Veterinary Research and Consulting Services, LLC, Greeley, CO 80634, USA.
Anim Health Res Rev. 2009 Dec;10(2):101-3. doi: 10.1017/S1466252309990090.
The North American beef cattle industry has endured many changes throughout the years but is encountering some of the most dramatic challenges in history during the first decade of the 21st century. The US beef cattle inventory increased from 1990 to a high of 103.5 million in 1996 and since has declined to a low of 94.5 million on 1 January 2009. Even though economic signals have encouraged the cow herd to increase over the last 5 years, a significant decrease occurred during 2008. It is difficult to determine the precise cost of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) to the industry but it is reported to be greater than US$500 million per year. Data from our practice indicate that losses from BRD over the last 18 years have been characterized by 5-year cycles of decreases and increases. Perhaps it is time for the industry to look for ways to reduce death loss by methods that focus on the animal's response to the pathogens instead of continuing to focus on the pathogens.
北美肉牛业多年来历经多次变革，但在 21 世纪的第一个十年，正面临着历史上最严峻的挑战。美国肉牛存栏量从 1990 年增长到 1996 年的 1.035 亿头的峰值，此后一直下降到 2009 年 1 月 1 日的 9450 万头的低点。尽管过去 5 年来经济信号鼓励牛群增加，但 2008 年仍出现了显著下降。牛呼吸道疾病 (BRD) 给该行业造成的确切成本难以确定，但据报道每年超过 5 亿美元。我们实践中的数据表明，BRD 造成的损失在过去 18 年中呈现出 5 年一周期的减少和增加的特点。也许是时候让该行业寻找通过关注动物对病原体的反应而不是继续关注病原体的方法来降低死亡损失的方法了。
