DEVELOPING A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR RAPID SCREENING OF LIVESTOCK AT RISK OF DEVELOPING BOVINE RESPIRATORY DISEASE.

(1) To establish NIRS profiles in biofluids from cattle infected with bacterial or viral respiratory pathogens, and validate the spectral signatures with biochemical and clinical indicators of inflammation.(2) Establish the point of the disease progression (from non-clinical to clinical) at which NIRS is able to detect a specific biochemical signature in an animal on a path to disease.?(3) Test the ability of NIRS prediction models to detect and confirm the presence of naturally-occurring BRD in stocker cattle at high risk for the disease.