Identifying the Genetic Blueprint for Healthier Cattle
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
PROBLEM
More than one of five cattle on feedlots contracts Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD), one of the most lethal threats to the beef and dairy industries.
SOLUTION
A broad consortium of research institutions is examining thousands of cattle to learn which genetic regions indicate resistance to BRD.
FUNDING
USDA NIFA AFRI
Texas A&M AgriLife Research
RESEARCHERS
James E. Womack, PhD, Texas A&M University
Mark Enns, PhD, Colorado State University
Holly Neibergs, PhD, Washington State University
Christopher Seabury, PhD, Texas A&M University
Jeremy F. Taylor, PhD, University of Missouri
Milton G. Thomas, PhD, Colorado State University
Alison L. Van Eenennaam, PhD, University of California, Davis
Curtis P. Van Tassell, PhD, USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Center
Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is a combination of viral and bacterial cattle infections made worse by the stress of transportation to the feedlot. The USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring System estimates that 21 percent of beef cattle placed in feedlots are infected with BRD, costing the industry approximately $692 million annually. The dairy industry faces similar losses.
Even when living in a stall next to an infected animal, not every cattle contracts BRD. In an ambitious six-institution study, scientists identified dairy calves that showed BRD symptoms and healthy animals in adjacent stalls. 1,500 sick animals and 1,500 healthy animals were all examined for genetic characteristics.
The scientists found two dozen regions of the dairy cattle genome that could be associated with BRD resistance. The team will sample 2,000 beef cattle next to correlate their findings. Their discoveries will facilitate breeding animals that are less susceptible to the disease, thereby improving animal health while minimizing the industries’ losses.
The end goal: breeding enough resistance to lower the amount of drugs and antibiotics used in farms and feedlots throughout the U.S.
“It’s inspiring and fascinating to imagine what genetic technology can accomplish. With the right combination of genes, one animal can do what three animals are doing today and be healthier.”