Definition

Noun: * Shipping pneumonia: A severe and often fatal infectious disease affecting cattle and sheep. It is characterized by high fever and pneumonia, and typically occurs when the animals are under stress due to conditions like exposure to harsh weather, exhaustion, or the physical strain of being transported (shipped) to market.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The veterinarian diagnosed the outbreak in the herd as shipping pneumonia, likely triggered by the long journey.
  • To prevent shipping pneumonia, ranchers ensure their livestock are rested and healthy before transport.
  • The economic losses from shipping pneumonia can be significant for farmers.

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in veterinary medicine, agriculture, and livestock industries. It is a technical term for a specific disease syndrome rather than a general medical term.
• It is often discussed in the context of animal welfare and husbandry practices aimed at reducing transport-related stress.

Variants and Related Words

• Shipping fever: This is a common synonym for shipping pneumonia. The terms are often used interchangeably, though "shipping fever" can sometimes refer to the broader complex of respiratory symptoms.
• Bovine respiratory disease (BRD): This is a wider category of respiratory illnesses in cattle, of which shipping pneumonia is a major and specific type, often linked to the stress of transport.

Synonyms

• Shipping fever
• Transit pneumonia
• Bovine pneumonic pasteurellosis (a more specific bacteriological name for a common cause)

Notes on Meaning

• The term is a compound noun where "shipping" specifies the common circumstance (transport) under which the "pneumonia" occurs. It is treated as a single lexical unit for this specific disease.
• It does not refer to a disease that can be contracted by humans.

Noun

1. a deadly form of septicemia in cattle and sheep; involves high fever and pneumonia; contracted under conditions of exposure or exhaustion (as often happens when the animals are shipped to market)