Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-2lccl Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T21:08:16.879Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Genetics of bovine respiratory disease in cattle: can breeding programs reduce the problem?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2014

Donagh P. Berry
Donagh P. Berry*
Affiliation:
Animal and Bioscience Research Department, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
*
Corresponding author. E-mail: donagh.berry@teagasc.ie
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Genetics is responsible for approximately half the observed change in performance internationally in well-structured cattle breeding programs. Almost all, if not all, individual characteristics, including animal health, have a genetic basis. Once genetic variation exists then breeding for improvement is possible. Although the heritability of most health traits is low to moderate, considerable exploitable genetic variation does exist. From the limited studies undertaken, and mostly from limited datasets, the direct heritability of susceptibility to BRD varied from 0.07 to 0.22 and the maternal heritability (where estimated) varied from 0.05 to 0.07. Nonetheless, considerable genetic variation clearly exists; the genetic standard deviation for the direct component (binary trait), although differing across populations, varied from 0.08 to 0.20 while the genetic standard deviation for the maternal component varied from 0.04 to 0.07. Little is known about the genetic correlation between genetic predisposition to BRD and animal performance; the estimation of these correlations should be prioritized. (Long-term) Breeding strategies to reduce the incidence of BRD in cattle should be incorporated into national BRD eradication or control strategies.

Keywords

bovine respiratory diseasegeneticsbreedinggenetic improvement
Type
Review Article
Information
Animal Health Research Reviews , Volume 15 , Issue 2 , December 2014 , pp. 151 - 156
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Berry, DP, Bermingham, ML, Good, M and More, SJ (2011). Genetics of animal health and disease in cattle. Irish Veterinary Journal 64: 5.Google Scholar
Berry, DP, Graham, D, McClure, J, McCarthy, J and Sayers, R (2014a). Heritable genetic variation in susceptibility to bovine viral diarrhea in dairy and beef cattle. In: Proceedings of the Agricultural Research Forum, 10–11th March 2014, Tullamore, Ireland.Google Scholar
Berry, DP, Wall, E and Pryce, JE (2014b). Genetics and genomic of reproductive performances in dairy and beef cattle. Animal 8: 105–121.Google Scholar
Heringstad, B, Chang, YM, Gianola, D and Østerås, O (2008). Genetic analysis of respiratory disease in Norwegian Red calves. Journal of Dairy Science 91: 367–370.Google Scholar
Mc Parland, S, Kearney, JF, Rath, M and Berry, DP (2007). Inbreeding trends and pedigree analysis of Irish dairy and beef cattle populations. Journal of Animal Science 85: 322–331.Google Scholar
Miglior, F, Muir, BL and Van Doormaal, BJ (2005). Selection indices in Holstein cattle of various countries. Journal of Dairy Science 88: 1255–1263.Google Scholar
Muggli-Cockett, NE, Cundiff, LV and Gregory, KE (1992). Genetic analysis of bovine respiratory disease in beef calves during the first year of life. Journal of Animal Science 70: 2013–2019.Google Scholar
Rendel, J, Robertson, A (1950). Estimation of genetic gain in milk yield by selection in a closed herd of dairy cattle. Journal of Genetics 50: 1–8.Google Scholar
Schneider, MJ, Tait, RG, Ruble, MV, Busby, WD and Reecy, JM (2010). Evaluation of fixed sources of variation and estimation of genetic parameters for incidence of bovine respiratory disease in preweaned calves and feedlot cattle. Journal of Animal Science 88: 1220–1228.Google Scholar
Snowder, GD, Van Vleck, LD, Cundiff, LV and Bennett, GL (2005). Influence of breed, heterozygosity, and disease incidence on estimates of variance components of respiratory disease in preweaned beef calves. Journal of Animal Science 83: 1247–1261.Google Scholar