Characterization of the respiratory microbiome and virome associated with bovine respiratory disease

Authors: McDaneld, Tara; EARLEY, BERNADETTE - Teagasc (AGRICULTURE AND FOOD DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY); COSBY, S LOUISE - Queen'S University - Ireland; MCGEE, MARK - Teagasc (AGRICULTURE AND FOOD DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY); DUFFY, KERRIE - Teagasc (AGRICULTURE AND FOOD DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY); CUEVAS-GOMEZ, INMACULA - Teagasc (AGRICULTURE AND FOOD DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY); Kuehn, Larry; Workman, Aspen; CONANT, GAVIN - North Carolina State University; CORMICAN, PAUL - Teagasc (AGRICULTURE AND FOOD DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY); MCCABE, MATTHEW - Teagasc (AGRICULTURE AND FOOD DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY); DUFFY, CATHERINE - Queen'S University - Ireland; LEMON, KEN - Queen'S University - Ireland; MCMENAMY, MICHAEL - Queen'S University - Ireland; SMYTH, VICTORIA - Queen'S University - Ireland; Smith, Timothy - Tim

Submitted to: Research Workers in Animal Diseases Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/31/2021
Publication Date: 12/10/2021
Citation: McDaneld, T., Earley, B., Cosby, L., McGee, M., Duffy, K., Cuevas-Gomez, I., Kuehn, L., Workman, A., Conant, G., Cormican, P., McCabe, M., Duffy, C., Lemon, K., McMenamy, M., Smyth, V., Smith, T. 2021. Characterization of the respiratory microbiome and virome associated with bovine respiratory disease [abstract]. In proceedings: Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases, December 4-7, 2021, Chicago, Illinois. V-P048. Available: https://crwad.org/wp-content/uploads/CRWAD-2021/

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD; pneumonia) is one of the most significant health problems in cattle and the most expensive animal disease afflicting herds in the cattle industry. Effective immunization or antimicrobial therapies that substantially reduce the prevalence or severity of BRD have not been developed despite decades of research, due to the multifactorial etiopathogenesis of the disease that encompasses an array of infectious agents, as well as environmental and management potentiating factors. In this multidisciplinary project, we aim to 1) investigate the prevalence and distribution of the respiratory microbiome and virome associated with BRD in beef herds at the US Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) and in beef and dairy herds in Ireland (Teagasc); 2) employ next-generation sequencing (NGS), third-generation sequencing (TGS), bioinformatic technologies, and high throughput sensitive and rapid diagnostics to identify respiratory viral and bacterial agents associated with BRD (USMARC and Teagasc); and 3) elucidate the dynamics of secondary viral and bacterial infection by monitoring experimentally virus infected animals in longitudinal studies (Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI, N. Ireland)). To date, nasal swabs have been collected from herds in the US and Ireland for year one and year two, and evaluation of the bacterial and viral populations has begun through next-generation sequencing and QPCR. In the US herd, year one samples from the feedlot after weaning were evaluated. Calves diagnosed with BRD had an increased abundance of Mycoplasma sp., Sneathia sp., Bergeyella sp., and Corynebacterium sp. compared to control cohorts. Bovine corova virus and bovine respiratory syncytial virus were also detected in feedlot calves diagnosed with BRD. Further evaluation of year two samples will occur in 2021 and 2022.