Pathogen Interactions and Respiratory Health in Ruminant Populations

Respiratory disease in ruminant species arises from complex interactions among viruses, bacteria and host immune responses. Primary agents such as Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, Pasteurellaceae members and emerging viral pathogens establish initial infections that damage airway defences, creating opportunities for secondary or opportunistic microbes. Polymicrobial infections, in which multiple pathogens co-occur, often exacerbate disease severity and drive population-level outbreaks. Host factors—including chronic carriage by reservoir species, age-related immunity and nutritional status—modulate transmission dynamics. Environmental stressors such as crowding, transport and co-grazing with domestic livestock further increase susceptibility and facilitate spillover events between wild and domestic ruminants. Advances in pathogen characterisation, genomic surveillance and experimental models have deepened understanding of transmission pathways, virulence mechanisms and potential control measures, with implications for conservation of vulnerable wildlife populations and economic sustainability of livestock industries.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have elucidated the genetic structure of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae across domestic sheep, goats and wild Caprinae. High strain diversity in domestic flocks contrasts with limited diversity in most bighorn sheep and mountain goat populations, indicating that domestic sheep act as a reservoir for spillover. Spatial clustering of strains among adjacent wild herds underscores local transmission and persistence following introduction. These findings inform risk assessments for interspecies contact and highlight the need for targeted surveillance and biosecurity measures to prevent establishment of novel strains in naïve wildlife.

Pathogen Interactions and Respiratory Health in Ruminant Populations publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in pathogen interactions and respiratory health in ruminant populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Spillover: Transmission of a pathogen from a reservoir host species to a new host species, often leading to emergent disease.

Polymicrobial infection: Concurrent infection by multiple microbial species or strains, which may interact synergistically to worsen disease.

Metagenomic sequencing: High-throughput, culture-independent analysis of all genetic material in a sample, enabling detection of known and novel pathogens.

Carrier: An individual that harbours a pathogen without showing clinical signs but can transmit the agent to susceptible hosts.

References

1. Metagenomic sequencing sheds light on microbes putatively associated with pneumonia-related fatalities of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Microbial Genomics (2024).
2. Bovine Rhinitis B Virus Variant as the Putative Cause of Bronchitis in Goat Kids. Viruses (2024).
3. Mesomycoplasma ovipneumoniae from goats with respiratory infection: pathogenic characteristics, population structure, and genomic features. BMC Microbiology (2023).
4. Genetic structure of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae informs pathogen spillover dynamics between domestic and wild Caprinae in the western United States. Scientific Reports (2019).