Abstract

Recent advances in animal breeding and genetics that are pertinent to the prevention of disease in cattle can now be used as a component of an overall programme for enhanced cattle health. The role of genetic make-up to variations in resistance to several illnesses affecting cattle is summarised in this paper. There is substantial genetic heterogeneity in disease susceptibility among cattle, indicating that genetic selection for better disease resistance will be successful. However, the incorporation of health and disease resistance traits in national breeding goals is now hampered by a lack of good data on the individual animal susceptibility to disease. Developments in “omics” technologies, like genomic selection, may help traditional breeding programmes overcome some of their limitations. This is especially true for breeding for low-heritability disease traits that don’t show up until an animal is an adult and has already been exposed to pathogens or environmental stressors. Nonetheless, it will still be important to have access to enormous databases of phenotypes related to health and disease. This review demonstrates unequivocally how important genetics are to cattle’s general health and disease resistance. Hence, any comprehensive national disease management strategy should include breeding programmes for better animal health and disease resistance.

Background: With the potential for major performance and welfare improvements, efforts to reduce illness in cattle continue to make very significant strides. A better understanding of disease biology and epidemiology, as well as the creation of medications like antibiotics and anthelmintics for better disease control, are just a few examples of these advancements. In parallel, significant progress has been made in animal breeding and genetics, which is important for preventing animal diseases. Given that observable animal performance is the result of the interaction between the animal’s genetic composition and the particular environment it was exposed to, these developments are of great interest to veterinarians. So, it makes sense that enhanced genetics could support present methods for preventing animal diseases. Because genetic gain is cumulative and permanent and because the genes introduced into a population can survive for many generations, it is profitable to improve animal health through genetic selection. Understanding the genetic basis of health and disease resistance not only makes it easier to establish breeding strategies for better health status, but it also produces knowledge for biomedical research in both humans and animals, with applications like vaccine creation.