Host Tolerance to Infection with the Bacteria that Cause Bovine Respiratory Disease

Calves vary considerably in their pathologic and clinical responses to infection of the lung with bacteria. The reasons may include resistance to infection because of pre-existing immunity, development of effective immune responses, or infection with a minimally virulent bacterial strain. However, studies of natural disease and of experimental infections indicate that some calves develop only mild lung lesions and minimal clinical signs despite substantial numbers of pathogenic bacteria in the lung. This may represent "tolerance" to pulmonary infection because these calves are able to control their inflammatory responses or protect the lung from damage, without necessarily eliminating bacterial infection. Conversely, risk factors might predispose to bovine respiratory disease by triggering a loss of tolerance that results in a harmful inflammatory and tissue-damaging response to infection.