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Bovine hereditary zinc deficiency: lethal trait A 46
M Machen1, T Montgomery, R Holland
1Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA.
Summary
Bovine hereditary zinc deficiency (Adema disease) causes poor zinc absorption and clinical issues in calves. Supplementation with zinc acetate reversed these symptoms, offering insights into zinc
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Genetics
- Animal Nutrition
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Bovine hereditary zinc deficiency (Adema disease) is an autosomal recessive disorder impacting zinc absorption.
- This condition leads to various clinical abnormalities in affected cattle.
Observation:
- Clinical signs included diarrhea, skin lesions, poliosis, and impaired suckling reflex.
- Plasma zinc concentrations decreased significantly in affected calves within 3-8 weeks postpartum.
- Alkaline phosphatase activity in serum mirrored the decline in plasma zinc levels.
Findings:
- Oral zinc acetate administration successfully reversed all clinical, biochemical, and histological abnormalities.
- Affected calves showed a marked decline in plasma zinc levels below 0.5 ppm.
Implications:
- This study provides a valuable animal model for investigating zinc's biological role.
- Findings contribute to understanding and potentially treating the human homologue, acrodermatitis enteropathica.