FIVM Series presents: Cellular Respiratory tract microbiota of beef cattle and its role in respiratory health

Bacterial bronchopneumonia (BP) is one of the most important health problems in the beef industry. While beef cattle can be affected with BP at any age, they’re most likely to contract it within the first 50 days of arriving at a feedlot. That’s because they’re exposed to a wide range of pathogens as they mix with other cattle, and they’ve faced various stressors such as weaning and transport which can suppress their immune system.

On Friday, May 18, Dr. Edouard Timsit will talk about bacterial pathogens associated with BP. For these pathogens, colonization of the respiratory tract is a necessary first step before causing infection.  Dr. Timsit will explain how inhibition of this first step of pathogenesis by resident bacterial communities (i.e. microbiota) may be of upmost importance to respiratory health.

In the last few years, there’s a growing body of evidence that respiratory bacterial communities play a crucial role in preventing respiratory pathogens from establishing an infection.  Dr. Timsit’s presentation will describe how the diversity and composition of bacterial communities within the upper and lower respiratory tracts can promote respiratory health in beef cattle.  And he’ll present intranasal probiotics, a microbiota-based intervention for the prevention of BP.

Dr. Timsit obtained his DVM degree in 2006. Afterwards, he did a residency for the European College of Bovine Health Management, combined with a PhD on Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) and epidemiology.

In 2012, Dr. Timsit joined UCVM as an Assistant Professor in Cattle Health, where he developed an internationally recognized research program on the pathogenesis, detection, diagnosis and treatment of BRD. In addition to his research and teaching, Dr. Timsit works as a feedlot consultant one day a week at Feedlot Health Management Services. In April 2018, he became the inaugural Simpson Ranch Chair in Beef Health & Wellness, expanding his research program into other areas of cattle health and wellness.