Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV)

BRSV can be fatal to your livestock. To prevent this disease from ravaging your herd, it’s important to recognize it early on. Keep reading to learn BRSV symptoms, treatments and preventative strategies to keep your cattle healthy and maintain your own peace of mind.

Jump to Key Section

• What Is Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus?
• How to Identify Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus
• How to Treat Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus
• How to Prevent Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus
• How Our Products Can Help

What Is Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus?

BRSV is a stress-related infection in cattle that is capable of causing minimal to extreme respiratory diseases, while also weakening their overall immune responses. This disease attacks the mucosal cells inside the respiratory tract, destroying the pathogen-cleaning mucociliary apparatus. Following the fall of those cells, the underlying tissue becomes susceptible to infections. BRSV is highly contagious and spreads through respiratory aerosols and via cow-to-cow contact.

How to Identify Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Knowing the below symptoms by heart will help you catch BRSV early:

• High Fever: Take the temperature of the cattle you suspect are infected. Fevers between 103 and 108°F indicate an infection.
• Coughing: If you notice your cattle coughing sporadically and uncontrollably, it is vital to rule out SRSV.
• Nose Discharge and Runny Eyes: Nasal discharge and leaky eyes are both signs of a respiratory infection.
• Depression: Lethargy and listlessness are signs of depression and should be ruled out as an early warning of BRSV.
• Loss of Apatite: Decreased feed intake is a key symptom of a festering infection.

How to Treat Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Although BRSV has no real cure, treatment is a mix of antibacterial therapy and supportive supplements. As soon as you notice any of the above symptoms, it’s important to act quickly. The faster you’re able to give your cattle the support they need to improve their health, the less likely they are to develop severe cases of the virus or other illness.

Supportive treatments include using CattlActive® to strengthen their gut health and immune system and assist with correcting dehydration and feed consumption. It’s essential that your sick livestock continue eating and drinking. If they stop consuming anything at all, contact your veterinarian immediately.

How to Prevent Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus

The two main ways to prevent BRSV are:

1. Vaccinating your cattle to protect them from catching the virus
2. Ensuring your livestock have healthy and supported immune systems, including a high functioning gut to help fight off the infection from the start

How Our Products Can Help

CattlActive® is a preventative and treatment-driven supplement that stabilizes gut acid and encourages food and water intake. Once your cattle begin consuming nutrient, the vicious cycle of their sickness will break.

Here’s how it works. Livestock animals feel stressed very easily due to factors including changes in weather, tight spatial conditions, extreme temptations and poor living conditions. If a cow starts feeling stressed, they often experience a change in luminal pH. This triggers a decline in their feed and water intake. As the good backfire in their guts begins to die off, their weakened immune system becomes vulnerable to catching viruses like BRSV.

CattlActive® is useful for producers, growers and practitioners. If you have any questions, contact us today!