Single Pathogen Challenge with Agents of the Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex

PLoS One. 2015 Nov 16;10(11):e0142479. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142479. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) is an important cause of mortality and morbidity in cattle; costing the dairy and beef industries millions of dollars annually, despite the use of vaccines and antibiotics. BRDC is caused by one or more of several viruses (bovine respiratory syncytial virus, bovine herpes type 1 also known as infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, and bovine viral diarrhea virus), which predispose animals to infection with one or more bacteria. These include: Pasteurella multocida, Mannheimia haemolytica, Mycoplasma bovis, and Histophilus somni. Some cattle appear to be more resistant to BRDC than others. We hypothesize that appropriate immune responses to these pathogens are subject to genetic control. To determine which genes are involved in the immune response to each of these pathogens it was first necessary to experimentally induce infection separately with each pathogen to document clinical and pathological responses in animals from which tissues were harvested for subsequent RNA sequencing. Herein these infections and animal responses are described.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex / immunology
  • Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex / microbiology*
  • Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex / virology*
  • Cattle
  • Disease Resistance*
  • Herpesvirus 1, Bovine
  • Ileum / microbiology
  • Ileum / virology
  • Immune System
  • Immunity, Humoral
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Lung / microbiology
  • Lung / virology
  • Male
  • Mannheimia haemolytica
  • Mycoplasma bovis
  • Pasteurella multocida
  • Pharynx / microbiology
  • Pharynx / virology
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Bovine
  • Sequence Analysis, RNA

Grants and funding

The study was funded by a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant for a Cordinated Research Project. PI is James Womack at Texas A & M University. Grant number is 2011-68004-30367.