Vol. 8, Issue 2 (2019)

Author(s):
Praveen Kumar, VK Jain, Parveen Goel and YS Rana

Abstract:
Bovine respiratory disease is a ‘disease of lower respiratory tract’ of cattle or buffaloes having multifactorial etiology involving complex interaction of environmental stress factors, host factors and infectious agents. Early and accurate diagnosis of disease is very necessary as there are heavy economic losses due to this condition. Confirmation of respiratory disease can be done using variety of methods. Often, visual and physical examination has been done in the field, but this can lead to inaccurate diagnosis. Radiography and ultrasonography can be very handy in diagnosis as well as prognosis of this disease. Diagnostic sampling and tests can provide valuable information when investigating causes of respiratory disease. Tran’s tracheal wash and bronchoalveolar lavage samples can provide samples from lower respiratory tract. Pathologic and laboratory investigations are necessary when a specific diagnosis of the cause is required. Causative bacterial and viral pathogens identification should be done by culturing the suitable sample by standard protocol and use of molecular diagnostic techniques e.g. polymerase chain reaction. Necropsy and diagnostic testing for BRD pathogens are the gold standard tests to diagnose BRD.