Merck Animal Health is dedicated to spreading the awareness of one of the most common diseases found in the cattle industry. Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) continues to take an economic toll on herds across the country. During NAFB’s Trade Talk I spoke with Dr. Brent Meyer, technical services veterinarian for Merck. He shares what the company is doing to tackle BRD and educate producers.

“We brought a new antibiotic to the market called Zuprevo. It is a macrolide antibiotic labeled for treatment and/or prevention of the disease. So it has a dual label. What’s unique about this product is that it is very fast acting. After one sub-q dose of 1cc per 100lbs. in four hours its in the lung tissue killing the bacteria that might be in there. It also stays in the lung tissue for 28 days.”

It has been on the market for a good year and Merck is excited with the testimonials they are starting to receive. The producers Dr. Meyer has talked with have used the product on high-risk calves and have reduced their death loss from 8% down to less than 1%.

To help educate producers, Merck has launched a blog called BRD Report: From The Fence Post. It’s sole purpose is to raise awareness of BRD for veterinarians, livestock producers, agricultural media and industry influencers to access important information vital to the prevention and treatment of this deadly disease.

Blog content includes valuable insights and best practices from industry experts about easing stress, nutrition, maintaining facilities and recognizing signs of disease, as well as comparative studies, relevant peer-reviewed articles and industry news. Contributing bloggers include university researchers, nutritionists and livestock producers, as well as Merck Animal Health veterinarians.

Listen to my complete interview with Brent here: Interview with Dr. Brent Meyer

Checkout photos from NAFB Convention: 2013 NAFB Convention Photo Album