IDENTIFICATION OF A HAPLOTYPE ASSOCIATED WITH HYPOCHOLESTEROLEMIA AND INCREASED JUVENILE MORTALITY IN HOLSTEIN CATTLE

摘要

Over the last decades, several genetic disorders affecting animal health and wellbeing have been discovered in cattle. Recently, German cattle farmers reported calves with chronic diarrhea and retarded growth. The etiology of the condition remained obscure despite of considerable efforts from field veterinarians to elucidate the underlying cause. Affected calves were unresponsive to symptomatic treatment and died within the first months of life. Examination of pedigree and genotype information revealed that affected calves could be traced back to a popular sire of the Holstein population. The purpose of the study presented here was to determine the etiology and pathophysiology of this novel condition affecting health and survival of Holstein calves.