Genetics of brisket disease in beef cattle : a not so high altitude problem

Brisket disease, also termed high altitude disease (HAD), has been observed for a century in beef production systems at altitudes > 1,600 m. This disease is often diagnosed as cattle that died of right heart failure; however, there is limited data collection for this trait. Pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) is an indicator trait that can be used to assess pulmonary hypertension. Cattle with PAP values ≤ 41 mmHg are considered as low risk of developing HAD, whereas cattle with values ranging from 42 to 49 mmHg are considered moderate and those with values ≥ 50 mmHg are considered high risk. This trait has moderate heritability and the phenotype and EPD are used in yearling bull and heifer selection programs. Multi-omics approaches involving SNP-chip genotypes and RNA-sequence gene expression levels indicate that yearling PAP is very polygenic and influenced by gene-pathways of inflammation, tissue remodeling, and metabolism; therefore, these results suggest that this trait could be improved with genomic selection. Recently, late feedlot death in fattening cattle at altitudes < 1,600 m has been observed with etiology of right and left heart failure. This finding adds complexity to understanding brisket disease and challenges the designing of breeding programs for healthy cattle.