TY - JOUR T1 - Analysis of the Occurrence of Cattle Respiratory Pathogens in Clinical Samples Submitted to UK Veterinary Laboratories: A Retrospective Study A1 - Patrick O’Connor A1 - Niamh Doyle JF - International Journal of Veterinary Research and Allied Sciences JO - Int J Vet Res Allied Sci SN - 3062-357X Y1 - 2022 VL - 2 IS - 1 DO - 10.51847/Noy6V0wU44 SP - 122 EP - 132 N2 - This study aimed to assess the prevalence and seasonal distribution of respiratory pathogens in cattle in the UK, using clinical samples submitted for laboratory PCR analysis. Data were retrospectively collected from a central laboratory in Scotland, comprising 407 pooled clinical samples provided by 95 veterinary practices across the UK between November 2020 and September 2022. Analyses included spatial mapping using choropleth techniques, chi-squared tests, and both Poisson and logistic regression models to explore associations. Analysis showed that 77.6% of samples contained multiple bacterial species, while 17.7% harbored more than one virus. The odds of infection with certain respiratory pathogens were significantly lower in the warmer months (March–August) compared with autumn and winter (September–February). Poisson regression indicated modest but significant univariable associations between weekly age and both total viral load (coefficient = ‒0.01, SE = 0.004, 95% CI = ‒0.02 to ‒0.003) and total pathogen count (coefficient = ‒0.005, SE = 0.002, 95% CI = ‒0.008 to ‒0.002). This study is inherently limited by its reliance on a single laboratory’s submissions, introducing potential sampling bias, and by the retrospective nature of the analysis. Most bovine respiratory disease (BRD) cases involved multiple pathogens, with bovine coronavirus—typically not considered a major BRD contributor in the UK—being frequently detected. UR - https://esvpub.com/article/analysis-of-the-occurrence-of-cattle-respiratory-pathogens-in-clinical-samples-submitted-to-uk-veter-d1y73vkmnl8kug1 ER -