Computed Radiographic Assessment of Pulmonary Patterns in Working Cattle in the North West Zone of Nigeria

Respiratory diseases are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in working cattle, and radiographic assessment of pulmonary patterns offers valuable diagnostic information in chronic and subacute presentations when physical examination findings are inconclusive. This analytical study employs computed digital radiography to characterize pulmonary patterns in working cattle in the North West geopolitical zone, covering Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Jigawa, and Zamfara States, between February 2022 and January 2024. One hundred and twenty adult cattle presenting with respiratory signs at regional veterinary clinics were enrolled. Dorsoventral and lateral thoracic radiographs were acquired using portable digital radiographic systems and interpreted by a blinded panel of two veterinary radiologists. Radiographic patterns were categorized as alveolar, interstitial, bronchial, mixed, or normal. Alveolar patterns consistent with acute bacterial pneumonia were identified in 39% of enrolled cattle. Interstitial patterns indicative of viral or mycoplasmal etiology were present in 28%. Mixed alveolar-interstitial patterns were found in 19% of animals. Radiographic findings were correlated with bronchoalveolar lavage cytology and bacteriological results in a subset of 55 cattle. Radiographic sensitivity for detecting pneumonia relative to lavage confirmation was 84%. These results provide the first computed radiographic characterization of pulmonary patterns in a large working cattle cohort from North Western Nigeria, generating evidence for improved radiographic diagnostic guidelines for bovine respiratory disease management in the region. Keywords: bovine pulmonary radiography, computed radiography, North West Nigeria, respiratory disease, cattle.