A faculty member at Kansas State University is taking a deep dive into a disease that is the leading cause of mortality in the cattle industry. The work of this research team has been recognized for its significance and recently received a $4 million grant to continue their study of Bovine Respiratory Disease.

Dr. Brad White, professor at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Director of Beef Cattle Institute, says that their early findings have brought new light to the effects of BRD on the entire body.

“Many of the cattle that we’ve evaluated, about three-quarters of them, have more than one thing going on,” White said. “So while respiratory disease may have been part of the issue, we also see issues in the gastrointestinal tract or we see issues in other body organs…so what we’re trying to figure out is, as this [is a] preventative program, we need to be pretty wholistic and not just focus on ‘okay I gave this vaccine’… we need to combine that with an overall animal health management plan.”

Dr. White and his team have collaborated with other universities from around the country to conduct their research and learn more about both the long-term effects of BRD and also what makes calves high risk.

You can connect with Dr. White at https://www.vet.k-state.edu/academics/clinical-sciences/faculty-staff/faculty/white/ and learn more about the work of Beef Cattle Institure at https://ksubci.org/.