Respiratory Diseases in Cattle Disease Incidence and Epidemiology — The Situation in Germany

Abstract

Respiratory disease in cattle, particularly in young cattle and calves, is getting more and more important in Germany. During the past years, in addition to seasonal bronchopneumonia enzootica on several farms, permanent respiratory problems were observed during the whole year. These problems appeared mostly on farms which fatten calves.

In the spring of 1975 there was a contagious form of bronchopneumonia in Bavaria in the southern part of Germany. Nearly 60–70% of all the cattle in affected herds suffered from this sickness. The mortality on average was about 5–6% (Wizigmann et al., 1976).

With transport of cattle this infectious disease came to the northern part of Germany, mainly to Schleswig-Holstein (Straub, 1977). The outbreak occurred mainly on farms with bad exogenic and endogenic factors for cattle. Under these poor conditions microbes (viruses and bacteria) cause the diseases.

These respiratory diseases generally became evident after the stress of very long transportation. On the other hand cattle without antibodies, which were brought into districts with a high rate of respiratory disease, became sick in almost every case.

In the past few years, in addition to virus infection, a secondary organism, Pasteurella haemolytica has been found in the lungs of dead animals.

Another problem, mainly in the northern parts of Germany where there are wet pastures, is infection with lung worms (Dictyocaulus viviparus.) In contrast to the bronchopneumonia caused by microbes, this disease has no tendency to spread.