By Dr. Ken McMillan, DTN/The Progressive Farmer Contributing Editor
Question: I got a report back from our state lab on a calf that died. It said she had something called Mannheimia. I have never heard of this. What is it, and what do I need to do to prevent it from happening again?
Answer: Mannheimia haemolytica is the new name for Pasteurella haemolytica. Every so often, microbiologists change the name of organisms to confuse us — or so it seems. In their defense, as they learn more about organisms, and especially microorganisms, they reclassify them to better fit with those findings.