Use of tilmicosin in a severe outbreak of respiratory disease in weaned beef calves

• Published in: Australian veterinary journal Vol. 73; no. 2; p. 62
• Main Authors: Scott, P R, McGowan, M, Sargison, N D, Penny, C D, Lowman, B G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-02-1996
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use; Body Temperature - drug effects; Cattle; Cattle Diseases - drug therapy; Cattle Diseases - epidemiology; Clonixin - analogs & derivatives; Clonixin - therapeutic use; Disease Outbreaks - veterinary; Macrolides; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - complications; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - drug therapy; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - veterinary; Scotland - epidemiology; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Tylosin - analogs & derivatives; Tylosin - therapeutic use; Scotland
• ISSN: 0005-0423
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1996.tb09967.x

Severe respiratory disease, associated with seroconversion to bovine respiratory syncitial virus (BRSV), caused the death of two cattle and necessitated antibiotic treatment of 70 calves (rectal temperature of 39.6 degrees C or greater) from a group of 96 (73%) during an 8-day period. Tilmicosin injection resulted in a reduction in median rectal temperature from 40.3 degrees C to 39.2 degrees C and 39.0 degrees C for the first and second days after treatment. The rectal temperature was 39.5 degrees C or lower in 72% (48 of 67) and 96% (64 of 67) of cattle 1 and 2 days after tilmicosin treatment, respectively. Ten cattle were re-treated with tilmicosin 6 to 16 days after the first treatment. Our study demonstrated that bovine respiratory syncytial virus infection could cause severe respiratory disease in a beef herd that had no previous history of BRSV-related disease. Secondary bacterial invasion after BRSV infection was controlled effectively by tilmicosin treatment but repeat antibiotic treatments were occasionally necessary due to bacterial re-infection of the respiratory tract.