16S rRNA Gene Amplicons Analysis of Nasal Swabs from Beef Calves in Colorado: Comparison Between Apparently Healthy and Bovine Respiratory Disease Diagnosed Calves

The aim of this study is to characterize the nasal microbiome of apparently healthy (n=48) and BRD-affected (n=45) pen-mate beef calves, aiming to explore its potential as an additional diagnostic tool for identifying BRD in animals. Samples were obtained from a farm located in Colorado. The nasal microbiome analysis focused on amplifying and sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene using an Illumina MiSeq Sequencer.