Bacterial Bovine Respiratory Disease: A Comprehensive Review of Etiology, Pathogenesis, and Management Strategies

Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) represents one of the largest causes of economic loss and animal morbidity in the global cattle industry, second only to neonatal diarrhea. Its etiology is complex, originating from a multifactorial combination of host susceptibility, environmental stressors, viral infections, and secondary bacterial pathogens. Although viruses are often the initial cause of disease, suppressing the host’s respiratory defense mechanisms, most of the severe pneumonic damage and clinical signs can be attributed to bacterial infections. This review provides an overview of the primary bacterial agents identified within the BRD complex, including Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni, and Mycoplasma bovis. We discuss their role as commensals that then become opportunistic pathogens, and further how they interact in a synergistic relationship with a primary viral insult, leading to the resulting pathogenesis and the development of pneumonia. This manuscript discusses in further detail some of the challenges in BRD management, such as the limitations of current diagnostic methodologies, overreliance on antimicrobial therapy, and the growing concern of antimicrobial resistance. Lastly, the need for integrated approaches in management, better husbandry and biosecurity, coupled with the development of novel therapeutic alternatives, is underlined as a means of assuring a sustainable control of this serious syndrome.