Exploring new approaches to combat bovine respiratory disease
Nov. 19, 2024
By Jenifer Fouch
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station
Fast facts
- Bovine respiratory disease worsened by antibiotic-resistant bacteria
- Probiotics from healthy cattle can potentially prevent bovine respiratory disease
- Natural microbial treatment can reduce antibiotic use, satisfy consumer concern
(731 words)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It’s commonly known in the cattle industry that bovine respiratory disease is the most costly illness affecting cattle in North America.
Despite extensive research and treatment efforts over the years, it continues to lead
to high rates of sickness and death among livestock, according to Samantha Howe, a
post-doctoral fellow for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station in the animal
science department. The experiment station is the research arm of the University of
Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
Howe received a two-year, $225,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute
of Food and Agriculture grant to explore the use of probiotics in bovine respiratory
disease prevention.
Howe said bovine respiratory disease is estimated to be responsible for about 70 to
80 percent of feedlot illnesses, and between 40 and 50 percent of all feedlot deaths,
and that those numbers have not declined in the last 45 years.
Howe’s research project aims to develop probiotics derived from healthy cattle to
prevent bovine respiratory disease.
“By exploring the natural microbial defenses of cattle, this study will investigate
the potential of probiotics to offer new, effective solutions to longstanding problems
in animal health,” Howe said. “This would benefit cattle producers by increasing the
profitability and sustainability of their operations while also ensuring a safer food
supply for consumers.”
The research will focus on increasing cattle health and making them less prone to
the disease with a microbiome-based therapeutic, or a probiotic, to decrease antimicrobial
resistance. Howe expects that these probiotics will decrease the growth of opportunistic
pathogens.
Common culprit in BRD
A common culprit in bovine respiratory disease is the bacteria Mannheimia haemolytica, which causes severe infections in the lungs of cattle. Although meat quality or
safety is not compromised, cattle suffer from respiratory symptoms, have a fever and
lose appetite so they do not gain weight properly.
“We have multiple causative events, but a bacterial opportunistic pathogen is present
in most cases,” Howe said.
Traditional methods to combat bovine respiratory disease have had limited success,
Howe said, and the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains of M. haemolytica makes finding new solutions even more urgent.
“There’s an increased risk of antimicrobial resistance and increased consumer pressure
to have an all-natural treatment method, so this research hopes to satisfy both,”
she said.
Innovative research on probiotics
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can help maintain a healthy balance of microbes
in the body. The respiratory systems of healthy calves contain different bacteria
than those suffering from bovine respiratory disease. Among these beneficial bacteria
are species of Corynebacterium, which may help protect cattle from harmful pathogens like M. haemolytica.
Howe says her team’s preliminary studies have shown that these Corynebacterium strains can inhibit the growth of M. haemolytica in lab conditions. She said this is likely due to secondary metabolites — compounds
produced by the bacteria that can affect other microbes. Howe’s research seeks to
understand how these metabolites work and to explore other potential benefits of these
probiotic bacteria.
Howe will investigate how Corynebacterium strains could inhibit the growth of M. haemolytica in the lab. The research will also determine if the strains can colonize the respiratory
tract, influence the immune system and prevent M. haemolytica from causing disease in cattle.
“I’m very passionate about my work, and it’s nice to know that other people see its
value,” Howe said. “But I could not have done it without my adviser, Dr. Jiangchao
Zhao, who taught me everything I know, and the people on my team who have helped.”
Zhao was a researcher for the experiment station and a professor in the animal science department when this grant was awarded. He has worked to prevent and mitigate bovine respiratory disease since 2015 and developed nasal microbiome biomarkers to help predict the onset of bovine respiratory disease in cattle.
“The development of nasal microbiome biomarkers has provided us with valuable insights into early detection, but there is still much to be done to mitigate its impact,” Zhao said. “Samantha’s research into probiotics is a promising avenue that could transform our approach to disease prevention by harnessing the natural defenses of cattle, ultimately leading to healthier herds and more sustainable practices in animal agriculture.”
Howe also credited animal science professors and experiment station researchers Beth Kegley and Jeremy Powell, for their mentorship and support.
This grant is part of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative from USDA-NIFA. The project award no. is 2024-67012-42409.
To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
# # #
Media Contact: Jenifer Fouch
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station
(479) 502-9732
jfouch@uark.edu