Innate immunology of bovine respiratory disease

Abstract

There are a variety of factors and conditions that predispose cattle to pneumonia. Cattle have anatomic and cellular differences from humans and other species and are managed in groups/herds, all of which can increase susceptibility to microbial pathogens. This article highlights the basic innate immune response of the respiratory tract and newer developments in the understanding of adaptive immune responses of the bovine respiratory tract, placing special emphasis on features unique to cattle.