross-sectional study by Padalino et al. on 169 also investigated by Andrés-Lasheras et al. on beef cattle upon
beef steers documented the prevalence of the aforementioned arrival at Canadian feedlot and before antimicrobials were
BRD-related pathogens and the manifested clinical signs before administered. M. haemolytica, P. multocida, and H. somni with
and after a long journey from France to Italy, identifying multidrug-resistant (MDR) profiles were more often isolated
contextually the possible predisposition factors. The survey from dairy-type than from beef-type cattle, showing that the
demonstrated that the animals displaying clinical signs and latter presented higher odds of AMR bacteria as compared to
positive for the most common pathogens involved in BRD auction-derived calves and that resistance to oxytetracycline was
increased dramatically at arrival, that the transport favored most frequently observed across all Pasteurellaceae species and
coinfections and that the weather conditions were predisposing cattle types.
factors for many of the pathogens. The study also demonstrated Despite the increasing use of prophylaxis measures, feedlot
that in the majority of the cases co-infections were present placement remains a high-risk period for calves to develop
and highlighted that understanding of factors responsible for respiratory disorders, and new therapy should be proposed.
increasing the likelihood of BRD can be useful to reduce or Interestingly, Tan et al. demonstrated that ginsenoside Rb2 and
minimize the incidence of the syndrome and to implement Rb3, major pharmacological ingredients in the plants of ginseng,
animal transport regulations. were able to inhibit the replication and proliferation of bovine
Due to its multifactorial etiology, the diagnosis of BRD and swine pestiviruses, suggesting their potential for effective
is still challenging. Since early diagnosis is crucial, in this treatment against infection and thus representing a possible
special issue new diagnostic tools have been presented. A alternative to the use of antibiotics.
specific one-step multiplex real-time PCR assay was developed These experimental prospective and retrospective studies and
for simultaneous detection of five respiratory disease viruses critical reviews speculate that the role of the viral infections as
involved in BRD without cross-reaction with others. The the starting point for BRD on which secondary opportunistic
test proved to have good specificity and sensitivity allowing bacteria enter, was only a simplistic view of the pathogenesis
rapid detection of pathogens to guide the formulation of the disease, while a primary role of some pathogens
of BRD prevention and control measures (Zhang et al.). rarely detected in the past and generally considered of minor
Lastly, in addition to the current laboratory methods for importance, as well as several cofactors such as management of
detecting BRD infected calves, thoracic ultrasonography transport and breeding, were identified in eliciting the disease.
(TUS) was investigated in clinical settings by Porter et al. The potential pathogenetic role for these pathogens and the high
TUS proved to be able to identify calves with abnormal frequency with which co-infections occur, make BRD a complex
lung pathology that would have otherwise been misclassified disease difficult to control (4). Despite the increasing use of
and can provide additional information on calf health due prophylaxis and treatment measures, feedlot placement remains
to the high correlation with lung pathology at necropsy. a high-risk period for calves to develop respiratory disorders,
TUS could be consequently recommended on arrival after also considering that viral shedding is often greatest even before
long-distance journeys to give an early diagnosis and allow animals become symptomatic. Consequently, the most important
timely treatment. aspects to counteract infections and to restrain the development
Prevalence and risk factors for the main bacterial pathogens of BRD and spreading of AMR remain the proper management
affecting the respiratory tract of calves from the spring processing of cattle, the development of new technologies for early diagnosis,
to the reprocessing at feedlots were also investigated by Nobrega and the application of appropriate prophylaxis measures, since
et al. identifying in P. multocida the most prevalent species, minimizing the risk and the incidence of BRD is crucial to
regardless of time point, but with an increase in prevalence at improve cattle productivity, health, and welfare (3, 5, 6). We
the weaning/induction sampling. Comingling and co-location are proud and highly motivated to promote the development
of feedlots were not associated with the prevalence of any of evidence-based guidelines to prevent BRD in the Frontiers
respiratory pathogen. Contextually, the AMR profile of the open source venue, and future article collections are needed
four species was characterized phenotypically and genotypically, to further address the gaps of knowledge highlighted in this
and limited evidence support increased resistance to respiratory special issue.
bacteria from the spring processing to reprocessing at feedlots
with a few exceptions. On the contrary, parenteral use of
macrolides as metaphylaxis at the feedlot induction was AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS
associated with an increased minimum inhibitory concentration
(MIC) against macrolides in P. multocida, M. haemolytica, All authors listed have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual
and Histophilus somni contributing to historical changes in contribution to the work and approved it for publication.

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Pratelli and Padalino Editorial: Prospects of Bovine Respiratory Diseases

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