Merck announces WHISPER® ON ARRIVAL
First of its kind technology transforms BRD control decision-making for cattle.
August 2, 2021
Merck Animal Health and Allflex Livestock Intelligence have announced the release of Whisper® on arrival. The breakthrough technology is the only precision tool on the market that predicts which animals will benefit from treatment for the control of Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD).
“Whisper on arrival, offers feedlot managers and veterinarians an innovative new approach to feedlot management of BRD,” says Jason Nickell, D.V.M., Ph.D., DACVPM, manager, Professional Services, Allflex Livestock Intelligence. “The transformative technology provides the most complete BRD control case definition available by analyzing an individual animal’s lung sound, heart sound, rectal temperature and weight, delivering actionable data for objective BRD control decisions at the individual animal level.”
Consisting of a new sound collection device and a predictive algorithm, Whisper on arrival, is another example of how smart technology is helping cattle operations. The technology was developed exclusively for feedlot and backgrounded cattle on arrival. Based on individual animal examination, the algorithm calculates each animal’s risk of developing BRD and provides a simple “treat” or “no treat” outcome. The technology identifies which cattle are likely to respond to antimicrobial therapy for BRD control while conversely leaving the remaining population untreated.
“Whisper on arrival is another innovation from Merck Animal Health as we continue to seek new solutions for the cattle industry,” says Paul Koffman, North America lead, Allflex Livestock Intelligence. “The technology has the potential to transform how feedlot managers and veterinarians treat one of the most expensive and prevalent diseases in cattle. It advances thoughtful antimicrobial stewardship by maintaining the animal health and welfare benefits associated with conventional BRD control practices. Providing precision targeting of only those animals that will benefit from antimicrobial treatment can result in a reduction in unnecessary use of antibiotics and a positive impact to the bottom line for producers.”
Whisper on arrival is now available as a part of a limited rollout, with plans to expand availability in 2022.
For more information on WHISPER® ON ARRIVAL, go to WhisperOnArrival.com.
About Merck Animal Health
For 130 years, Merck, a leading global biopharmaceutical company, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases. Merck Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA, is the global animal health business unit of Merck.
Source: Merck, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.
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