Monitoring of the genetic health of cattle in the Czech Republic

A screening was carried out for CVM, BLAD, DUMPS, bovine citrullinaemia, glycogen storage disease V, and Robertsonian translocations in the cattle population of the Czech Republic. In 406 Holstein sires and 146 Czech Pied (Czech Simmental) sires entering the AI programme in the Czech Republic from 2003–2005, no heterozygous sire for DUMPS, bovine citrullinaemia and BLAD was found. The heterozygote was not found also in the beef sires of Charolais, Limousine, Beef Simmental, Blonde d’Aquitaine, Belgian Blue, Aberdeen-Angus, and Hereford breeds. In 111 elite Holstein females, 21 (18.9%) were heterozygotes for CVM, and were dominant homozygotes for BLAD, DUMPS and bovine citrullinaemia. In the myophosphorylase gene responsible for the glycogen storage disease V, in the Charolais (n = 30), Czech Pied (n = 53), and Belgian Blue, Limousine, Blonde d’Aquitaine, Aberdeen Angus, and Beef Simmental sires analysed, the heterozygote was not found. Robertsonian translocations were examined in 767 Holstein sires, 1 010 Czech Pied (Simmental) sires, 142 beef sires, and 48 dams. Of these, 10 sires of Czech Pied breed, 5 beef sires, and 13 females were found to be positive. The monitoring of BLAD, CVM, and Robertsonian translocations is recommended.