Abstract
Simple SummaryCongenital malformations (due to genetic causes) represent a hidden danger for animal production, above all when genetic selection is undertaken for production improvements. These malformations are responsible for economic losses either because they reduce the productivity of the farm, or because their spread in the population would decrease the total productivity of that species/breed. River buffalo is a species of increasing interest all over the world for its production abilities, as proved by the buffalo genome project and the genetic selection plans that are currently performed in different countries. The aim of this review is to provide a general view of different models of congenital malformations in buffalo and their world distribution. This would be useful either for those who performed buffalo genetic selection or for researchers in genetic diseases, which would be an advantage to their studies with respect to the knowledge of gene mutations and interactions in this species.The world buffalo population is about 168 million, and it is still growing, in India, China, Brazil, and Italy. In these countries, buffalo genetic breeding programs have been performed for many decades. The occurrence of congenital malformations has caused a slowing of the genetic progress and economic loss for the breeders, due to the death of animals, or damage to their reproductive ability or failing of milk production. Moreover, they cause animal welfare reduction because they can imply foetal dystocia and because the affected animals have a reduced fitness with little chances of survival. This review depicts, in the river buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) world population, the present status of the congenital malformations, due to genetic causes, to identify their frequency and distribution in order to develop genetic breeding plans able to improve the productive and reproductive performance, and avoid the spreading of detrimental gene variants. Congenital malformations most frequently reported in literature or signaled by breeders to the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production of the University Federico II (Naples, Italy) in river buffalo are: musculoskeletal defects (transverse hemimelia, arthrogryposis, umbilical hernia) and disorders of sexual development. In conclusion this review put in evidence that river buffalo have a great variety of malformations due to genetic causes, and TH and omphalocele are the most frequent and that several cases are still not reported, leading to an underestimation of the real weight of genetic diseases in this species.
Highlights
The world’s water buffalo population is about 168 million: 95% are in Asia (India, Pakistan, andChina), 2% in Africa (Egypt), 2% in South America and the Caribbean, 1% in Europe and Oceania [1]Buffalo bred for milk production belong to the River type, like Murrah and Jaffarabadi, Nili Ravi, Mediterranean River Buffalo, and Mediterranean ItalianRiver Buffalo (MIRB)
This paper aims to provides an overview of the congenital malformations reported in river buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in the literature or that have been signaled to the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production of University of Naples Federico II
In cattle this condition is the most frequently noted congenital disorder [37]. It seems to be associated with genes located at the centromeric end of BTA8 [38]. This is the most common malformation in river buffalo, but only a few cases are well described in the literature, like in the Pandharpuri buffalo breed in which Amle et al [39] found a male calf with incomplete closure of umbilicus and reducible intestinal hernia associated to cryptorchidism, and in Mediterranean ItalianRiver Buffalo (MIRB), in which Correale and Consalvo [9] found 72 cases with different phenotypic traits
Summary
The world’s water buffalo population is about 168 million: 95% are in Asia The occurrence of congenital malformations, above all when due to gene variants passed down by parents, in livestock production, causes the slowing of genetic progress, economic loss for the breeders due to the death of animals, or damage to their reproductive and productive ability, such as milk production. With respect to the worldwide presence of congenital malformations in River buffalo, there are few papers, and a systematic report is still lacking. This paper aims to provides an overview of the congenital malformations reported in river buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in the literature or that have been signaled (and still unpublished) to the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production of University of Naples Federico II by ANASB and veterinarians, most likely due to genetic causes, according to available information, because of their increasing impact in the world livestock production chain. The congenital malformations observed can be classified as: musculoskeletal defects, gastrointestinal defects, craniofacial abnormalities, disorders of sexual development, and other malformations (Table 1)
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